After some trouble with bad SATA cable connections, I've decided to buy some of these locking ones for $1.64 each ...

 

http://www.ncixus.com/products/?sku=20770&promoid=1088&vpn=RC%2DSATA%2D18IN%2DL&manufacture=nGear%20Technologies%20Inc%2E

 

they also have them in non-locking form for $0.81.

 

http://www.ncixus.com/products/?sku=15994&promoid=1088&vpn=RC%2DSATA%2D18IN&manufacture=nGear%20Technologies%20Inc%2E

 

Shipping to US is a bit high (make sure to pick the cheapest shipping option because the default is usually the most expensive) since they are based in Canada, but their prices are good and their reseller ranking VERY high.

http://www.monoprice.com/home/index.asp is another good store for cables, adapter and LCD tv mounts.  The mount for my 46in LCD was $26 with free shipping about a year ago.  I've bought SATA and IDE cables from them too.

 

 

Just slightly off topic.... Locking SATA cables do not fit on the Adaptec 1430SA or any other SATA adapter that stacks their ports.  I had to remove the locking mechanism as well as shave some plastic down...

 

Regards,  Peter

Just slightly off topic.... Locking SATA cables do not fit on the Adaptec 1430SA or any other SATA adapter that stacks their ports.  I had to remove the locking mechanism as well as shave some plastic down...

 

Regards,  Peter

 

I just bought the 1430SA any my locking cables (from monoprice) fit fine in there, although a little tight...still fit

Wow.  I have a couple of the cards and the last batch of cables had locking mechanisms that required quite a bit of force to get them in.  Do you have the card fully populated?

 

Regards,  Peter

Though not meant for locking cables, I did manage to get 4 locking cables in... they are NOT coming out any time soon 

 

I know this post is 2 months old and I might be asking a stupid question here but since its about cables:

 

Is there a difference between a SATA1 cable and a SATA2 cable on today's SATA2 HDs/Motherboards?

 

I was about to buy the cheapest SATA cables on monoprice.com when I noticed that they were 2 different specs of cables.  Is there any difference in terms of speed/transfer rates b/w them or is it just the physical attributes such as the locking mechanism or just a marketing thing? 

I know this post is 2 months old and I might be asking a stupid question here but since its about cables:

 

Is there a difference between a SATA1 cable and a SATA2 cable on today's SATA2 HDs/Motherboards?

 

I was about to buy the cheapest SATA cables on monoprice.com when I noticed that they were 2 different specs of cables.  Is there any difference in terms of speed/transfer rates b/w them or is it just the physical attributes such as the locking mechanism or just a marketing thing? 

 

I use them. There is no difference as far as performance.

I too have thought that the initial description of some SATA cables as "SATA II" cables was just a marketing ploy, with no real performance advantage.  Perhaps that is still true, but I would really like to hear from more knowledgeable users on this.

 

In researching the many exception type errors that the SATA drives are especially prone to, I have heard some of the top experts refer to the SATA cable and the SATA motherboard headers as a weak point in the SATA scheme.  I read one hint that the design of the cables may have been under-engineered for handling interference.  I have also noticed that many of the SATA drive errors reported are 'interface errors', that is, they very likely are related to issues with the SATA cable or connectors, or possibly the power cable, and NOT the actual drive itself.

 

I would have to recommend therefore that SATA drive users should use the best quality SATA cables they can, and keep a couple of extra ones on hand, as the first step in troubleshooting drive errors.  The SATA modules included with the Linux kernels are designed to quickly degrade the speeds, both the SATA 1.5/3.0 Gbps speed and the UDMA modes.  So if a syslog shows that the speed has been limited below the max of 3.0 Gbps and UDMA/133, then the first suspect has to be interface problems, and the first (and easiest) action you can take is to replace the SATA cable, and check the power cable and any power splitters connected to it.

I too have thought that the initial description of some SATA cables as "SATA II" cables was just a marketing ploy, with no real performance advantage.  Perhaps that is still true, but I would really like to hear from more knowledgeable users on this.

 

In researching the many exception type errors that the SATA drives are especially prone to, I have heard some of the top experts refer to the SATA cable and the SATA motherboard headers as a weak point in the SATA scheme.  I read one hint that the design of the cables may have been under-engineered for handling interference.  I have also noticed that many of the SATA drive errors reported are 'interface errors', that is, they very likely are related to issues with the SATA cable or connectors, or possibly the power cable, and NOT the actual drive itself.

 

I would have to recommend therefore that SATA drive users should use the best quality SATA cables they can, and keep a couple of extra ones on hand, as the first step in troubleshooting drive errors.  The SATA modules included with the Linux kernels are designed to quickly degrade the speeds, both the SATA 1.5/3.0 Gbps speed and the UDMA modes.  So if a syslog shows that the speed has been limited below the max of 3.0 Gbps and UDMA/133, then the first suspect has to be interface problems, and the first (and easiest) action you can take is to replace the SATA cable, and check the power cable and any power splitters connected to it.

 

I had heard that SATA1 cables vs SATA2 cables was just advertising.  But I'm just not sure.  Who would advertise their cables as SATA1 if they support SATA2 speeds - unless they are old and just never sold.  So are older SATA cables better than newer ones?  Who knows?

 

It's hard to know which of the SATA cables are the best quality.  Looking at them online, they all look about the same.

 

I've started using locking connectors where I can (some controllers don't support them).  I had one motherboard connector that would not reliably connect.  Even a small jiggle in the cable would cause it to lose connection and cause errors.  The locking SATA cable fixed it.  YMMV

 

I also think that hard cable bends are bad, especially near the connectors.  I think we have a tendency to think of the drives as delicate but the cables as indestructable.  I'd recommend that people treat both gently.