A matchup of perennial powerhouses



How do SATA connectors generally differ between 3.5” desktop drives and 2.5” laptop drives?

A) The physical data and power connectors are identical in size

B) The laptop data connector is on the drive, but the laptop power connector is provided on an external input

C) The physical SATA data and power connectors are smaller in laptop computers

D) The laptop SATA connectors are the same size, but the throughput is half that of 3.5” drives.

E) The 3.5” drives hit with more power, but the 2.5” drives are wily and nimble


The answer: A) The physical data and power connectors are identical in size

The SATA connectors for both data and power are small enough to work well in both a desktop and a laptop computer. The speed is also identical, and it’s not unusual to move 2.5” drives between desktop and laptop computers. I also have an external SATA carrier that can accommodate both 3.5” drive and 2.5” drives in the same ports without any modifications.

Want to know more? Watch “Replacing a Desktop with a Laptop.”

Many people are making the move from a desktop computer to a more portable laptop device, but there are a number of changes that come with such a dramatic change in size. In this video, you’ll learn about the aspects of a laptop computer that vary from their larger desktop cousins.