The physical differences between PATA and SATA laptop hard drives

There are two different drives that are compatible with laptops and notebooks. These drives come in a small outline format commonly referred to as 2.5 inch drives (as compared to the larger 3.5 inch drives available for desktops). This smaller format is required due to the compact size of portable computers and the limited amount of space available for hardware. 2.5 inch drives are available with either PATA or SATA connectors. When replacing your laptop's hard drive, you need to know which drive will be compatible.