I get so confused which SATA what plugs into where and looks like how all the time. Technology keeps on changing. Sata 1 came out and it was pretty easy and efficient. Then SATA 2 came out which was basically the same as SATA 1 with only one noticeable difference: SATA 1 had no clip and would “slip” out of its port while SATA 2 had a clip device that would grasp hold onto the port it was stuck in. Here is a photo of what I speak of:

SATA 1

SATA 2

Now there’s eSATA too so we can’t forget about that! They come in varying lengths and the longest I’ve seen is six feet. It’s tailored for external use. Not something I would advise but to each his own. I like internal- safer for my setup. eSATA is the same as above except it was incorporated in 2004 to define the standard transmit and received potential: (wikipedia)

# 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.