CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201)HardwareEasy
A technician is installing a new 2.5-inch Solid State Drive (SSD) into a desktop computer. Which type of data cable is required to connect this drive to the motherboard?
- AUSB-C cable
- BSATA data cable
- CPCIe x4 cable
- DIDE ribbon cable
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. SATA data cable
2.5-inch SSDs use the Serial ATA (SATA) interface for data transfer. Therefore, a SATA data cable is required to connect the drive to a SATA port on the motherboard.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. USB-C cables are used for external peripherals and some internal M.2 NVMe drives in specific enclosures, not for connecting a 2.5-inch SATA SSD internally to a motherboard's data port.
- C. PCIe x4 cables are not a standard type of data cable for storage drives; PCIe x4 refers to a lane configuration for NVMe drives that directly interface with the PCIe bus via M.2 slots or adapter cards, not a separate cable.
- D. IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) ribbon cables are an older, wider standard used for PATA drives, which are obsolete for new builds.
SATA Data Cable
A thin, seven-pin cable used to connect SATA (Serial ATA) storage devices, such as hard drives and SSDs, to the motherboard for data transfer.
- Replaced the wider PATA (IDE) ribbon cables.
- Transmits data serially (one bit at a time).
- Distinct from the 15-pin SATA power cable.
Memory trick: Storage Connections Seek Appropriate Standards.