So if I upgrade to a SSD I need to get a 6GB Sata cable then ?

Yes and yes otherwise you'll be limited to less than 375 MB/s, likely less due to overhead, and most SATA III SSDs can do 500 to 550 MB/s.

Your motherboard didn't come with SATA III (6 gb/s) cables?
 
No such thing as SATA III cables, just marketing. However, some cables do lack in quality such that they aren't able to keep noise level within spec and causes the system to fallback to a slower speed. Any decent quality SATA cable should be able to handle the higher speed signal used for 6GB/s data transfers. If you already have cables, try them and see if you get the speeds you should.

https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/SATA-3Gb-s-vs-6Gb-s-Cable-Performance-Revisited-183/
 
ryan_975 said:
No such thing as SATA III cables, just marketing. However, some cables do lack in quality such that they aren't able to keep noise level within spec and causes the system to fallback to a slower speed. Any decent quality SATA cable should be able to handle the higher speed signal used for 6GB/s data transfers. If you already have cables, try them and see if you get the speeds you should.

https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/SATA-3Gb-s-vs-6Gb-s-Cable-Performance-Revisited-183/
Click to expand...

Whoops, you're right. I must have been thinking about the locking system that is now standard, and wasn't standard when SATA I cables were new.
 
ryan_975 said:
No such thing as SATA III cables, just marketing. However, some cables do lack in quality such that they aren't able to keep noise level within spec and causes the system to fallback to a slower speed. Any decent quality SATA cable should be able to handle the higher speed signal used for 6GB/s data transfers. If you already have cables, try them and see if you get the speeds you should.

https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/SATA-3Gb-s-vs-6Gb-s-Cable-Performance-Revisited-183/
Click to expand...
Similar to HDMI, the cables need to be high quality cables or they will not meet spec and you won't get the advertised speed. The OP should use cables that came with the motherboard to be sure he's using good stuff.
 
arestavo said:
Whoops, you're right. I must have been thinking about the locking system that is now standard, and wasn't standard when SATA I cables were new.
Click to expand...
no such thing as SATA I cables either.
 
MRFSYS said:
Anyway, I had to kick myself at one point, because a HDD
was starting to fail, as indicated by the alarm on a RAID controller,
but after much trial-and-error, the problem was the cable,
which I should have tested first :) The HDD and the controller
are still running AOK with a newer replacement cable.

BOTTOM LINE: it's a good idea to keep a small supply
of new SATA cables on hand, and don't hesitate to try
new cables first: this approach may save you a lot of
trial-and-error that results from suspecting something else
and sending you on a wild goose chase :)
Click to expand...

Been there, done that back in the MFM days. Can't count the number of times I went chasing my tail only to find that the ribbon cable had a nick in it or that the IDC connector was broken on one side and separating. After a while it became second nature to change the cables first if I was troubleshooting a hard drive issue.
 
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