NeerieD20

Honorable
May 6, 2012
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So, My build is finally set up, things are running, OS is installed. So yay.

However, while setting everything in the case, and plugging cables into my mobo, I had one question that neither my case' manual or my mobo manual could answer for me:

My case has 1 front eSata port, and a top docking station. There were 2 Sata cables for the case connections, one that had some metal on the side, the other did not. My mobo also came with an expantion slot module (2xUSB 2 + 1x eSata). The Sata cable from that does not have metal on the side either, which leads me to think that the cable from the case with some metal on the side of the connector is for the docking station.

The thing is, nowhere could I find any information about where to plug these connectors (aside from in one of my Sata connectors on the mobo. But which? I have Sata 3GB/s and Sata 6GB/s connectors). Does it matter?

If I plug those cables in the 6GB/s connectors, will my eSata ports and docking station run at that speed?
 
Solution
If your pc case manual/specs does not specifically say that the eSATA port is 6Gb/s then it is 3Gb/s.

Connect it to any available 3Gb/s port on your motherboard.
It will work if connect it to a 6Gb/s port, but only at 3Gb/s speeds.
If your pc case manual/specs does not specifically say that the eSATA port is 6Gb/s then it is 3Gb/s.

Connect it to any available 3Gb/s port on your motherboard.
It will work if connect it to a 6Gb/s port, but only at 3Gb/s speeds.
 
Solution