SATA cables tend to add less to cable clutter (even the ‘rounded’ PATA cables get rather thick), and mobo-makers are already starting to phase out PATA connectors on some motherboards. In fact, both AMD and Intel have already done away with chipset-native IDE support (Intel since ICH8/9 [ICH8-mobile still had PATA support, completely removed in ICH9], AMD since SB700), so any IDE capability you see on motherboards is provided by a third-party controller (usually from JMicron).
If you want to buy an optical drive that still works with your new mobos a few years down the road, it makes sense to buy one with a SATA interface, unless you can find a PATA one for much cheaper. Trying to keep a PATA drive when you’re trying to upgrade to newer motherboards limits your options, since you have to find a motherboard that has PATA connectors.
To illustrate, take a look at
Newegg’s LGA1155 motherboard listings. Out of those,
the ones with PATA support can be counted on one hand. Sure, you might not be buying Sandy Bridge or a brand-spanking-new board
now, but what about a few years down the road?
AMD 700/800-series motherboards largely still come with PATA support, but you can see that a number of them have already done away with PATA support too. With Zambezi/Llano slated for release in another few months, and with a new bevy of motherboards to match, expect the proportion of boards with PATA support to keep decreasing.
If theres one nice thing about PATA though, it’s connector robustness. Some of the included SATA cables that come included with motherboards (especially lower-end models) can have rather flimsy connectors that may loosen with time.
Frankly, I’m looking forward to the day when optical drives come with USB motherboard headers, so precious SATA ports can be freed up. This isn’t an issue for me since I’m not using an internal optical drive, but it still would be lovely to be able to plug an optical drive into one of the unused motherboard USB headers instead.
