What does eSATA refer to?

eSATA, which stands for External Serial ATA, is specifically designed for connecting external storage devices such as hard drives and SSDs. This protocol enables the external drives to connect to the computer in a manner that allows for faster data transfer rates comparable to internal SATA connections. eSATA provides a direct connection to the motherboard, facilitating higher performance and efficiency when accessing data on external drives.

This connection is particularly advantageous because it is optimized for external applications, minimizing latency and maximizing throughput compared to other external connection methods like USB or FireWire, which are not as fast in transferring large amounts of data. As such, referring to eSATA as a common method for connecting external drives accurately captures its purpose and functionality within the realm of data storage and transfer.