esata - can you use a normal sata cable?

[Unique]

as the pci-e card i wanted wasn't available, i got one with 1 internal and 1 external sata connection. reading up i get the impression the external socket is pretty much the same as the internal, so i'm wondering if i can use a normal sata cable or if it has to be the esata sheilded one

also... i presume i could run the cable from the outside of the case through a hole and back inside and essentially use the external connection to connect another sata drive inside? the speeds/specs etc are just the same aren't they? i'm not botherd about cable mess as you cant see the back of the pc anyway, and it looks like spaghetti junction inside anyways (somehow it's not dusty though, god knows how, maybe cuz i change bits round too often)

oh, and esata cards for laptops, do these stick out the side of the laptop (ie. not flush) so you have to remove them when moving the laptop about in a case?

cheers

[Jay]

A normal cable will work.

All eSATA cards I have seen stick out the side of the side of the laptop.

[Unique]

great, thanks for the quick reply too

[staffsMike]

I thought you needed an eSATA cable.. hence why they sell.. eSATA cables lol

[DDY]

eSATA cables and SATA cables are different, an SATA cable will not fit into an eSATA port in the same way an eSATA cable will not fit into a SATA port.

[Jay]

eSATA cables and SATA cables are different, an SATA cable will not fit into an eSATA port in the same way an eSATA cable will not fit into a SATA port.

Are you 100% sure on this?

EDIT

You are correct on this. SATA has an L shape and eSATA does not!

Sorry about that.

[TAKTAK]

no you can't use a normal SATA cable you need one of THESE

[staffsMike]

Sorry about that.

Well he's not here anymore is he.. TUT.. go and find him!!

[Unique]

no you can't use a normal SATA cable you need one of THESE

thanks for clarifying. so presumably that cable will let me use a standard sata internal HD with an external esata socket, but if i got an external esata caddy is that the same cable or does it have to be esata to esata?

ie. there is a SATA to eSATA cable and a eSATA to eSATA, and what i have internally at the moment is a SATA to SATA ?

as if i get a esata caddy i get the right cable to go with it, as i was considering a £20 icybox from scan and need the cable for it

[DDY]

The Icyboxes I bought came with a eSATA - eSATA cable.

[TAKTAK]

the cable comparison...

i'm geting myself majorly confused (it's late)
so you want a normal SATA to connect to mobo and then an esata to connect to external device? (or vice versa)

the header on the motherboard is a protruding 'L' so you would need an extruded 'L' on one end of the cable, and one the other you would need an extruded '___' (is extruded the right word? i mean indented sort of thing)

edit: so basically you would want what the piccy is of
i have no idea why that confused me

[Unique]

right, so if i get the icybox esata caddy thats £20 i get the cable i need with it, and the cable above is the one i need if i wanted to connect an internal drive to the external socket

i presume the icybox caddy cable is therefore esata to esata

i was trying to search for the cables on a couple of sites but was finding it hard to find matches, and i read that the cables are prettymuch the same apart from the esata is stronger on the connection part so it doesn't break or something

thanks and goodnight!

[s3ds]

im looking at a multi port card i got from fleabay to temp fix a pc (needed extra sata with a pci slot)
and the esata port on the back has an L shaped connecter
if needed ill post a pix

[Unique]

im looking at a multi port card i got from fleabay to temp fix a pc (needed extra sata with a pci slot)
and the esata port on the back has an L shaped connecter
if needed ill post a pix

so basically if i can plug one of the cables i already have in the back socket, thats the main criteria. if not, then i need the proper esata cable. the wiring is the same, it's just the notch on the end that changes (although external cables should be sheilded)

i think i should be fine now, as long as icy definately supply cables with the caddys, but i'm sure a bit of googling will answer that

thanks

[this_is_gav]

IcyBox do supply cables with enclosures. For the 3.5" caddies I've bought (all 2 of them), these have been eSATA to eSATA.

[Unique]

IcyBox do supply cables with enclosures. For the 3.5" caddies I've bought (all 2 of them), these have been eSATA to eSATA.

http://www.scan.co.uk/Product.aspx?WebProductId=788371

thanks for confirming. that's the one i was thinking of getting to put a 1TB samsung F1 in. i was reading something about esata caddys not liking sata2 and you have to change the jumper to sata1, and another thing about xp not liking hot swapping, and all my machines would be xp

i suppose it would still be miles faster than usb2 though