Bad SATA cable: is this possible?

[u0206397]

I have a strange SATA cable that acted weird.

Previously, it could only work with my HDD. If I plug it to a DVD drive while maintaining the same motherboard SATA port, the DVD drive does not get detected by BIOS.

Next, I experimented with plugging my HDD into different SATA port using the same cable. Plugging my HDD to SATA port 1 and port 2 on my motherboard, my HDD does not get detected by the motherboard. Only port 3 worked. It seemed to me that somehow my HDD must be plugged to SATA port 3 in order to get detected.

Sometimes when I vary the storage device (DVD drive/internal HDD) or the SATA port, it seemed to cause a short circuit and the motherboard refuse to even start. Like the PSU powers up for 5 seconds, case/CPU/PSU fans spinning, blank screen with no BIOS or system check, then suddenly the PSU power cuts off. No time to even beep error codes from the BIOS check. I am surprised a bad SATA data cable could cause the PSU/motherboard to shut itself down.

It was probably in the middle of going totally bad. Now it is totally dead. Even plugging my HDD to the SATA port 3 that used to work no longer works. I swapped with a new spare SATA cable and both the optical drive and HDD both get found by the motherboard BIOS.

Have you guys ever encountered a SATA cable gone bad or only works with certain SATA port or storage drive?

 

[Koenig168]

Happens on occasion, just discard and get a replacement as SATA cables are cheap to replace.

 

[yioslip]

Well replacing the SATA cable will be the cheapest option here. I have had a similar experience and the only option which was available to me at that time since they are cheap was to replace it. But the question still lingers in my mind, should we keep on buying them because they are cheap whenever there is a fault?

 

[KWSW]

I have had SATA cable issues before, just change the cable and done.

Haha yeah maybe it's a conspiracy that cos the cable is cheap, we change without thinking too much and that's how they earn our money lol

Sent from Samsung SM-G955F using GAGT

 

[Kiwi8]

Yeah it is possible that SATA cables spoil. Just replace.

 

[wwenze]

Every time you buy motherboard it should come with new ones...

BTW SATA controller ports can spoil too.

 

[klap_hanz]

SATA ports can spoil too

DIMM slots can spoil too

PCIE slots can slot too

Troubleshooting PC can be very tedious one...