Solution for mounting hard drive better on desk to prevent SATA cable wear

Solution 1:

You can't get much lower tech or lower cost than a bookend type of support for the drive. The hard drive does not need to be positioned flat as you have in the photos. If you place it on edge and have a bracket for that purpose, the cables will have less strain.

Amazon carries the simplest model:

Amazon also carries a bit ornate model which would work just as well and provide a bit of novelty:

Additionally and horizontally, a larger-than-hard-drive block of wood with a groove or similar channel cut into it for cable relief will also suffice. It doesn't have to be wood. A book into which you slice out the cover and a number of pages would provide the same results.

For sliding protection, rubber tape or similar non-slip feet such as those found for bathtubs could be added to the undersurface.

I have access to a 3D printer and a laser cutter and could slap out a custom design, but a block of wood or similar is far simpler.

Computers and many appliances are shipped in a relatively solid foam cradle (not expanded polystyrene, often called Styrofoam®) which often has channels and gaps and would need only non-slip feet.

This is contrary to your request, but my external drive caddy resembles a toaster with two slots. The cabling is semi-permanent, as is the power supply, but the slots hold either laptop drive or desktop drive formats simply by gently pressing them in place and powering up.

Solution 2:

I mount it on my desk ...

Simply placing a HDD on the desktop is not *"mounting". One jolt, and it will slide across the desk.

Placing a HDD on a hard surface is a bad idea. Any vibration and/or shock can be easily transmitted to the drive.

I use a HDD holder made from aluminum angles and plywood with isolation mounts:
The suspended drive also allows air circulation, which used to be a requirement that was specified in manuals for 5.25" HDDs.

Solution 3:

If we are worried about the wear on the connector from the desk, we can set the hard drive upside down. For dust concerns, a simple piece of paper placed over the bottom sides could do the trick.

Lastly if we are willing to spend a few bucks, you can purchase a SATA power extension cable that doesn't have a right-angle.