Check this image You Will Know the difference
A simple, you open the Cabinet and you look at the connectors.
Top => pata, bottom => sata.
SATA is MORE than a different kind of connector. A good analogy is: ATA is to SATA as PARALLEL port is to USB. SATA is specifically a SERIAL (i.e. bit-at-a-time) interface for connecting hard drives to a controller. It was designed as a replacement for ATA and was intended to provide better performance at a lower cost for drives, connectors, cabling, and controllers than ATA. Since the cabling is thinner is also is purported to improve airflow and therefore cooling inside a PC case.
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