The inconvenience of bulky, difficult ATA cables are about to be a thing of the past. Motherboard manufacturers have began adding Serial ATA ports to their boards, Controller card companies are pumping out add-in cards so that those of us who have those old fashion IDE connectors can play along too. We have gathered a list of frequently asked questions about Serial ATA in the hopes that you will better understand and be ready for the transition as it progresses.

What is the benefit of using Serial ATA?
Users will benefit by being able to easily upgrade their storage devices. Configuration of Serial ATA devices will be much simpler, with many of today’s requirements on jumper and settings no longer needed. Serial ATA cables are much thinner and longer than standard IDE cable that we use today. The use of Serial ATA cables will make it easier to install cabling and will prevent the blockage of air flow in systems.

Will Serial ATA cost more?
The cost of Serial ATA technology will be the same as today’s Parallel ATA technology.

Will Serial ATA be compatible with today’s PCs?
Serial ATA electronics and connectors are different from Parallel ATA, however the technology is software compatible and OS transparent. Adapters will be available to allow forward- and backward-compatibility of hard disks on PC systems.

Besides Hard Disks, what other components can use Serial ATA?
Serial ATA supports all ATA and ATAPI devices, including CDs, DVDs, tapes devices, high capacity removable devices, zip drives, and CDRW’s.

Will Microsoft products support Serial ATA?
Serial ATA is software compatible with Parallel ATA and requires no changes to Microsoft operating systems, or any other OS as well.

Serial ATA Connector

Serial ATA Cable