Question 1

While listed as only for a 2.5 HDD, has anyone tested this on a Desktop 3.5 HDD?

Accepted Answer

This will not work on a 3.5 drive.  The USB power supply is 5V.  The 2.5 drives only use a 5V power rail, which is why this works on them.  3.5 drives have a 12V power rail, along with the 5V power rail.  To run a 3.5 drive, you need an external 12V power supply.  There are interfaces that come with it.

Question 2

USB 3.0 to 2.5" SATA III Hard Drive Adapter Cable w/UASP ...   Great! Is this thing USB 2.0 backward compatible in case I need it that way?

Accepted Answer

I've been able to use these with SSD's and USB 2.0. Usually laptop HDD's pull too much power to work on 2.0, and I've seen a couple older ones pull too much for 3.0. I work in a computer repair shop where we use these things like crazy, and it often depends on the drive you're using, and whether your USB port is able to push the power it's supposed to be rated for. Feels like a coin flip if you're working with a platter drive, but SSD's do fine.

Question 3

2.5" drives don't require a power adaptor? All I need is this cable?

Accepted Answer

Yes.  I had an SSD drive connected to the back of a server's USB 3 port for weeks without issue with no external power adapter.

Question 4

Is this compatible with the Samsung Data Migration / Magician tools?  They will not detect my drive with the other adapters I own.

Accepted Answer

I just ran into this issue with a Samsung 500 Gb 860 EVO SSD. The Samsung Magician Software did not see the SSD. There was a suggestion on one of Samsung's support sites (user community) that the bios settings for the HDD controller could be at fault. I checked mine and they were set to RAID (even though I don't have a RAID configuration). The recommended setting is AHCI. I changed it to AHCI (despite the warning that the computer might fail to boot) and rebooted. Rebooted without an issue, but Magician still didn't "recognize" the SSD as a Samsung "compatible" drive. I then downloaded Samsung Data Migration tool, which is really what you need for the cloning. IT WORKED. So as indicated elsewhere, there is some issue with certain combinations of Samsung software and the newer SSD's.  I will try to remember to test it with an older USB 2.0 -> SATA adapter I've used in the past without issue. In the end, the cable worked as advertised.

ASIN	B00HJZJI84
Best Sellers Rank	#11 in SATA Cables
Brand Name	StarTech.com
Cable Type	USB
Color	Black
Compatible Devices	Laptop, Personal Computer
Compatible Phone Models	No Compatible Phone Models
Connectivity Technology	USB, SATA
Connector Gender	Male-to-Female
Connector Type	Sata/Usb
Customer Package Type	Standard Packaging
Customer Reviews	4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (34,219)
Data Transfer Rate	5 gigabits_per_second
Ethernet Cable Category	Cat 5e
External Testing Certification	CE, FCC, REACH
Frequency	60 GHz
Global Trade Identification Number	00065030854696
Included Components	1 - USB 3.0 to SATA 2.5" HDD Adapter Cable, 1 - Instruction Manual
Indoor Outdoor Usage	Indoor, Outdoor
Item Shape	Flat
Item Type Name	Data Transfer/Power Cable
Item Weight	1.44 ounces
Manufacturer	StarTech.com
Maximum Current	1.5 A
Maximum Voltage	5 volts
Model	USB3S2SAT3CB
Model Name	USB3S2SAT3CB
Number of Items	1
Number of Pins	11
Other Special Features of the Product	Data Transfer, Driverless, Universal Compatibility: Windows, MacOS, Linux, ChromeOS, Hot-swap, Plug and Play, UASP Support
Outer Material	Plastic
Part Number	USB3S2SAT3CB
Recommended Uses For Product	Peripheral Connection
Specification Met	No
UPC	006503085469 065030854696
Unit Count	1 Count
Warranty Description	2 Year
Wattage	7.5 watts

StarTech SATA to USB Adapter, USB 5Gbps, 2.5in SATA III (USB3S2SAT3CB) | Hard drive reader cable for SSD or HDD, USB-A, UASP up to 70% faster, USB Powered, Not for 3.5in drives, Laptops

Details

Details

Description

Specifications

Common Questions