How to Know if Your Computer Has SATA or ATA (IDE) Cables/Connectors

If you want to add a DVD drive or hard drive, but don't know if you have the right kinds of connectors in your computer, this article explains everything. Learn what the different connectors look like, and how many devices you can add.

Things You'll Need

• Computer

Instructions

1. Turn off your computer, unplug it, and open the case. Find the cables on the backs of the DVD drive and hard drive.

2. Check the connectors to the DVD drive. One connector should have colorful wires leading up to it. This is the power connector. The data connector should be beside it. If the connector beside it is ribbon-like and about 2 inches wide, it's an ATA connector (also called IDE and PATA). If the connector is smooth and only about a half-inch wide, it's a SATA connector.

3. Move to the hard drive and repeat the method in the last step to determine what kind of data connector it uses. You may find that you have both ATA and SATA connectors in your system.

4. If you have an ATA connector, determine how many DVD drives and hard drives you can add. On the DVD drive, follow the 2 inch wide cable backwards until you come to another connector mid-way along the cable. If it's not plugged into anything, there's room for at least one more device (which is most commonly either a hard drive or DVD drive).

5. Do the same thing with the hard drive. If the connector mid-way through isn't connected to anything, then that's another device you can add. If you found that the hard drive and DVD drive are on the same cable, then follow that cable to where it's plugged in on the motherboard. Find another port like that somewhere else on the board. If there is one, then all you need is another cable, and you can add two more devices.

6. While less common, some motherboards have a third ATA port. Follow an ATA cable to where it's plugged into the motherboard, and find another port like that somewhere else on the board.

7. If you have a SATA connector, follow the cable to where it's plugged in on the motherboard. There should be several ports just like this nearby. For each empty port, you just need a cable, and you can add another device.

8. To add a device, you need power connectors. If the power connector on the DVD drive has four pins and is a foggy-white plastic, it's using the standard 4-pin power connector. If the power connector is thin and has multiple gold contacts inside it, then it's a SATA connector. Look for these just hanging around in the case, not connected to anything. Determine if you have enough power connectors for the devices you want to add.

Tips & Warnings

• If you don't have the right drive connectors (for example, if you have a SATA drive that you need to convert to an ATA (IDE) drive), search online for a converter.

• If you need to convert a 4-pin power connector to match the power connector required for a SATA drive, search online or check the resources for a converter.

• If a power connector or data cable isn't long enough, search online or check the resources for an extension or longer cable.