CrystalDiskMark: interpreting results (SATA 1 or SATA 2)

[waca]

I want to test the SATA cable which is plugged into my motherboard and HDD (both SATA2). This is what CrystalDiskMark displays:

Seq: 114.2 103.7
512K: 35.82 50.66
4K: 0.421 0.813
4KQD32: 0.825 0.805

Should I assume that the cable is SATA1 or is it possible that it's SATA2?

The HDD is a Seagate Barracuda 1TB ST31000528AS.

 

[Phillip Corcoran]

SATA cables are just that - - SATA cables. They have no official classification as to their speed compatibility. They are all the same except for their manufacturing quality. Any SATA cable can be used for any SATA drive. It's only the cable manufacturers or vendors who sell them marked with different speeds so they can charge more for one that's marked SATA III. It's a con trick for the uninformed.

The SATA speed (SATA, SATA II or SATA III) applies only to the drive.

If you read all the official sources on the SATA interface and the various transfer speeds that are possible, you'll see that no reference is made to the cable that's used. Why? - because the cable makes no difference - it's just a SATA cable.
http://kb.sandisk.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/8142/~/difference-between-sata-i,-sata-ii-and-sata-iii

Now, it's entirely possible for a poor quality cable to affect the transfer speed but that's a different issue entirely.

 

[waca]

Thanks for your input! Would you call the speeds I posted poor performance, considering that both the MB and the HDD are SATA2 devices?

 

[fzabkar]

According to the manufacturer's specifications, the drive's maximum sustained transfer rate is 125 Mbytes/sec.

Product Manual, Barracuda 7200.12 Serial ATA:
http://www.seagate.com/staticfiles/support/disc/manuals/desktop/Barracuda%207200.12/100529369b.pdf

 

[waca]

Thanks!