Does SATA Cable Provide Power?

The short answer to the question “does SATA cable provide power?” is a no. A standard SATA cable DOES NOT provide power.

However, the longer answer depends on whether you are talking about the SATA DATA cable or the SATA Power cable.

Almost all SATA hard drives, including HDDs and SATA SSDs, require both a SATA cable and a SATA power cable to operate.

In the following text, I will discuss whether or not the SATA cable carries power.

SATA Data vs. SATA Power Cable

You need to understand that there are two types of SATA cables:

  1. SATA Data Cable
  2. SATA Power Cable

When we talk about SATA cable, we are generally referring to the SATA DATA cable as shown below:

SATA Cable with latch
Image: SATA Cable with latch

SATA data cables connect to your motherboard and SATA hard drive on one end.

The purpose of these cables is to transfer data between the drive and the motherboard. In other words, SATA Data cables DO NOT carry power. 

Also Read: Can You Split SATA DATA Cables?

The other type of SATA cable is the SATA Power cable, and as the name suggests, the sole purpose of this cable is to power up the SATA hard drives.

Sata Power Cables
Image: SATA Power Cable

SATA power cables have a 15-pin connector and come with Power Supply Unit. One end is connected to the PSU, while the other connects to the hard drive.

hard drive ports connections
Image: 3.5″ Hard Disk Drive 

A typical hard drive, including a 3.5″ HDD, 2.5″ HDD, and 2.5″ SATA SSDs, all require a SATA Data cable and a SATA Power connector.

So long story short. A typical SATA cable, SATA DATA cable, DOES NOT provide power. The power to the drives is delivered through the SATA power cables.

Also Read: What Are SATA Cables Used For?

So Does SATA Cable Provide Power?

So coming back to our question, does SATA cable provide power? The answer to the question is simply no.

SATA cables, as we know them, only carry data. They do not have power.

The following pinout diagrams of the SATA data and power cable should explain this further.

Pinout of SATA Data Cable

The following image shows the pinout diagram of the SATA Data Cable.

Does SATA Cable Provide Power
Image: SATA DATA Cable Pinout. Source: Interfacebus.com

You can see that none of the pins on a SATA Data cable carry voltage.

Pinout of SATA Power Cable

The following image shows the pinout diagram of the SATA power cable.

SATA Power Cable Pinout
Image: SATA Power Cable Pinout

Here it can be seen that the SATA Power cable carries voltage across most of its pins.

Also Read: How Many SATA Cables Do I Need?

Final Words

So the simple answer to the question “does SATA cable provide power” is a no. The average seven-pin SATA data cables DO NOT carry power.

A separate 15-pin SATA power cable connected to your PC’s power supply unit handles power delivery to the hard drive.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. Do SATA Hard Drives Require Power?

They most certainly do. Almost all SATA drives require a power connector from the power supply unit.

The only type of SATA drives that DO NOT require a separate source of power are the M.2 SATA SSDs such as that shown below:

Samsung Evo 860 SATA SSD m.2 Samsung Evo 860 SATA SSD with M.2 form factor

M.2 SATA SSDs receive their power from the M.2 port itself.

2. Does SATA Provide Power to SSD?

No, they do not. 2.5″ SATA SSDs such as the one shown below require both a SATA data cable and a SATA power cable:

SATA SSD Connectors power data
2.5″ SATA SSD

Again, the only exception is the M.2 SATA SSDs which do not require a separate power source.

3. Which SATA Cable is Power, and Which is Data?

The data cable has a smaller seven-pin connector with an L-shaped vital notch.

The power cable also has a more significant 15-pin connection with an L-shaped vital notch.

4. Do I Need to Connect Both SATA DATA and Power Cables?

Yes, you do. You need to connect the SATA data and the SATA power cables for your hard drive to work.

5. How Many Drives Can be Connected to a Single SATA Cable?

As far as the DATA cable is concerned, you can only connect ONE drive per cable. DATA cables cannot be split into multiple connectors.

However, as far as the power cables go, you can connect multiple drives by splitting one SATA power connector into many using a cable such as the one shown below:

sata power splitter
SATA Power Splitter Cable – in case you do not have sufficient SATA Power cables.

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Author:

Pratik

2 thoughts on “Does SATA Cable Provide Power?”

  1. Thank you for such a clear and concise explanation. I have searched long for just such information on SATA data and power requirements. Two thumbs up!

    Reply

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