SATA FAQ
What is SATA? The SATA standard supports hard drives, both internal (SATA) and external (eSATA).

Variations of SATA include:
SATA I Also known as "SATA/150"
Transfer rate: 150 MB/sec
SATA II Also known as "SATA/300"
Transfer rate: 300 MB/sec
eSATA External SATA - supports external hard drives
Transfer rate: 300 MB/sec
Can regular SATA cables be used externally? eSATA cables are generally used for external drives.

However, we carry a bracket that allows regular SATA cables (both data and power) to be used externally. The bracket allows intneral SATA ports to control external drives.
What do the connectors look like?
SATA data cable
SATA power cable
eSATA data cable
(for external use)
Can I use a regular power supply connector with SATA drives? Yes, cables to convert from regular (4-pin) power supply lead to SATA power are availalbe.

SATA on Wikipedia