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[Pristine_Condition]

anyone using a 500GB HDD? any problems?

I have one in my machine now, since Late Nov/Early December. No problems at all, love the capacity. This was third upgrade on this old 60GB launch model. From 60GB to 160GB to 250GB to 500GB! :lol

My nephews' new PS3 has the same upgrade to 500GB. I did it for them before they even unwrapped the PS3 under the tree. No problems there, either.

I did a lot of 320GB upgrades for friends before the 500GB units became cheap. The 500GB seems the same as far as noise/general performance goes, comparing like brands.

 

[gcubed]

i would also venture a guess that if you upgraded a launch 60gb which uses the old 5400 Seagate Momentus to new HDD such as the new 7200 Momentus, you would notice an improvement just due to how far tech has come (what was the cache on the 60gb drives?). The newest 80gb's are using newer HDD's so maybe it wouldnt be as noticable a jump.

 

[Colonel Nelson]

I think there are a couple clarifications to be made here:

Don't use a "jewelers" or "precision" screwdriver with those tiny, thin metal handles. That's why you had to mess with the vice to get enough torque. If you use a larger handle diameter, you can get plenty of leverage/torque. That's just basic physics at work. You won't think the screws are too tight if you use a better screwdriver handle. Believe me, the first two swaps I did were with precision screwdrivers, and I definitely had to "break" the initial grip of the screws with a needlenose to avoid stripping. Since I switched to a larger-handled set, I haven't had to do it.

I use a set designed for use with electronics construction/repair, with a handle that is about twice the size of a precision driver, but still has the little piece on the top of the handle that spins. My set is the "5 Piece ESD Safe Screwdriver Set" by General Tools Mfg. Co. (Pt. No. 713, UPC 22170) which I bought from Fry's Electronics for around $15.

Also, the #0 screwdriver size is actually too small. You can get the job done in a pinch with that size, but you really risk stripping the screw more than if you use the PROPER SIZE, which is a #1. (#1 x 2-1/2" to be precise)

Thanks to you and Jim for the explanation. It sounds like it would be better to use a bigger screwdriver. I think all this OMFG YOU WILL STRIP YOUR SCREWS is FUD though. My big screwdrivers were crappy, so I used a precision, and it really honestly wasn't that hard.

I'm pretty sure I did say the size was a #0 or a #1, I just couldn't remember which.

 

[ithorien]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pozidriv

For the undereducated (like myself). I own several tips of these, and never knew what they were for. Now I know.

 

[Pristine_Condition]

they havent done comparisons in a while, but even with the comparisons, the most notable differences were when you upped the cache on the HDD. The new 7200's have 16mb of cache (not sure if you can get that in 5400's yet), so that is most likely where most of the improvement is coming from. Not sure of the PS3 filesystem structure, but one would assume you would HAVE to notice a difference between a stock drive and one of the newer faster 7200's as they are a rather decent step up in overall HD performance.

Yeah, I remember those tests too. I have no doubt the cache size makes a big difference, as the difference between the original OEM 20GB HDD (which had a 4MB cache) and an upgrade to a new HDD with an 8MB cache was HUGE, and very perceptible, even sans-stopwatch.

My only question is whether the PS3 can really utilize a 16MB cache as effectively as the jump from 4MB to 8MB was.

Thanks to you and Jim for the explanation. It sounds like it would be better to use a bigger screwdriver. I think all this OMFG YOU WILL STRIP YOUR SCREWS is FUD though. My big screwdrivers were crappy, so I used a precision, and it really honestly wasn't that hard.

Some of it may be FUD, but I'm sure others have had honest problems. Some of those problems may be explained by user error, lack of proper tools, or lack of mechanical skill though, so even honest problems might be overblown.

I don't think a guy like Faceless (who had a problem apparently) was lying about his problem necessarily, some people do have difficulty, for whatever reason. And his point-of-view, and story is important too, because it will maby make people take an extra step back and think about what they are doing a bit before charging in and stripping screws.

All I'm trying to do is encourage people to do the job right, with the right tools, or get someone else with more foundation in these basic skills to help them if they have fears/problems. Less people bitching, for whatever reason, and less messed-up hardware, for whatever reason, and more fun gaming/doing multimedia stuff with the PS3 should be the goal of these threads.

I'm pretty sure I did say the size was a #0 or a #1, I just couldn't remember which.

You did. I was just clarifying that it was at least a #1. #0 is a little risky.

 

[LiK]

I have one in my machine now, since Late Nov/Early December. No problems at all, love the capacity. This was third upgrade on this old 60GB launch model. From 60GB to 160GB to 250GB to 500GB! :lol

My nephews' new PS3 has the same upgrade to 500GB. I did it for them before they even unwrapped the PS3 under the tree. No problems there, either.

I did a lot of 320GB upgrades for friends before the 500GB units became cheap. The 500GB seems the same as far as noise/general performance goes, comparing like brands.

nice, what brand did you go with?

 

[Pristine_Condition]

nice, what brand did you go with?

WD on my machine. It replaced a 250GB WD.

My nephews' machine got a Seagate. Can't tell you which is better, they are both nice, IMO.

Doing my nephews' machine was interesting, as I did it right out of the box, on a PS3 that had never been plugged in. (First time I did that.) Apparently, there's no firmware on the PS3 at first, because I couldn't access the tool to format the drive in the XMB. I had to download the new firmware on Sony's website, install it from a USM stick, ect, before I could get the HDD formatted by the PS3. I thought the PS3s came from the factory with at least basic firmware installed into the onboard memory, but I guess this isn't the case.

 

[LiK]

WD on my machine. It replaced a 250GB WD.

My nephews' machine got a Seagate. Can't tell you which is better, they are both nice, IMO.

Doing my nephews' machine was interesting, as I did it right out of the box, on a PS3 that had never been plugged in. (First time I did that.) Apparently, there's no firmware on the PS3 at first, because I couldn't access the tool to format the drive in the XMB. I had to download the new firmware on Sony's website, install it from a USM stick, ect, before I could get the HDD formatted by the PS3. I thought the PS3s came from the factory with at least basic firmware installed into the onboard memory, but I guess this isn't the case.

cool, i was eyeing the WD and Seagate too. thanks.

 

[Auron_Kale]

cool, i was eyeing the WD and Seagate too. thanks.

Here's a WD 500GB that I was thinking about picking up soon: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136314

Seems to fit the criteria and the price is nice (especially with free shipping).

 

[Mejilan]

I ordered this bastard after all!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148336

I guess Monday or so I'll head on over to a nearby hardware store and pick up some new screwdrivers of varying sizes and lengths. (And maybe a pair of pliers.)

I also just ordered a new 500GB HDD for my PS2, so I'll probably just format that into Fat 32, drop it into an enclosure, and back my PS3 up to that. Then I'll do the PS3 HDD swap and restore, then reformat the 500GB HDD and install it into my PS2!

Woohoo! Good times!

Edit - Hey! Look at that. This 320GB drive I just picked up for the PS3 is actually $10 cheaper today than it was yesterday, when I last visited the link! Unless my memory's failing...

 

[Flunkie]

Got that 320GB for $60 on Newegg the other week. Still haven't installed it because I don't have anything to back up my stuff on.. and I need to back up everything, because I have a bunch of shared games from other people.

 

[Mejilan]

Not surprised to hear that I missed holiday deals. Still, it's certainly not a bad price, IMHO.
I was thinking of using my iPod (160GB) to back shit up, but I don't feel like wiping and restoring my library. Way too tedious. Since I've got 2 brand new HDDs coming in next week, it makes sense.

 

[BeeDog]

Based on mintylurb's earlier comment in this topic, does anyone know where I can buy jumpers for 2.5" hard drives? I have absolutely no idea where to look, I've checked several Swedish online retailers, but no one sells jumpers. Any computer store in Euroland that ships them to Sweden?

 

[Durante]

Based on mintylurb's earlier comment in this topic, does anyone know where I can buy jumpers for 2.5" hard drives? I have absolutely no idea where to look, I've checked several Swedish online retailers, but no one sells jumpers. Any computer store in Euroland that ships them to Sweden?

That's not something you'll usually find at computer stores. You'll need to look at a component supplier.

Personally though I'd try to (in that order)
1) Loot a suitable jumper from an old MB/HDD (But most people probably haven't got many of those lying around)
2) Failing that, ask some geek you know to loot their stash
3) Failing that, bend a small wire to make contact between the pins and fix it with some electric tape.

 

[Mejilan]

What kind of jumpers do SATA drives even take?
Regular IDE-style jumpers? Open shunts or closed caps?

 

[mintylurb]

What kind of jumpers do SATA drives even take?
Regular IDE-style jumpers? Open shunts or closed caps?

The one on the left is usually used for 2.5" hdds. The one on the right is for 3.5" hdds or cdvd/br/hdvd drives.

 

[Mejilan]

Thanks a lot!

I just ordered a package containing an assortment of different sizes that work with IDE and SATA drives, to be safe.

 

[knitoe]

Thanks a lot!

I just ordered a package containing an assortment of different sizes that work with IDE and SATA drives, to be safe.

SATA drives don't need jumpers since it's only 1 drive per cable.

 

[mintylurb]

SATA drives don't need jumpers since it's only 1 drive per cable.

Jumpers are needed when some mobo's have trouble recognizing SATA 3.0 hdds.

 

[Flunkie]

Thanks a lot!

I just ordered a package containing an assortment of different sizes that work with IDE and SATA drives, to be safe.

This is what I did. I have tons of old IDE and SATA drives.. but my biggest iPod is 32GB, and it's a Touch.. so it doesn't work with PS3.

Wait, you're talking about USB to IDE/SATA cables right?

 

[Mejilan]

This is what I did. I have tons of old IDE and SATA drives.. but my biggest iPod is 32GB, and it's a Touch.. so it doesn't work with PS3.

Wait, you're talking about USB to IDE/SATA cables right?

I don't understand your question...

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Upgraded to a 250GB hDD, only have about 130GB left. What is the best price on a 500GB? I'm getting scared

 

[Flunkie]

I don't understand your question...

Nevermind. I thought you were talking about using old hard drives to back up your data.

 

[Mejilan]

I've redesigned the OP. Now, hopefully, it'll be seen as more of a resource than the cry for help it originally was. Perhaps now it's beginning to live up to the thread title!

 

[Raistlin]

But less pages to read through so far.

u r lazy

anyone using a 500GB HDD? any problems?

No reason why there would be, all things being equal.

Colonel Nelson
Thanks to you and Jim for the explanation. It sounds like it would be better to use a bigger screwdriver. I think all this OMFG YOU WILL STRIP YOUR SCREWS is FUD though. My big screwdrivers were crappy, so I used a precision, and it really honestly wasn't that hard.

Actually, it matters where and when the screws where sourced. The issue is actually quite typical for PC's. Many times, screws are 'Chinese white metal', which strip all to hell. Other times, the screws are of higher quality.

SATA drives don't need jumpers since it's only 1 drive per cable.

From what I understand, the PS3 is designed to recognize 1.5GB SATA drives. If you are using a 3.0GB SATA drive, sometimes the BIOS will not correctly recognize it.

If you have that problem, most 3.0GB SATA drives can use a jumper to force it to run at 1.5GB. This will fix the issue.

 

[Mejilan]

And added links to 3 written tutorials (with images) and 2 video tutorials. I haven't used any of these yet, so I can't exactly vouch for them.

That'll be the last OP update for tonight, I think.

 

[Raistlin]

And added links to 3 written tutorials (with images) and 2 video tutorials. I haven't used any of these yet, so I can't exactly vouch for them.

That'll be the last OP update for tonight, I think.

Nice job!



To the people worried, other than some screws occasionally being annoying, swapping the HDD is VERY easy.

 

[BeeDog]

That's not something you'll usually find at computer stores. You'll need to look at a component supplier.

Personally though I'd try to (in that order)
1) Loot a suitable jumper from an old MB/HDD (But most people probably haven't got many of those lying around)
2) Failing that, ask some geek you know to loot their stash
3) Failing that, bend a small wire to make contact between the pins and fix it with some electric tape.

Thanks for the answer. Too bad I don't hang with geeks anymore, that could possibly provide jumpers. God damnit.

 

[Mejilan]

You can also get jumpers pretty cheap on eBay, if that's an option.
I ordered a package of 20 or so (varying sizes) for like $3.95 shipped.

 

[Christoff Yurievich]

this Western Digital - Scorpio 320GB Internal SATA Hard Drive for Laptops looks right but I'm not 100% sure.

 

[speedpop]

Take out any references to PS3 and you'd think this was a simple PC upgrading thread.

Some decent info in here for anyone scared to open up a console.

 

[Mejilan]

this Western Digital - Scorpio 320GB Internal SATA Hard Drive for Laptops looks right but I'm not 100% sure.

The very last customer review mentions that it works as a PS3 upgrade. But 320GB for that price seems like a very crappy value, IMHO. You can definitely do much better by browsing similar drives at Newegg or Tiger Direct.

 

[Christoff Yurievich]

you know, it figures that since I didn't read all of the customer reviews one would say that.

also: gift cards. :/

 

[Flunkie]

Just got this in the mail and formatted it to FAT32 and backed up all my stuff onto an old 3.5" hard drive easy as pie. 268GB free now <3

Also, the screws were not even a challenge. It barely took a flick of the wrist to get them all out. Are you guys really that weak?

 

[Mejilan]

Well, one of my two new HDDs is due in tomorrow. Sadly, in order to properly back up my PS3 (without erasing my iPod or other HDDs), I'll need both of them to arrive. The second one is due Wednesday.

Exciting! Upgrading my PS2 and PS3 HDDs in the same week!

Edit - Also, regarding the screw issue, I wouldn't be surprised if different production runs / hardware revisions were handled differently.

 

[Raistlin]

In case it wasn't mentioned, you'll want something like this or this (or any other 3rd party FAT32 formatter), if you plan to do a large backup to a USB drive.

Windows doesn't natively support formatting FAT32 drives larger than 32GB.


I can't recall which SW I used. If you're really concerned, I could go look it up tomorrow.

 

[firehawk12]

I did the upgrade fairly easily. The only problem I had was that the screws on the bay holding the HDD to the system were completely stripped. I needed to ask for help to get the screws off.

 

[Mejilan]

Well, my 320GB Seagate came in today, as did the 2.5" USB enclosure I plan on popping the PS3's original 60GB HDD in for future use.

So I said "fuck it!" and backed up my iPod (natively FAT32) and reformatted it. My PS3 is now backing up approximately 43GB of data onto the iPod, with about an hour and 10 minutes to go.

I guess I'll hit up Moon on the DS in the interim.

 

[LiK]

got my screwdrivers, but still deciding on which HDD to get. im also looking for a good enclosure for my old PS3 HDD. what are you guys using?

 

[Mejilan]

I got this enclosure: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817392019
I quickly tested it with the new 320GB (which isn't formatted, so no partition showed up). But I did verify that the drive and enclosure both worked. I'll report back as to how it works with the stock 60 PS3 HDD in another hour or two, once I'm done with the upgrade.

 

[mintylurb]

got my screwdrivers, but still deciding on which HDD to get. im also looking for a good enclosure for my old PS3 HDD. what are you guys using?

Yup, the one Mejilan is using is a good one.

 

[Porkepik]

I have a 20 gig PS3 But due to rockband i'm seriously considering upgrading. Does anyone knows if I use the backup tool, It will save my RB content so I won't have to redownload it but most importantly I don't have RB1 anymore and used the export option.

Also I read somewhere that the 20gig drives were 4200 rpm I suppose I should see a difference in loading speed with a newer drive, is it true?

 

[Flunkie]

Well, my 320GB Seagate came in today, as did the 2.5" USB enclosure I plan on popping the PS3's original 60GB HDD in for future use.

So I said "fuck it!" and backed up my iPod (natively FAT32) and reformatted it. My PS3 is now backing up approximately 43GB of data onto the iPod, with about an hour and 10 minutes to go.

I guess I'll hit up Moon on the DS in the interim.

The whole process certainly is exciting, no matter how much trouble it might be.

 

[GamePnoy74]

got my screwdrivers, but still deciding on which HDD to get. im also looking for a good enclosure for my old PS3 HDD. what are you guys using?

I recently bought two of these to recycle the drives left over from my PS3 and my wife's laptop upgrades, NexStar SX SATA 2.5 enclosure:

Nice sleek design for $20, comes with a leather pouch/wallet...crappy bulky USB cable is included, swapped it out with something smaller and nicer looking.

Thing is though I bricked my old PS3 60GB drive not because of the enclosure but because of my own idiocy...oh well =/ The leftover 100GB that was in my wife's laptop works fine in it, no problems so far.

 

[Mejilan]

The whole process certainly is exciting, no matter how much trouble it might be.

Yup! Can't wait for my new PS2 HDD to come in later this week!
So far, the PS3 process is no trouble. Of course, I haven't really started yet. 25 minutes till the backup's done. It'll probably take all night to restore my iPod, though. I guess I'll have to leave it syncing overnight...

Yup, the one Mejilan is using is a good one.

And so ridiculously tiny! Seriously, I wasn't expecting just how small these 2.5" drives and enclosures are!

I have a 20 gig PS3 But due to rockband i'm seriously considering upgrading. Does anyone knows if I use the backup tool, It will save my RB content so I won't have to redownload it but most importantly I don't have RB1 anymore and used the export option.

Also I read somewhere that the 20gig drives were 4200 rpm I suppose I should see a difference in loading speed with a newer drive, is it true?

Check the OP to see what exactly is backed up, but yes, I believe all in-game installations and DLC are backed up in their entirety. I don't think the RPM boost is going to be huge. It seems like the increased cache has a more dramatic effect. At least, between 5400 vs 7200 RPM drives.

 

[Mejilan]

Ok, these 4 littles screws ARE evil buggers...

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

http://www.1click2computers.com/product_details/detail.asp?prod_id=HM320JI

Bought this in July 2008 from the same website (newegg's lack of Canadian delivery made me sad). Works like a charm. Everything was smooth and easy (beside the screw chipping and me using pliers lol). Backed everything to external drive. Synced my trophies. Restored everything back. Yadda yadda yadda.

I recently bought two of these to recycle the drives left over from my PS3 and my wife's laptop upgrades, NexStar SX SATA 2.5 enclosure:

Nice sleek design for $20, comes with a leather pouch/wallet...crappy bulky USB cable is included, swapped it out with something smaller and nicer looking.

Thing is though I bricked my old PS3 60GB drive not because of the enclosure but because of my own idiocy...oh well =/ The leftover 100GB that was in my wife's laptop works fine in it, no problems so far.

Nexstar enclosures are awesome and works great. Have two of em for 3.5" HDD.

 

[Mejilan]

Bloody fucking hell. 3 screws stripped beyond all repair. I spent $20 on this damn 10-piece bit-changing screwdriver. For nothing. Pliers were the ONLY way to go. Couldn't even find my thinner needle-nose pliers, so I had to make do with a set of giant, groove-joint pliers.

Bah. Long story short, I had to use the pliers on the 3 remaining screws, and since my motherfucker was so large, it was deucedly difficult to "grip" the 1mm edges of the screws, particularly on the "weaker" side of the HDD tray. I wound up badly distorting this weaker side, almost tearing one of those thin metallic "ribbons" holding the screw in place.

But, once the 3 mangled screws, 1 solid screw were extracted, swapping out the HDD was easy. I my fingers to set the 4 screws back in place, then the ginormous pliers to tighten them (only somewhat!), set my PS3 back up, and I'm good to go. FYI, I did decide to add a jumper shunt to the new HDD to limit the drive to SATA 1.5.

Just under 300 GBs of goodness. I decided to alot 10GB to a potential Linux partition I'll probably never, ever set up. Now the shit's restoring from my iPod (and taking almost 2x as long as the backup did), and I'm dirty, hungry, and annoyed. And somehow, I'm bleeding under a fingernail. Just waiting for this to finish so I can plop the old PS3 HDD into my new 2.5" enclosure and effectively had 60GB more to my PC.

*shakes head*

Were it not for those 4 fucking screws on that fucking HDD tray, the hardware end of the process would have taken no more than 10 or 15 minutes. Not the 1+ hour this took.

 

[dallow_bg]

Ah those screws! It doesn't matter if you have the correct size screwdriver, they're soft, and too tight.

I need to upgrade my drive soon. I'm down to 3 gigs with a 120gb installed, previously there was a 20gb.

Looking for a 320gb. I like the one Mejilan ordered. There's a cheaper one though from Toshiba? Not to be trusted?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822149072

 

[Mejilan]

Yep, way too soft and way too tight. Evil combination.
That drive is 5400RPM and only has an 8MB cache. That'll probably account for the price difference. The one I got is 7200 RPM and has a 16MB cache.
I was actually laughing when I pulled out the old 60GB drive, since I noticed that it was a Seagate Momentus 5400.2 drive. My new one is a Seagate Momentus 7200.3 drive.