What is difference between SATA and PATA hard disks?

SATA and PATA are standards for connecting Disk Drives. Hard disks are the heart of computer as they store the entire data of your computer on them. Choosing a right hard disk is an important aspect while buying a new computer. To do that, you need to know the difference between different types of hard disks. There are advantages for both SATA and PATA. The maximum speed (at factory production conditions) transfer of PATA is 133 MBps where as SATA has a maximum speed of 400-500 MBps. PATA requires as high as 5v but SATA requires less than 250 milli volts, one-twentieth of PATA.


One easy method to identify whether your hard disk is a SATA or PATA is to check the rear side of the hard disk. If the rear side contains a pin with 18 holes, then it is a PATA hard disk else it will be a SATA hard disk (SATA will have a very thin data cable as compared to PATA). It is good to buy a SATA hard disk than a PATA hard disk due to its advantages. It is important to know that, the computer model decides whether it is a PATA or SATA. All other devices connected with a data card have to be of same type.