Compatibility – One SATA cable will work with most modern storage devices such as hard drives, optical drives and SSDs.

If you look at that spec, you notice that the connector is rated to 1.5 A DC and the wire they use is 18 AWG (I'm a mm² man myself but let's roll with it). If you look up recommended wire gauge to current rating (such as here) you'll note that 18 AWG is rated to 16 A for short runs. So our connector is the weak point, more specifically the point were two connectors meet. Yes, it is OK to use a SATA splitter. A SATA splitter allows you to share the power and data from one SATA cable amongst multiple hard drives. Here are some of its advantages: A SATA expansion card is a device that allows users to add extra Serial ATA (SATA) ports onto their PCs. This type of device can be used to expand the number of hard drives and other peripherals connected to the computer, such as optical drives or solid-state drives.Y-SPLITTER SATA CABLE powers two Serial ATA HDD, SSD, optical drives, DVD burners, and PCI cards to a single connection on a computer power supply; Snug-fitting drive SATA connector and channel guides on the power supply connector provide a secure connection that wont accidentally disconnect Reliable Performance – The connection between the drive and motherboard remains stable even with multiple connections sharing resources. Either way though, you should have plenty of "overhead" using these type of connectors to use 5-10 drives on one 18 AWG cable, possibly more but I'd need more specifics to say for sure. Each of our mods are custom tailored to the PSU being used, the HDD/SSD/ODD being used, and the system itself.

Easy Installation – It takes only a few minutes to install a SATA splitter and no special tools or expertise are required. SATA power cables originating from the PSU can be multiplied using a simple Y splitter (1-2 power connectors) or a 4x splitter. Image: SATA Power Cable Y Splitter Image: 4X SATA Power Splitter Cable

Another option (and the better alternative IMO) would be to add a punch down style connector in-line with your existing cable! I make custom sleeved extensions and modded PC's for a living and this is, by far, the better option for most people (unless you feel comfortable soldering and understand the way a PSU and electronics work)! It should be that a SATA hard drive requires both a SATA DATA and SATA Power cable to operate. Image: 2.5″ SATA SSD – SATA Drives require SATA DATA and SATA Power Cable Cost Effective – Using a single cable for two drives instead of two cables can help save money in the long run. In other words, you need a separate SATA DATA cable for the SATA hard drive and a different SATA port for each. SATA vs. PATA

But essentially, if you have run out of SATA Ports on your motherboard and want to add more drives to your PC, you can do so using three ways. Those used to the legacy computers and interfaces would be familiar with the older PATA IDE cables. PATA cables, if you’d recall, could be split. Image: Legacy IDE Cables for PATA interface. A SATA port multiplier is an advanced storage technology that allows multiple hard drives to be connected to a single SATA host connection.So theoretically, yes, you could connect 3 hard drive off a single power point. More would exceed the designed limits of the connector that would connect to the PSU. Short for Serial Advanced Technology Attachment, SATA is a connector interface used for computer bus connections, connecting a host bus adapter, to a mass storage device. Prior to SATA cables, PATA (Parallel ATA) technology was used to connect devices, newer SATA cable technology not only allows for faster data transfer but, when supported, SATA cables are suitable for hot plugging. SATA cables also utilise smaller cables than their PATA predecessors as well as providing an external interface, unlike PATA. All of these methods have their pros and cons. For instance, SATA Hub Port Multiplier is cheap but does not increase the downstream data rate, whereas the SAS SATA expansion cards are expensive but maintain the downstream data rate. Can SATA Power Cables be Split? Usually wires melt because people use thin wires for HDDs or GPUs, or overload a PSU that cannot deliver enough wattage on the 12v rail that they plug the splitter on. Wires melting doesn’t necessarily mean that a fire will start, but they can be the cause of the fire. I’ve seen lots of molten wires from overheating / too much power draw and they never started a fire. But I wouldn’t bet on them not starting a fire, I prefer to be cautious. Splitters have a use case, but you have to know when it’s safe to use them (just like with any power cord, or other things involving electricity).