SATA Cable Experiment - Does Quality Affect SSD Performance

[firesong]

Assuming a modern Intel 11th/12th Gen or Ryzen 5000/6000 where the performance bottleneck of slow storage is most felt.

If you're really into performance, SATA is not the interface of choice. Most reasonable people will just go with NVMe, which does not ordinarily need cables. The slowest DRAMless NVMe will easily match or more likely outperform SATA SSDs.

SATA if you're building a NAS. In which case, you're not likely to use many SSDs for the bulk storage options anyway - so again max performance isn't an issue because the drive cannot saturate the output.

So yes, just use the cables that came bundled with your mobo and don't need to think so much.

If the SATA cable is the main cause of your rig slowing down to a noticeable degree that can be felt (and not talking about benchmarks here), it's likely you have other more important issues you need to resolve.

 

[watzup_ken]

In my opinion, there should be a difference in performance assuming one lousy and one good quality cable being tested. The question is how big is the difference. SATA cables are generally very short, and even poor quality cables should not have a drastic impact to warrant spending more money to buy a "better quality" cable.

 

[napoleon bohlumpar]

In my opinion, there should be a difference in performance assuming one lousy and one good quality cable being tested. The question is how big is the difference. SATA cables are generally very short, and even poor quality cables should not have a drastic impact to warrant spending more money to buy a "better quality" cable.

for audio quality - got difference..................there are audiophile SATA cables going for over USD1000.............

 

[Hailgod]

for audio quality - got difference..................there are audiophile SATA cables going for over USD1000.............

snake oil

 

[cscs3]

for audio quality - got difference..................there are audiophile SATA cables going for over USD1000.............

That's to make money from those audio lover who has little technical knowledge and willing to spent. Not to forget audibles frequency range is normally 20Hz to 20KHz. Even if one will refer to digital audio, the encoding frequency is around 44KHz. Far below what a poor SATA cable already can out perform it.

There are many YouTude on this topic. Some even use expensive lab equipment to proof it. Problem with audio lover normal has pocket out perform their ear.

 

[napoleon bohlumpar]

That's to make money from those audio lover who has little technical knowledge and willing to spent. Not to forget audibles frequency range is normally 20Hz to 20KHz. Even if one will refer to digital audio, the encoding frequency is around 44KHz. Far below what a poor SATA cable already can out perform it.

There are many YouTude on this topic. Some even use expensive lab equipment to proof it. Problem with audio lover normal has pocket out perform their ear.

it's never about frequencies or specs when it comes to audio...........

for example, when i was listening to Spotify on my old HDD..............then when i switch to SSD...............i was surprised that there was a big difference in sound quality..................

 

[86technie]

it's never about frequencies or specs when it comes to audio...........

for example, when i was listening to Spotify on my old HDD..............then when i switch to SSD...............i was surprised that there was a big difference in sound quality..................

Really? It boils down to audio driver as well as what type of soundcard the motherboard use.

 

[crystalnox]

Really? It boils down to audio driver as well as what type of soundcard the motherboard use.

He is trolling, don’t need to entertain.

 

[Hailgod]

He is trolling, don’t need to entertain.

maybe is real i also cant tell tbh. ive been ssd only since 2011. never had the chance to use spotify on a hdd, maybe it stutters?

 

[crystalnox]

maybe is real i also cant tell tbh. ive been ssd only since 2011. never had the chance to use spotify on a hdd, maybe it stutters?

It's an audio stream, even a Intel Atom netbook from 10 years ago will stream an audio stream just fine.
Please don't look down so badly on the humble HDD, it's not that pathetic.

 

[tsteo77]

it's never about frequencies or specs when it comes to audio...........

for example, when i was listening to Spotify on my old HDD..............then when i switch to SSD...............i was surprised that there was a big difference in sound quality..................

@napoleon bohlumpar after i read your post, i dig up this > https://jcat.eu/product/reference-sata-cable/​

i wonder if anyone tried something similar to that ?
I believe better cables (rca, coxial, optical, power) can improve performance of hardwares connected to it since i used to play car audio/hifi audio and audio/video but at a reasonable price. And of course they won't perform better than your hardwares able to perform.

 

[napoleon bohlumpar]

@napoleon bohlumpar after i read your post, i dig up this > https://jcat.eu/product/reference-sata-cable/​

i wonder if anyone tried something similar to that ?
I believe better cables (rca, coxial, optical, power) can improve performance of hardwares connected to it since i used to play car audio/hifi audio and audio/video but at a reasonable price. And of course they won't perform better than your hardwares able to perform.

cables make a difference for sure.............the most important cable is actually the power cable............can literally rescue a mediocre system.............the better cables can prevent EMI + RFI interferences from contaminating the audio signal.........the power cable can even filter out such interference..........

even a better quality fuse or can improve performance

 

[cscs3]

it's never about frequencies or specs when it comes to audio...........

for example, when i was listening to Spotify on my old HDD..............then when i switch to SSD...............i was surprised that there was a big difference in sound quality..................

It all depend on source and how the file is been created.

 

[cscs3]

cables make a difference for sure.............the most important cable is actually the power cable............can literally rescue a mediocre system.............the better cables can prevent EMI + RFI interferences from contaminating the audio signal.........the power cable can even filter out such interference..........

even a better quality fuse or can improve performance

EMI is at what frequency and how do it "contaminating" the audio signal?
If your are Audio lover, you will never use a digital amplifier/amplifier with switching regulator. How do you get EMI?

 

[napoleon bohlumpar]

It all depend on source and how the file is been created.

i just clone my HDD to the SSD...................put in same cheapo desktop................the sound difference was shocking to me............best part is, as the SSD ''run in'' more...............the sound got better..........

 

[napoleon bohlumpar]

EMI is at what frequency and how do it "contaminating" the audio signal?
If your are Audio lover, you will never use a digital amplifier/amplifier with switching regulator. How do you get EMI?

mostly all these interferences are riding on the powerline................also cables are like antenna and they pick them up too...........

of course, those crazy people spending over 1000 bucks on SATA cable - they use the pc only for music................there are expensive audiophile USB cables...............and even special audiophile SSDs too...........

i had an amplifier that used a switch-mode power supply before................but never owned a digital amp before which is now very fashionable...............

 

[86technie]

i just clone my HDD to the SSD...................put in same cheapo desktop................the sound difference was shocking to me............best part is, as the SSD ''run in'' more...............the sound got better..........

, this is very hard to believe after clone sound better?
Think the driver got updated, not sure what is your PC spec you are using?

 

[napoleon bohlumpar]

, this is very hard to believe after clone sound better?
Think the driver got updated, not sure what is your PC spec you are using?

precisely............nothing got updated since pc very old liao...............HDD clone to SSD...........

 

[cscs3]

mostly all these interferences are riding on the powerline................also cables are like antenna and they pick them up too...........

of course, those crazy people spending over 1000 bucks on SATA cable - they use the pc only for music................there are expensive audiophile USB cables...............and even special audiophile SSDs too...........

i had an amplifier that used a switch-mode power supply before................but never owned a digital amp before which is now very fashionable...............

Well say, but dobyou know to act as antenna, what kind of frequency range is required?
Audible range or beyond the capability of human ears?

 

[napoleon bohlumpar]

Well say, but dobyou know to act as antenna, what kind of frequency range is required?
Audible range or beyond the capability of human ears?

you will hear it.................some put a ferrite core at interconnects or speaker cable...............but the treble become rolled off................some cables are shielded but they sound less open.............