1. It's unclear what you mean when you refer to having a "free sata cable". Are you referring to one of those SATA-to-USB cable adapters that you can utilize to connect the SSD as a USB external device to your PC? If that's the case, just connect the SSD that way, boot to your usual boot drive so that the SSD is performing as a SECONDARY drive in your system. Capiche?
Assuming you're uninterested in any data residing on the SSD, use the DiskPart utility to "clean" the drive. Then using the SSD diagnostic program that's probably available from the drive's manufacturer (you never mentioned the make/model of the SSD), test the drive that way.
2. If you can't connect the SSD as a USB external drive per above, install it internally in your PC if you're working with a desktop PC and have available a vacant SATA data connector (port); then follow the above.