Interface
Serial ATA drives use a serial link and a single cable with a minimum of four wires to create a point-to-point connection between devices. Data transfer rates for Serial ATA start at 150 MBps. The thinner serial cables allow more efficient airflow inside the case and also allow for smaller case designs.
IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) drives, also called ATA are based on the IBM PC Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) and are used in most PCs today. They utilize a controller that is built into the motherboard. They connect to the controller and other IDE devices using a 40 or 80 conductor ribbon cable depending on the age of the drive.
SATA
IDE
Performance
Generally SATA drives are faster than IDE but you wont see much of a difference until you get into the higher RPM (10,000) drives or RAID setups. Generally IDE drives max out at 133MBps while SATA is capable of 150MBps and some go as fast as 300MBps with more speed in sight.
Installation
Installing a SATA drive is similar to installing an IDE drive. The cable that connects to the motherboard is different and the power connection can be the same 4 pin type as an IDE drive or the newer L shaped power connector. One thing to watch for if you are a Windows user is that you may need to install software off the manufacturer’s disk to get Windows to recognize the drive.
Price
For common size SATA drives such as 80 gigabytes the prices are not much more than a similar sized IDE drive. When you get into the higher RPM drives then the prices start to go up.
Related Tips:
Serial Attached SCSI (SAS)
Master, Slave and Cable Select Hard Drive Jumper Settings
Flash Hard Drives
How a Hard Drive Works
Using Disk Management to Manage Hard Drives
S.M.A.R.T Hard Drive Technology
Hard Drive Diagnostic Tools
Installing an IDE Hard Drive
