Why did my motherboard come with different kind of SATA cables?

[PCsd]

I ordered my msi motherboard recently and tried to build a pc. When it came to connecting HDD and SDD, my SATA cables only had one compatible end and the other end just says Type 3 with a different kind than the other end. It also has extra 3 SATA ends on one cable. Can anyone tell me how to work this out? Or do I need to buy new SATA cables?

 

[USAFRet]

SATA cables are SATA cables. They're all the same.

On your drives, there are two connection.
Data, which connects via that SATA cable
Power, which comes from your motherboard.

 

[DelroyMonjo]

Sounds like you are describing power supply cables, not SATA data cables.

 

[Math Geek]

yah sounds like power supply leads with one end for the sata device and the other end modular connector that goes on the psu.

 

[PCsd]

yah sounds like power supply leads with one end for the sata device and the other end modular connector that goes on the psu.

I think thats right. What do you use that for? And why did msi only gave me those type of SATA cables and not the normals ones? They also had 4pin MOLEX ends but not the normal SATA cable.

 

[USAFRet]

yah sounds like power supply leads with one end for the sata device and the other end modular connector that goes on the psu.

I think thats right. What do you use that for? And why did msi only gave me those type of SATA cables and not the normals ones? They also had 4pin MOLEX ends but not the normal SATA cable.

The SATA power cable comes with the PSU
The SATA data cable comes with the motherboard and/or drive.

 

[Math Geek]

your sata drive needs 2 connectors. one goes to the motherboard and is a little wider than a usb cable but a little flatter. the second goes to the power supply, which is what i think your looking at and thinking it goes to the motherboard, and is a lot wider but the same thickness. it's normal for the power supply to have 2-3 sata power connectors on one cable just like multiple molex on one cable. some even have a combination of each on the same cable.

assuming you do have a modular power supply only plug in what you need and put the extras aside in case you need them later. but be sure your connecting both power and data cable to each sata device

 

[chenw]

Some SATA power cables actually do go through the Motherboard instead of directly going to the power supply (this is intended so that the motherboard can save the lifetime of the drives by powering them off when they are not being used, though this is only on a small number of models). The Sata cable you describe as having 3 SATA ends definitely sounds like SATA power cable to me, the data cable only has one socket on each end.

Also, the power sata is wider than the Data SATA.

Both the power and data cables must be plugged in for the HDD/SSD to work.

 

[PCsd]

Some SATA power cables actually do go through the Motherboard instead of directly going to the power supply (this is intended so that the motherboard can save the lifetime of the drives by powering them off when they are not being used, though this is only on a small number of models). The Sata cable you describe as having 3 SATA ends definitely sounds like SATA power cable to me, the data cable only has one socket on each end.

Also, the power sata is wider than the Data SATA.

Both the power and data cables must be plugged in for the HDD/SSD to work.

So can I plug the SATA cable I have through the motherboard and then the power supply in one cable? Since my SATA cable has 3 data cable ends in the middle and at the is the power supply cable.

 

[chenw]

That is one very strange cable, i have never heard of a Sata cable that puts power and data into the same cable, nor a sata Data cable with split ends. I have always known data cables to be 1 end to 1 end.

Can you post a link of your cable? Or does it look like this one:

http://www.svc.com/mod-4p3sata-bk.html

Re-reading what you have said about the Sata cables, if it is a power connector on one end, and 3 sata connectors on the other, then it is definitely a SATA power cable, not a SATA Data cable. The sata power port is wider than the sata data cable (you can compare the size of the port to the SATA ports on your mobo, if the cable has wider ports, it's definitely a sata power cable.

It is quite strange that motherboard would supply a Sata power cable rather than sata data cables though.

EDIT: What model is your mobo?

 

[PCsd]

That is one very strange cable, i have never heard of a Sata cable that puts power and data into the same cable, nor a sata Data cable with split ends. I have always known data cables to be 1 end to 1 end.

Can you post a link of your cable? Or does it look like this one:

http://www.svc.com/mod-4p3sata-bk.html

Re-reading what you have said about the Sata cables, if it is a power connector on one end, and 3 sata connectors on the other, then it is definitely a SATA power cable, not a SATA Data cable. The sata power port is wider than the sata data cable (you can compare the size of the port to the SATA ports on your mobo, if the cable has wider ports, it's definitely a sata power cable.

It is quite strange that motherboard would supply a Sata power cable rather than sata data cables though.

EDIT: What model is your mobo?

 

[PCsd]

My SATA cable does not look like the one on the website you posted. It does not have 3 ends, it only has one end. but in between the 2 ends, I have 3 SATA ends.
My motherboard is the MSI Z97 gaming 5
I will try to look for it online, but so far, no luck

 

[DelroyMonjo]

This is what comes in the MSI Z97 gaming 5 factory box. Which cables are you referring to???

 

[Math Geek]

i have that motherboard and do not have any cable that matches what your describing. the picture above matches what i got with it.

again what your describing is a power cable for the sata devices. one end goes to the power supply the other end, with all the sata connectors, go to individual devices. the cable can power more than one device at a time, your cable can do 3 at once, so if the devices are close enough together (such as multiple hdd's in a the same internal enclosure) you can plug them into the same cable and not have to run a bunch of cable to the same area.

on the other hand the data cable for the drive has to be run for each individual device. one end goes to the motherboard and the other to the device. one cable run per device. these are the 2 cables at the bottom left of the picture above. you get 2 with the mobo and have to buy more if you need more since you need one for each device (hdd, dvd drive, ssd...)