How to know if a laptop has SATA 6Gbps interface if it's not listed in the specs? (before buying)

Simple answer: look in the specs.

Problem is, it's often not in the specs. Example: this Dell laptop.

It has a Intel® CoreTM i3 2310M (2.1GHz/3MB cache) CPU. Can I there for safely assume it has SATA 6Gbps?

 

The Mobile Intel 6 Series Chipset has SATA 6Gbps support... would be silly if they did not use the main Sata port for the hard disk and that one would be 6Gbps. But I wouldn't put it past Dell (or a few of the other manufactures)

 

or look at the drive specs, hardware device manager, etc, etc.

 

That will not work since it comes with a SATA II hard drive. It will just show that the drive is running with SATA II which does not mean that SATA III will not work on the port.

 

thanks. I know that but even the chipset isn't listed on that Dell page.

Can I safely assume that whichever uses the latest generation Core i CPUs uses a SATA III capable chipset?

 

The chipset is listed on the main site of the 15r.
Informatie over de Inspiron 15R Laptop | Dell

But yes Sandy Bridge is only supported by that one HM67 mobile chipset.

 

due to the sandybridge sata3gbs bug, manufacturers of laptops got adviced to only use the sata6gbs interfaces, or wait till the replacement is out.

so they should all be on sata 6gbs. still, of course, it depends. i can see manufactures trying to differentiate their value line from the performance line by using different ports.

 

If you can install the Intel RST drivers on the system you will find that information on the Manage tab under Advanced.

 

my question was meant before buying the laptop. Some laptops don't mention it in their specs.

I will just look for Series 6 chipsets.

 

maybe you'll have to contact them in the end to be sure.

 

List of Intel chipsets - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Yes I am aware that Series 6 has SATA III support. That's not the problem.

The problem is that some laptop manufacturers don't clearly mention what chipset they're using. Or they do, but you have to search really hard to find it.

Fortunately we have good return policies here, so I can send it back if it doesn't work.

Do you mean even when they say it has Series 6 chipset?

I'm expecting every Core i CPU indicated with 4 numbers (xxxx) and Intel HD3000 are indicators of Sandy Bridge > SATA III support.

 

So download CPU-Z and look under "Mainboard" to see which chipset you have.
http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html

 

If I'm looking for SATA III Laptop,I'd go the manufacturers web site in addition to the resellers site and get the models that support Sata III,Then check additional web sites until a list of specifications showing sata III is present, then confirm the purchase of those specific models with sata III with the reseller, before buying.

"A penny of prevention is worth a pound of cure" Ben Franklin,

Cheers
3Fees

 

@ Cloudfire, I don't own the laptop yet.

@ 3fees, it's not always mentioned on their website.

PS. both these points were already answered on the previous page. I will change the title so people understand

Edit: Maybe the new title will be clearer: How to know if a laptop has SATA 6Gbps interface if it's not listed in the specs? (before buying)

So the new questions are:
Does the presence of Intel HD3000 in a laptop automatically mean that the laptop will support SATA 6Gbps?
Does the presence of Core iX XXXX CPU automatically mean that the laptop will support SATA 6Gbps?

 

Phil, it stands right there on the Dell site you linked to. If you click on the "Technische specificaties" and change the "Mijn system" to "Nieuw! Inspiron 15R laptop" on the scroll thingy on the right you can see that the laptop have Mobile Intel® 6 Series Express-chipset (HM67) which according to wikipedia have 2 x SATA 3 ports

 

Okay:

Call the website using there toll free number and confirm the specifications and have them email it too you.

Cheers
3Fees

When I bought my laptop,I called the seller and confirmed the price and specifications and looked it up on the manufacturers web site and confirmed all details,,before I hit the " buy button ",,

 

That is one solution. Thanks 3fees And I would like to find it out without contacting manufacturers.

Yes I know (actually it does have SATA 6 Gbps). Wave said it on the previous page: http://forum.notebookreview.com/har...t-listed-specs-before-buying.html#post7457104

So yes the issue with the Dell laptop has been solved. Now I found new laptops that aren't even mentioned on manufacturers pages yet.

So my main questions now are:
Does the presence of Intel HD3000 in a laptop automatically mean that the laptop will support SATA 6Gbps?
Does the presence of Core iX XXXX CPU (2nd gen Core i) automatically mean that the laptop will support SATA 6Gbps?

 

Aha, i see. A bit confusing when the first post was about that Dell laptop.

"Q: Does the presence of Intel HD3000 in a laptop automatically mean that the laptop will support SATA 6Gbps?"
A: Yes HD 3000 is only featured on Sandy Bridge CPUs which again is Chipset 6 series which again feature SATA 3.

Q: Does the presence of Core iX XXXX CPU (2nd gen Core i) automatically mean that the laptop will support SATA 6Gbps?"
A: Yes because the first generation had 3 digits 740QM, 820 etc and is Chipset 5 series, and the new gen have 4 digits and is Chipset 6 series which again features SATA 3

 

"Does the presence of Core iX XXXX CPU (2nd gen Core i) automatically mean that the laptop will support SATA 6Gbps?"

No, not if its a 2nd generation Core i5,,from what I have seen they use 5 series chipset , not 6 series.

Intel Core i5 Mobile Processor

Intel® Mobile Chipset index page

Newegg.com - Laptops, Notebooks, Cheap Laptops, HP Notebooks, Toshiba Laptops, Laptop, HP Laptop, Notebook Computers

Cheers
3Fees

 

I think you are wrong. Click on any of the i5 processors and click on "compatible products" and you will see that they are all Chipset 6 series

 

Not necessarily,,,manufacturers use whatever is cheaper. 5 series cost less than 6 series. manufacturers dont always go by what intel says. Processors get updated all the time and when they are cheaper, they use them and the cheap chipsets... The CPUS have nothing to do with SATA III interface,,thats the Chipsets business.

Cheers
3Fees

 

yes, as i said, they could use the sata2 ports, and only expose those. and sell the exact same one, in a more expensive version with the sata3 ports exposed.

or do the notebook version only have the sata3 ports on the chipset? and only the desktop version has both? no, they both have both, right? (really, not sure anymore).

if they have both, and don't specify "sata 6gbps speeds" in their specs, ask them.

 

You said that the iX XXXX CPUs could have 5 series. Manufacturers cannot use 5 series on the SB CPUs. Nobody can because they are not compatible. It would not work.

 

My box says "uses SATA ports 0-1" on it. Pretty sure that means 6Gbit/s. Its also a B2 motherboard.

 

No. despite a notebook having HD3000 or a Core iX XXXX the notebook OEM can make it without sata 6Gbps.
Also you can just make one assumption based on the chipset, if a chipset doesn't support sata 6Gbps then the notebook doesn't support it. Îf a chipset supports sata 6Gbps it doesn't mean the notebook support it, it MAY support or not.

imo there are only 2 ways of knowing if it has sata 6Gbps:
1-check on the OEM or reseller page.
2-test it.

 

The laptop may not have SATA III enabled, even though it's a series 6 chipset.

The Toshiba portege r830 is a good example. Toshiba disabled SATA III speeds and only allow it to maintain SATA II speeds although the HDD and DVD drive use ports 0 and 1. Why? I have no idea....

R835 - Limited to SATA II Transfer Rate (3 Gb/s) -... - Page 4 - Toshiba Forums