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How to Install a SATA Hard Drive on a Custom PC

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By eHow Contributing Writer
(4 Ratings)

Creating custom computers was always a technical process. It was difficult to figure out which cable went where, what a certain setting should be and all sorts of other small, but vital, questions. SATA hard drives go a long way towards removing those difficulties. Their cables are low-profile, don't block airflow and only connect in one way, much better than their IDE predecessors.

Difficulty: Easy
Instructions
  1. Step 1

    Mount your SATA hard drive into a drive bay. Make sure you use all four screw spots so your drive can spin securely.

  2. Step 2

    Plug your SATA cable into the motherboard and drive. The cable only connects in one orientation. When you plug the cable into the board, pay attention to the SATA port you're using. Always use the lowest open spot first; plug into SATA1 before SATA2 and so on.

  3. Step 3

    Connect power to your drive. Your power supply has a special power lead for SATA drives. Once again, the cable only goes in one way.

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eHow Article: How to Install a SATA Hard Drive on a Custom PC

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