Yes, the majority of solid state drives (SSDs) use the SATA interface to connect to a computer’s motherboard. SATA, which stands for Serial Advanced Technology Attachment, is the most common interface used for connecting storage drives like hard disk drives (HDDs) and SSDs in desktop PCs and laptops.
What is SATA?
SATA is an interface specification that allows for the transfer of data between a computer’s motherboard and storage devices. Here are some key things to know about SATA:
- SATA was designed as the successor to the older Parallel ATA (PATA) interface, offering faster transfer speeds and other improvements.
- The current SATA specification used today is SATA 3.0, which provides a maximum theoretical transfer speed of 6 Gbit/s (around 600 MB/s).
- SATA uses point-to-point serial connections between devices rather than the parallel connections used in PATA.
- SATA connectors are much smaller and thinner than the larger PATA connectors, allowing for smaller computer form factors.
- SATA is compatible with heritage operating systems and hardware designed for PATA.
Overall, SATA provides a fast, efficient way for storage devices like HDDs and SSDs to interface with a computer’s motherboard and operating system.
Do SSDs use the SATA interface?
Yes, the vast majority of solid state drives are designed to connect to a computer using the ubiquitous SATA interface. There are several reasons why SATA is the interface of choice for SSDs:
- Backward compatibility – SATA has been the standard storage interface for over 15 years. Using SATA allows SSDs to work seamlessly with existing operating systems, motherboards, and cabling.
- Speed – SATA 3.0 provides maximum bandwidth of 600 MB/s, which meets the performance needs of most consumer SSDs. High-performance SSDs can saturate a SATA connection’s throughput.
- Simplicity – The SATA interface has simple and well-supported connection protocols between the SSD and system. SATA handles all the low-level tasks, allowing the SSD to focus on storage operations.
- Size – The small SATA connectors allow SSDs to use compact 2.5-inch and M.2 form factors well suited for laptops and small desktop PCs.
- Cost effectiveness – SATA controllers and connectors add minimal cost to SSDs and motherboards compared to alternatives like PCI Express.
There are some exceptions where an SSD may use an interface other than SATA:
- PCIe SSDs – Higher-performance solid state drives may use PCI Express rather than SATA to reduce bottlenecks. But these tend to be more expensive drives aimed at workstations and servers.
- U.2 SSDs – Enterprise-level SSDs may use the U.2 (formerly SFF-8639) connector, which still uses the SATA protocol but offers a different physical connector.
- mSATA SSDs – Mini SATA SSDs designed for ultrabooks and other small form factor systems. mSATA SSDs still use the SATA protocol and connectors, just in a smaller physical form factor.
However, the vast majority of consumer SSDs for desktops and laptops use the standard SATA interface. It offers the best balance of compatibility, performance, simplicity, size, and cost savings for most computing applications.
SATA versions supported by SSDs
SSDs are designed to be backward compatible with earlier versions of the SATA specification. This ensures broad compatibility with existing computer systems. Here is a overview of SATA versions you may see associated with SSDs:
- SATA 1.0 – The first SATA version released in 2003 supports transfer speeds up to 1.5 Gbit/s (150 MB/s). SSD performance would be limited by SATA 1.0 speeds.
- SATA 2.0 – Released in 2004, SATA 2.0 doubled theoretical transfer rates to 3 Gbit/s (300 MB/s). Most SSDs will perform well on SATA 2.0.
- SATA 3.0 – Introduced in 2009, SATA 3.0 currently offers speeds up to 6 Gbit/s (600 MB/s). It allows modern SSDs to reach their maximum interface bandwidth.
- SATA Express – SATA Express offers speeds up to 16 Gbit/s by combining SATA and PCIe connectivity. Adoption has been low so it is rarely seen on SSDs.
In summary, pretty much all SATA SSDs will work with SATA 1.0 for basic system compatibility, but SATA 2.0 and 3.0 are recommended to achieve full SSD performance. When buying an SSD, make sure your computer’s motherboard supports SATA 2.0 or preferably SATA 3.0 to prevent interface bottlenecks.
Physical size of SATA SSD drives
One of the advantages of the SATA interface is that it allows SSDs to be manufactured in compact physical packages. Here are some common sizes for SATA SSD drives:
- 2.5-inch – This drive size has a width of 2.75 inches and a height of 0.28 inches. Nearly all laptops and many desktops have space to accommodate 2.5-inch SATA SSDs.
- M.2 – A more compact form factor designed for ultrabooks and small form factor PCs. M.2 SSD lengths vary from 30mm up to 110mm for larger capacity drives.
- mSATA – Mini SATA SSDs with a width of only 1.8 inches and length around 2.3 inches. Designed for use in tablets and ultra-compact devices.
Additionally, enterprise-level SATA SSDs may use larger form factors like the 2.5-inch U.2 or the 3.5-inch full-height drive bay size. But for typical consumer SSD applications, the compact 2.5-inch and M.2 sizes predominate thanks to the space savings provided by SATA interfaces.
SATA connector types used by SSDs
There are several different SATA connector types that may be used to connect a SATA SSD drive to the computer:
- SATA 3.0 – The standard 7-pin SATA 3.0 connector typically used by 2.5-inch SSDs. Provides the full 6 Gb/s SATA bandwidth.
- SATA Express – A special connector combining SATA and PCIe connectivity; provides up to 16 Gb/s but adoption is limited.
- mSATA – A compact SATA connector for mini SATA SSDs; ensures mechanical reliability in smaller form factors.
- M.2 SATA – M.2 SSDs use an extremely small SATA connector supporting up to SATA 3.0 speeds of 6 Gb/s.
Additionally, right-angle SATA connectors are sometimes used in smaller computer form factors to save space. But the standard rectangular SATA 3.0 connector remains the most common type you’ll find connecting 2.5-inch SSDs in desktop and laptop PCs.
SATA 3.0 interface bandwidth limitations
The SATA 3.0 interface has a maximum theoretical bandwidth of 600 MB/s. In practice, real-world SATA 3.0 throughput is limited to around 550 MB/s due to encoding overhead. This is more than fast enough for the vast majority of consumer SSDs on the market today.
However, high-performance NVMe SSDs are now available that can exceed the SATA 3.0 limit. For example, the Samsung 980 Pro can reach sequential read/write speeds up to 7,000/5,000 MB/s. These NVMe SSDs need a faster PCI Express interface to achieve their full potential.
Here is a comparison between the maximum interface bandwidth of SATA 3.0 and PCI Express:
| Interface | Maximum bandwidth |
| SATA 3.0 | 600 MB/s |
| PCIe 3.0 x4 | 4,000 MB/s |
| PCIe 4.0 x4 | 8,000 MB/s |
As you can see, PCI Express has much higher potential bandwidth than SATA 3.0. For ultra high-speed SSDs, a PCIe interface is recommended to prevent throttling transfer speeds. But for most mainstream SATA SSDs, the SATA interface provides plenty of throughput.
Conclusion
In summary, the SATA interface remains the dominant connection standard for solid state drives on the market today. The SATA 3.0 specification provides up to 600 MB/s of bandwidth, which easily satisfies the performance needs of most consumer SSDs. Key advantages of SATA for SSDs include broad compatibility, simplicity, compact connectors, and cost effectiveness.
So for most PC or laptop owners looking to upgrade to an SSD, choosing a standard 2.5-inch SATA III SSD is the best option for performance, compatibility, and value. Going with a high-end PCIe SSD may offer even faster speeds, but also at a higher price. For typical everyday use, a SATA SSD will work excellently for the operating system, games, applications, and files.