Different types of SATA cables?

[Sulimen]

Hello. I recently bought a high-end PC with every component bought separately besides a hard drive, in which i already have one in my old PC.

The new PC is already built and the only thing i needed to add was this hard drive i have, however i sort of had a problem on that regard. Its SATA cable can't connect in the hard drive, it simply won't fit in, yet the old power supply's SATA cable has no problem with that.

My question is: does my hard drive can't connect to my new pc's power supply simply because its too outdated for its SATA cable to be compatible with?

The hard drive's model is a WD5000AAKS 500GB that can connect with the SATA cable of my old pc's RaidMax RX-520W power supply, yet the SATA cable of my new pc's Seasonic S12II-620 Bronze 620W power supply just won't fit in.

My thoughts are that the new power supply's SATA cable seems to have this model written on it as CST-C yet the old power supply's SATA cables has a A30 model written on it, and with that i would need to buy a separate A30 SATA cable with a molex to connect to the new power supply so it can be compatible with my hard drive.

However these are only my thoughts on it, i can be a dummy and be wrong, hence the reason i asked here first just so i can be sure of it and with that matter i can be more aware of situations like these.

 

[Paul NZ]

I never used or seen any different cables. I've used the same ones all the time. Never had a prob

 

[kira70591]

The physical SATA interface should be the same. Could you possibly post some pictures with the two candidate connectors from the power supply next to each other and a picture of the HDD interfaces?

 

[Eximo]

In the early days of SATA they did have one alternate cable type with extra support in the form of a block of plastic that would fit neatly in the hard drive, most drives still have this void where jumper pins used to be. In the early days the plastic on the drives was made for IDE style connectors, with the smaller SATA connector the plastic would often break due to insert force or slight tensions and make for unreliable SATA connections. (Also before the right angle ones were commonly included in kits) They have since stiffened the plastic mix and that cable type disappeared.

Surprised I found it:
http://support.wdc.com/images/kb/secureconnect2.jpg
And this other version I have never seen:
http://support.wdc.com/images/kb/secureconnect1a.jpg

And there are several combinations of power/data that might not fit all devices, usually found in OEM computers, or as extensions.

 

[Sulimen]

@Eximo: Correct me if i'm wrong, but i believe the example you are giving there is on a SATA cable for data, an IDE version, however the SATA cable i'm referring to is a feeding one.

@kira70591:

This is the problem i'm referring hence why is confusing, the first 2 pictures has the SATA cable from the old power supply while the other 2 on the bottom has the SATA cable from the new power supply, they are identical.. except one of them has a CST-C written on it (as seen in the picture) while the other has A30 written.

@Paul NZ: Agree, since both cables are the same i shouldn't have a problem with it.

And yes, i did use a little force to further try fitting the cable in, yet it still won't connect.

 

[kira70591]

Huh, they appear to be the same (which they should be). Have you tried all of the SATA power cables from the PSU?

 

[Sulimen]

Yep each and one of them, and none of them would fit, hence the problem is on the hard drive itself.

I also believe there isn't an issue with the plastic on the hard drive, like its deformed to a point where the cable just can't fit, since the old one which is identical can fit perfectly.