4
Serial ATA (SATA) drive guidelines and
routine care and disassembly preparation
This chapter provides general service information for the computer. Adherence to the procedures and
precautions described in this chapter is essential for proper service.
CAUTION:
When the computer is plugged into an AC power source, voltage is always applied to the system
board. You must disconnect the power cord from the power source before opening the computer to prevent
system board or component damage.
NOTE:
HP only supports the use of SATA hard drives on these models of computer. No Parallel ATA (PATA)
drives are supported.
SATA hard drives
Serial ATA Hard Drive Characteristics
Number of pins/conductors in data cable
7/7
Number of pins in power cable
15
Maximum data cable length
39.37 in (100 cm)
Data interface voltage differential
400-700 mV
Drive voltages
3.3 V, 5 V, 12 V
Jumpers for configuring drive
N/A
Data transfer rate
6.0 Gb/s
SATA hard drive cables
SATA data cable
Always use an HP approved SATA 3.0 Gb/s cable as it is fully backwards compatible with the SATA 1.5 Gb/s
drives.
Current HP desktop products ship with SATA 3.0 Gb/s hard drives.
SATA data cables are susceptible to damage if overflexed. Never crease a SATA data cable and never bend it
tighter than a 30 mm (1.18 in) radius.
The SATA data cable is a thin, 7-pin cable designed to transmit data for only a single drive.
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Chapter 4 Serial ATA (SATA) drive guidelines and routine care and disassembly preparation