PS3 HDD Upgrade Tutorial(now includes PS3 Slim!)

  • Thread starter nick09
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ok, i think im gonna go for 5400RPM to avoid overheating. so now my next question is about the cache. should i go with the stock 8mb or go for 32mb cache?
 
Well if the price increase is not much then get the 32mb(like within $10-$20 above the 8mb's price). It will be faster with read and writes.
 
That's a desktop hard drive. I wouldn't buy any computer parts from bestbuy(they don't give you cash back from my experience and I hate their site in general). You can grab this 750GB hard drive for $110, or this 640GB hard drive for $84, or the 500GB hard drive for $59.99. They are all are laptop drives and see can see all kinds of facts on the pages. If you ever have problems with the hard drives you can get a refund or replacement within 30 days of your purchase directly from newegg. It's a better idea to buy online for this stuff.
 
I see that all of them are 8MB cache. I was looking for something like 16 or 32MB. Does it really matter how big the cache is?

EDIT: I saw that the 750GB one has $20 off and free shipping for a limited time only. I plan on buying this, but I don't know how to format it to FAT32. How would I connect this to my computer (Windows 7) and format it?
 
Revelation1115
okay, well I found this: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Western....5in 500gb SATA 32MB cache&contract_desc=null

is that pretty good?
Click to expand...


As said before, newegg has some better deals, but if you want to stick to Best Buy and the 500gb, then this is the right one:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Western...tops/9172799.p?id=1218044489855&skuId=9172799

Revelation1115
I see that all of them are 8MB cache. I was looking for something like 16 or 32MB. Does it really matter how big the cache is?

EDIT: I saw that the 750GB one has $20 off and free shipping for a limited time only. I plan on buying this, but I don't know how to format it to FAT32. How would I connect this to my computer (Windows 7) and format it?
Click to expand...

The cache's difference is minimal, so it doesn't really matter, especially for the ps3. If you want to connect it to your PC and format it to FAT32, you must get an enclosure first. However, you only need to do that for backing up purposes. Otherwise you can just stick in the new HDD in the ps3 and it'll format it automatically.
 
Not really. The speed increase would seem slight at best in a PS3. So it's best to save the extra cash for some downloads.
 
daus26
As said before, newegg has some better deals, but if you want to stick to Best Buy and the 500gb, then this is the right one:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Western...tops/9172799.p?id=1218044489855&skuId=9172799
Click to expand...

I plan on getting this one now from newegg.com because it DOES have better deals! http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=3952450&SID=e4mkcfago9

I'm buying that once I get my paycheck. But how would I connect that to my computer (windows 7) and format it to FAT32?
 
Revelation1115
I plan on getting this one now from newegg.com because it DOES have better deals! http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=3952450&SID=e4mkcfago9

I'm buying that once I get my paycheck. But how would I connect that to my computer (windows 7) and format it to FAT32?
Click to expand...

The new HDD doesn't need formatting. Just stick that in the ps3. However, I suggest you get an enclosure so you can turn the old HDD into a portable HDD.

If you want to back up data however, then yes, you'll need a FAT32 external HDD to transfer to from your ps3.
 
daus26
The new HDD doesn't need formatting. Just stick that in the ps3. However, I suggest you get an enclosure so you can turn the old HDD into a portable HDD.

If you want to back up data however, then yes, you'll need a FAT32 external HDD to transfer to from your ps3.
Click to expand...

So I can just replace the HDD directly,without hassle, if I choose not to back up my old files? I might just do that so it will be easier.
 
There is no need to format the hard drive because I'm sure you are just replacing the PS3's old hard drive. The PS3 can do the formatting itself and it's done within minutes of your time.

EDIT: Yes you can replace the hard drive directly and have the PS3 format it. You can always save your save files onto a flash drive and forget about the rest.

EDIT2: If you are looking for an enclosure for the old hard drive then I recommend this one. It's easy to use and is powered by usb. You can also make use of the esata for the 3GB speeds(included esata cable). For 22 bucks it is worth the price.
 
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nick09
There is no need to format the hard drive because I'm sure you are just replacing the PS3's old hard drive. The PS3 can do the formatting itself and it's done within minutes of your time.

EDIT: Yes you can replace the hard drive directly and have the PS3 format it. You can always save your save files onto a flash drive and forget about the rest.

EDIT2: If you are looking for an enclosure for the old hard drive then I recommend this one. It's easy to use and is powered by usb. You can also make use of the esata for the 3GB speeds(included esata cable). For 22 bucks it is worth the price.
Click to expand...

oh okay, so the enclosure will make my old hdd into an external hdd? I just might buy that if my old hdd won't sell for much. And also thanks for the tip on saving my game saves onto a flash drive, since I have a simple 8GB one. But once I replace my HDD, I would have to reinstall the games I once had right?

EDIT: I found this enclosure on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/Ineo-I-NA202U-H...ltDomain_0&hash=item35ac7d75a0#ht_1857wt_9322

Would this be good or should I get the one you recommended?
 
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Not really but I think that enclosure is too cheap to rely on(might fall apart because of the rubber/plastic insert). If you don't care about esata then grab this enclosure. It's better to use this enclosure because the screws keep the hard drive secured. The last enclosure that I posted before would be more suited for swapping drives so that was the reason why I bought it.
 
Well it was the same brand so I was thinking it might be good too. But 10.99 is a good price also. Hopefully its reliable.

Edit: Reviews are good, so I most likely will get this.

Edit 2: Okay, 8GB is not enough for my backup. If I don't make a backup before switching HDDs, what will I lose? Because now, I just plan on backing up my game saves.
 
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You can lose the installed games and some save game files are copy protected. You could invest into a cheap external hard drive like this one so you can export everything on your PS3.
 
nick09
You can lose the installed games and some save game files are copy protected. You could invest into a cheap external hard drive like this one so you can export everything on your PS3.
Click to expand...

yeah, but good thing I only have one game that's copyright protected (Fight Night Round 4) So I think I'll be fine with losing that.. I can't afford to spend anymore money because I still have to pay my bills and get GT5! I'm just gonna get the 750GB and the enclosure from newegg
 
The esata cable is basically an external sata connection. It let's you make use of the 3GBs speed of your hard drive. Which is about 3x faster than usb 2.0, so a regular 20 minute transfer would only take 5 minutes as an good example. Though the esata connection does not have any 5v running through it like usb so you need to run some usb cables or an AC adapter just to power the hard drive(that's also included with the $22 enclosure that I linked to). So you could future proof your external with the esata port. More computers nowadays come with them so even if you won't use it now, a new computer that you might buy may have an esata port.
 
nick09
The esata cable is basically an external sata connection. It let's you make use of the 3GBs speed of your hard drive. Which is about 3x faster than usb 2.0, so a regular 20 minute transfer would only take 5 minutes as an good example. Though the esata connection does not have any 5v running through it like usb so you need to run some usb cables or an AC adapter just to power the hard drive(that's also included with the $22 enclosure that I linked to). So you could future proof your external with the esata port. More computers nowadays come with them so even if you won't use it now, a new computer that you might buy may have an esata port.
Click to expand...

So the eSATA will need an AC adapter to power the hard drive? I was looking for something more portable so that I can use my old 120GB HDD for college and just have it connected to my laptop. So I need something with the least amount of wires.
 
Well I went through with my hard drive swap two days ago and it went off without a hitch. No problem with any of the screws and I'm now running a 500GB (well ~465GB) chunky PS3. EPIC WIN! :D

Thanks for the tutorial nick.
 
No problem. I hope you enjoy the extra space. I'm still running on my 320GB hard drive and I have already filled up 2/3rds of it.
 
I have a question.
GT5 is nearly here and I am shocked, that I am not even prepared for the drive of my life.
Okay. The question is.
Some HDD have 8mb and other 16mb. Iäm no computer genious, so please explain what is better.
Example:
2.5" - 320 GB - 5400 rpm - 8 MB - SATA
2.5" - 320 GB - 5400 rpm - 16 MB - SATA

Will PS3 recognise them both?
 
Yes, The 8mb and the 16mb is the size of the cache on the hard drive. The 16mb is faster since the ps3 can put more files on the cache when it needs it. The 16mb will have a slight improvement of performance over the 8mb.
 

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