If using above method, must not use too long cables to avoid errors. Total length measured from mobo port to bracket to eSATA enclosure.
the true eSATA has superior electrical/mechanical characteristics than the internal SATA. see below:
eSATA
Standardized in 2004, eSATA (e=external) provides a variant of SATA meant for external connectivity. It has revised electrical requirements in addition to incompatible cables and connectors:
* Minimum transmit potential increased: Range is 500–600 mV instead of 400–600 mV.
* Minimum receive potential decreased: Range is 240–600 mV instead of 325–600 mV.
* Identical protocol and logical signaling (link/transport-layer and above), allowing native SATA devices to be deployed in external enclosures with minimal modification
* Maximum cable length of 2 metres (6.6 ft) (USB and FireWire allow longer distances.)
* The external cable connector equates to a shielded version of the connector specified in SATA 1.0a with these basic differences:
o The external connector has no "L"-shaped key, and the guide features are vertically offset and reduced in size. This prevents the use of unshielded internal cables in external applications and vice-versa.
o To prevent ESD damage, the design increased insertion depth from 5 mm to 6.6 mm and the contacts are mounted farther back in both the receptacle and plug.
o To provide EMI protection and meet FCC and CE emission requirements, the cable has an extra layer of shielding, and the connectors have metal contact-points.
o The connector shield has springs as retention features built in on both the top and bottom surfaces.
o The external connector and cable have a design-life of over five thousand insertions and removals, wheras the internal connector is specified to withstand only fifty.
from wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_ATAI found that plugging into true eSATA connection gives much better burst speed out of the HDD compared to plugging into an internal SATA port.
