Final answer:
The cable described as wide and ribbon-like with a 40-pin connector in a 20x2 matrix is the Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) cable, used to connect various disk drives to the motherboard.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of cable that is wide and ribbon-like, with 40-pin connectors arranged in a 20x2 matrix, is known as an Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) cable. This cable was commonly used to connect hard drives, CD-ROM drives, and other types of disk drives to a computer's motherboard. The IDE cable is known for its flat, ribbon-like shape which distinguishes it from other types of cables. The other options mentioned, such as D-sub, VGA, and SATA cables, have different connectors and are used for different purposes. The D-sub cable (often a type of serial or parallel connection) and VGA cable (used for video graphics array connections) don't fit the description, while SATA cables are narrower and have fewer pins, typically used for connecting newer types of hard drives with a different interface.