SATA cable is such an essential cable for connecting a computer’s host bus adapter to storage devices, and before buying an SSD, many beginners ask a common question whether SSDs come with SATA cables or not.
I have built several PCs over the last couple of years, and after doing a ton of research about this topic, I am writing this article to inform you everything regarding this.
So, Do SSDs Come with Sata Cables?
No! SSDs never come with SATA cables. Sata cables come with motherboards & with the PSU (Power Supply Unit).
Generally, there are mainly 2 types of SATA cables required for SSDs. One is a SATA data cable, and another is a SATA power cable. Both these cables don’t come with SSDs. The SATA data cables come with the motherboards, and the SATA power cables come with the Power supply unit.
I know that you still have lots of questions in your mind regarding SATA cables & SSDs; all of your questions are explored below. So, keep reading this article till the end.
Are SATA Cables Needed for SSDs?
Yes! Some SSDs need the SATA Cables, while others don’t require these cables. Generally, SATA stands for Serial Advanced Technology Attachment; it is an industry-standard bus interface for connecting a computer’s host bus adapter to storage devices such as HDDs and SSDs.
Now, there are different kinds of SSDs available in the market; whether you will need the SATA Cables or not depends on what type of SSD you have.
If you use SATA 2.5″ SSD, it needs the SATA cables. But if you are using the SATA M2 SSD or NVMe M.2 SSD, then these SSDs don’t require SATA cables.
The Santa M2 and NVMe M.2 SSD don’t require the SATA cables because these SSDs receive the power from the motherboard itself and attach to the port physically.
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What SATA Cables Do I Need for SSD?
It depends on what kinds of SSDs you have been using. If you are using the SATA M2 or NVMe M.2 SSDs, then these drives don’t require the SATA cables.
But if you are using the SATA 2.5 SSDs, then you need 2 SATA cables such as the SATA Data Cable and SATA power cable. Both the cables are required for different purposes.
In addition to these cables, you need to have a free SATA port on your motherboard too.
The SATA data cable here connects to the SATA port on the motherboard on one end and the 2.5″ SSD on the other end.
The SATA power cable is mainly required to provide the power to the SSD from the power supply unit. This cable would have one end connected to the PSU, and the other end is connected to the 2.5″ SATA SSD.
Do I Need to Buy a SATA Cable for SSD?
No! in most circumstances, there is no need to buy a SATA cable for SSDs because Sata cables usually come with the motherboards and power supply unit.
The SATA data cables come with the motherboards, while the SATA power cables come with the power supply unit.
But often, SATA data cables go bad; in this instance, people need to buy an extra SATA cable to plug in the SSD.
If your Sata cable go bad or you have lost your Sata cable, then you can go for the SABRENT SATA 3 cable for SSDs. It is one of the most sold-out SATA cables on amazon, and more than 40,000 people rated this product.
After purchasing the SATA 3 cable, you can attach the SSD with motherboards via this cable.
Do All Sata Cables Work with SSDs?
Yes! SATA cables are universal and standard. You do not have to worry about which SATA cables you are using.
If you plan to buy SATA cables for your new SSD, you can pick any SATA data cables; it will do the job for you because these cables are the standard interface between all motherboards & SSD drives.
The only variations of the SATA cables are in their length.
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Do I Need Sata 3 Cable for SSD?
It depends! What kind of cable you are using. If you are using a standard 2.5″ SATA 3 SSD, then you require the SATA 3 cable, but if you have M.2 SSD, then you don’t need the SATA 3 cable.
You need to remember that whether your Sata Bus is Sata 2 or Sata 3 (or both on some older motherboards), it will be determined by your chipset.
In short, if your motherboard port is Sata 3, then you need a SATA 3 cable.
However, many experts also recommend using only SATA 3 cables because most SATA connected SSD support the SATA 3 transfer rate.
Moreover, these SATA 3 cables avoid the sad problem of having transfer errors between the drive and motherboard, and their speed is around 6 Gbps.
Do Samsung SSDs Come with Sata Cables?
No! Samsung SSDs don’t come with the SATA cables; in fact, SATA cables don’t come with any SSD brands.
However, if you buy a new motherboard, then your motherboard box should have shipped with at least 2 SATA cables.
Do I Need Sata Cables for SSD M2?
No! Usually, the Sata M2 SSDs don’t require the SATA cables. These SSDs only need a free M.2 slot on your motherboard.
These kinds of SSD drives receive the power it needs to run from the motherboard itself, and it attaches to the power physically.
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Final Thoughts
After exploring different types of SSDs & Sata Cables, it has to be said that the SATA cables never come with your SSD. Instead, the motherboards and Power supply unit come with the SATA cables. Often times motherboards come with a SATA Data cable, and PSU comes with the SATA Power cable.
I hope this article is helpful for you and if you want to know more about SSDs, SATA Cables, PC components, and other technology-related things, then keep following this blog regularly.
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