Want to upgrade hard drive what brand is good at 5400rpms?

Well, speaking from experience...I bought a Hitachi 5K160 last week, and its been working perfectly in my PS3 ever since. I now have 140GB of free space on my PS3.

Here is a link to the Hitachi 5K160 specs: link (http://www.hitachigst.com/portal/site/en/menuitem.dac393208bfae6f199558fe7eac4f0a0/)

I got my Hitachi 5K160 for $119 from Newegg with free shipping.

Here is a slightly smaller and cheaper options also. It is what I am currently using.


120 gig 5400rpm 8meg cache for $82.99
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16822149057

I used the Western Digital 120GB in mine and works great.

Hmm, wish they'd hurry up and make a 2.5" 1 TB 5400 RPM HD lol

what about using a seagate momentus 7200 prm SATA 2.5" drive ? Would this work fine on the PS3 ?

what about using a seagate momentus 7200 prm SATA 2.5" drive ? Would this work fine on the PS3 ?

No.

This topic (hard drive upgrade for PS3) has been brought up before.

Basically, the concensus seems to be 7200RPM will create too much heat inside the PS3, and will not perform any better than a 5400RPM drive (this much has been tested by others and confirmed).

Basically, as long as you get a 2.5" 5400RPM SATA-150 Hard Drive, it will work in a PS3. Typical size for a 2.5" SATA-150 hard drive these days is anywhere from 60GB - 160GB.

Best harddrive is the one with the largest cache, go from there. Larger cache drives will actually give you a slight performance upgrade unlike RPMs whcih raise temp with a negligible upgrade.

I don't really understand the heat issue, but there are reports that the faster drives offer miminal performance. What you really want is a larger cache, (16 megs vs 8). I went ahead and purchased the biggest hd with the largest cache at the time, (100 gb, 16 meg cache) last November O_X/

Yeah, IGN said to try and get a drive with 16mb cache.

Ok, so i'll go with the 5400 RPM, but which one do you guys suggest as far as cache size and noise level ?

I know this isn't a direct response, but how's this for an add-on question ...

If you know you aren't going to move the PS3 around and don't mind the immobility an addon enforces - why not get a nice eSATA case and throw in a regula PC-style 3.5" SATA drive into it? Much cheaper per GB and cooler (no HDD in the PS3) too!

I bet someone, somewhere has already tried this!

how do you transfer the data? is there some sort of os on the orginal h.d.?

how do you transfer the data? is there some sort of os on the orginal h.d.?

Pretty self-explanatory: PS3 HDD Replacement (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkM9wiZePfs)

I know this isn't a direct response, but how's this for an add-on question ...

If you know you aren't going to move the PS3 around and don't mind the immobility an addon enforces - why not get a nice eSATA case and throw in a regula PC-style 3.5" SATA drive into it? Much cheaper per GB and cooler (no HDD in the PS3) too!

I bet someone, somewhere has already tried this!

That sounds very feasible. I don't see why it wouldn't work. It would just look kinda ugly :D

I don't know if you would be able to get into the PS3 without taking it apart to get to the connector to plug in the SATA cable.
The drive goes in and you move a lever to seat the drive...no cables to connect.

Now, I have an external 400 GB WD HD I picked up @ Staples on Black Friday hooked up via USB. Works fine to store stuff.

True, guys, why bother with the hassle (and yes - it seems like it would need the WHOLE unit to be opened to access the SATA to make it an eSATA with an adapter, to directly plug an eSATA drive/enclosure into).

The USB external drive seems like the path of least resistance, especially as it can be disconnected at any time. So - does a FAT32 formatted drive work fine? And are files visible/accessible/useful when connected to a PC? I imagine that's how one would copy them across anyway (unless one were to install Linux on the PS3 and ftp to another system to get the files ;) )

I don't really understand the heat issue, but there are reports that the faster drives offer miminal performance. What you really want is a larger cache, (16 megs vs 8). I went ahead and purchased the biggest hd with the largest cache at the time, (100 gb, 16 meg cache) last November O_X/

What hard drive is this, i looked on newegg and the largest cache any of the 2.5 sata drives they had was 8.

The 5K160 seems the best price/performance right now (160GB, $119).

What hard drive is this, i looked on newegg and the largest cache any of the 2.5 sata drives they had was 8.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822149030

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822149030

That's an ATA-6 drive, did you have to use an adapter to get it to work? I was under the impression that the PS3 took SATA drives only.

I wish someone would produce evidence supporting the claim that a 16meg cache works more efficiently (ie. faster bootup, loadtimes) than a standard 8meg cache - on a Playstation3.

Wasn't it just the other day when everyone assumed a 7200RPM worked better than a 5400RPM? Until that myth was disproven... Now pretty much everyone agrees 5400-7200RPM works the same on a PS3. And a 7200RPM even makes produces heat inside the PS3...

I'm just saying, given a choice: 100GB 16meg cache or 160GB 8meg cache, I'm going with the larger drive everytime (unless it can be proven otherwise).

That's an ATA-6 drive, did you have to use an adapter to get it to work? I was under the impression that the PS3 took SATA drives only.
It's gone. Either it's discontinued or their replacing it with an updated model. TOSHIBA MK1032GSX, That's the product ID. I searched on Toshiba's website and it's not listed there either.

Found it here, http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=202545983&SearchEngine=PriceGrabber&SearchTerm=202545983&Type=PE&Category=Comp&dcaid=15890 I never purchased from buy.com or used pricegrabber before, I just did a quick google search.

I wish someone would produce evidence supporting the claim that a 16meg cache works more efficiently (ie. faster bootup, loadtimes) than a standard 8meg cache - on a Playstation3.

Wasn't it just the other day when everyone assumed a 7200RPM worked better than a 5400RPM? Until that myth was disproven... Now pretty much everyone agrees 5400-7200RPM works the same on a PS3. And a 7200RPM even makes produces heat inside the PS3...

I'm just saying, given a choice: 100GB 16meg cache or 160GB 8meg cache, I'm going with the larger drive everytime (unless it can be proven otherwise).
Check the IGN PS3 archives. They did this test before the PS3 was launched.

I wish someone would produce evidence supporting the claim that a 16meg cache works more efficiently (ie. faster bootup, loadtimes) than a standard 8meg cache - on a Playstation3.

Wasn't it just the other day when everyone assumed a 7200RPM worked better than a 5400RPM? Until that myth was disproven... Now pretty much everyone agrees 5400-7200RPM works the same on a PS3. And a 7200RPM even makes produces heat inside the PS3...

I'm just saying, given a choice: 100GB 16meg cache or 160GB 8meg cache, I'm going with the larger drive everytime (unless it can be proven otherwise).

The 7200 rpm opposed to the 5400 rpm rumor was only agreed upon before the PS3 was out. Once people got the units in hand the rumor went the way of the dodo. I haven't heard anyone recommend 7200 over 5400 in ages.

As for the cache, all you have to do is load up a downloadable game from a 20GB and a 60GB to notice the difference. They don't have the same cache. Games that run straight from a HD will boot a little faster from a 60 than a 20.

How does one get all the original data from the original HDD like firmware upgrades, game saves, trailers, demos and other content get to the new HDD?

I don't know if you would be able to get into the PS3 without taking it apart to get to the connector to plug in the SATA cable.
The drive goes in and you move a lever to seat the drive...no cables to connect.

Now, I have an external 400 GB WD HD I picked up @ Staples on Black Friday hooked up via USB. Works fine to store stuff.

Do you have to do any special format on the external HD to work on the PS3? I guess what I am asking is can you talk the external HD from your PS3 and access it from a PC as well?

How does one get all the original data from the original HDD like firmware upgrades, game saves, trailers, demos and other content get to the new HDD?

The easiest way is to already have an external USB drive that's formated with FAT32 along with the new internal drive you want to replace the OEM one with. In the system settings there is a backup option that will copy your data over to any attached removable media. Back the data up and then replace the old internal drive with the new one. After you've replaced the internal drive, go to the restore function in the system settings to recover your data onto the new drive from the removable media. The PS3's OS is stored on internal flash memory, so don't worry about firmware updates. You can delete the backup off of the external drive (delete backup option in the settings) after you're done if you want to.

The easiest way is to already have an external USB drive that's formated with FAT32 along with the new internal drive you want to replace the OEM one with. In the system settings there is a backup option that will copy your data over to any attached removable media. Back the data up and then replace the old internal drive with the new one. After you've replaced the internal drive, go to the restore function in the system settings to recover your data onto the new drive from the removable media. The PS3's OS is stored on internal flash memory, so don't worry about firmware updates. You can delete the backup off of the external drive (delete backup option in the settings) after you're done if you want to.


Thanks. I was thinking of just keeping the internal drive since it is a 60g as I am goiing to get an external anyway. I was asking mainly because a previous post asked how do you transfer the data and someone responded it is self explanatory. The link they then provided was on you tube. It showed how to install a new internal HDD, but not how to take the data off the old one and get it to the new one. You have cleared that up. Do you recommend any external harddrive? It seems like getting almost any external HDD USB would work well, but the bigger and faster the better as in a 7200rpm, 16MB cache?

Thanks. I was thinking of just keeping the internal drive since it is a 60g as I am goiing to get an external anyway. I was asking mainly because a previous post asked how do you transfer the data and someone responded it is self explanatory. The link they then provided was on you tube. It showed how to install a new internal HDD, but not how to take the data off the old one and get it to the new one. You have cleared that up. Do you recommend any external harddrive? It seems like getting almost any external HDD USB would work well, but the bigger and faster the better as in a 7200rpm, 16MB cache?
You're welcome.

In regards to external drives' performance, that will depend largely on what you want. I prefer to buy an empty external enclosure and buy my own drive. My focus is on maximum performance and reliability, without care for noise, size or weight. In which case a full sized, high RPM drive with as much cache as possible and a great warranty (5 years) fits the bill. You may want a drive that's small, quiet, and pre-built. In which case you're likely to get an external drive that's using a 2.5" HDD, at a lower RPM (5,400 RPM), and probably a smaller cache (just coincidental, due to the manufacture’s choice of getting the cheapest drive). But, long story short, any drive should work well, just determine what your priorities are for it then go from there. Also, keep in mind that you’ll be limited by FAT32’s 4GB file size limit, for the moment. Who knows if that will change in the future with SCE adding support for other file formats.

Do you have to do any special format on the external HD to work on the PS3? I guess what I am asking is can you talk the external HD from your PS3 and access it from a PC as well?
Do NOT format it in NTFS...that is a no go. I did that on my XP machine before I ever thought of buying a PS3 and had a hell of a time getting it back to FAT32.

What I did find out after the fact was:
1 - if I left it as is when I bought it, it was in the proper format
2 - PS3 can format it for me!

I have all kinds of stuff on it that I can access from the PS3. I can also take it and hook it into my PC and it shows up immediately. It's a nice bridge between the two.

Do NOT format it in NTFS...that is a no go. I did that on my XP machine before I ever thought of buying a PS3 and had a hell of a time getting it back to FAT32.

What I did find out after the fact was:
1 - if I left it as is when I bought it, it was in the proper format
2 - PS3 can format it for me!

I have all kinds of stuff on it that I can access from the PS3. I can also take it and hook it into my PC and it shows up immediately. It's a nice bridge between the two.
Can you hook up an external hard drive to both a PC and the PS3 at the same time? For example eSATA to the PC and USB2.0 to the PS3.

No.

FYI - I just found a good deal on a PS3 compatible 160 GB hard drive (2.5", 5400 RPM, 8MB, etc.). You can get it brand new for as low as $92.38 (including shipping) if you are new to Google Checkout.

http://www.thenerds.net/index.php?page=productpage&affid=2&pn=WD1600BEVS&srccode=cii_5784816&cpncode=09-29123690-2

Product page from the manufacturer:

http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.asp?driveid=264

FYI - I just found a good deal on a PS3 compatible 160 GB hard drive (2.5", 5400 RPM, 8MB, etc.). You can get it brand new for as low as $92.38 (including shipping) if you are new to Google Checkout.

http://www.thenerds.net/index.php?page=productpage&affid=2&pn=WD1600BEVS&srccode=cii_5784816&cpncode=09-29123690-2

Product page from the manufacturer:

http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.asp?driveid=264

Thats nice, anyone have it?

Can I use an ATA HDD instead of a SATA HDD?

nope, SATA only

SATA port:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/SATA_ports.jpg/300px-SATA_ports.jpg

ATA port:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/ATA_on_mainboard.jpg/150px-ATA_on_mainboard.jpg

So this won't work?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822149030

Would this work?
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16822149057

Which one would be better? Toshiba or this one?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822146227R

Hard to judge the Seagate without reviews, but the SATA Toshiba looks like a winner. Nice find.

I just bought this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822152040

Should get it today.

Anyone know the cache size on the 20GB and 60GB models?
I'm upgrading my 20GB. Probably says on the sticker when I remove it, ha.

Does "backup" copy the demos as well?

I just bought this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822152040

Should get it today.

Anyone know the cache size on the 20GB and 60GB models?
I'm upgrading my 20GB. Probably says on the sticker when I remove it, ha.

Does "backup" copy the demos as well?

you could always just redownload the demos?

you could always just redownload the demos?


I realize that but why waste precious time and bandwidth?
I'm just asking if you can, if it doesn't, then, yes, I'll redownload them.

i wish that the new solid stae HDD"s woudl coem in bigger sizes. i think the largest right now is 32 or 64GB? they make NO heat, use NO power, and are MUCH faster than standard HDD's

I purchased a Seagate Momentus 160GB drive from Newegg.com about a month ago and it's been working perfectly in my PS3 (the original 60GB drive that shipped in my PS3 is also a Seagate Momentus).

http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16822148184

It was a snap to install: copied my saved game data to a USB flash drive, removed the original HDD and popped the new one in, formatted the new drive (the PS3 does this automatically), and finally copied my data onto the new drive. Simple.

I wish someone would produce evidence supporting the claim that a 16meg cache works more efficiently (ie. faster bootup, loadtimes) than a standard 8meg cache - on a Playstation3.


My brother and I both upgraded our PS3s to the 160GB Western Digital drive from Newegg. They work great. Cost $104.

As for the speed, there is a difference, but it's pretty small. I don't know about 16MB cache, but testing between the 60GB and 20GB PS3 drives, there was a slight difference when copying big files. The factory 20GB drive only has a 2 or 4 MB cache (I can't remember which), while the 60GB factory drive has 8. My bro has the 20GB model, and mine is a 60. Before our HD swaps, we ran a little test, and the difference was a few seconds for a ~100MB file.

With the 8MB cache drive, I've never really waited for my PS3 to do anything other than copy large video files, which I don't do often enough to care about a few recovered seconds.

It was a snap to install: copied my saved game data to a USB flash drive, removed the original HDD and popped the new one in, formatted the new drive (the PS3 does this automatically), and finally copied my data onto the new drive. Simple.
I bought a handy portable case for the stock drive with a USB connection on it. With all of the pictures I take while on travel, a 60GB portable HD has been great. The case was $20 from Newegg when I bought the bigger drive.

I have this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136071

It's a 160gig western digital scorpio. 5400 rpm, 8 mb cache. I bought it brand new off ebay for about 70 dollars shipped. I thought I got a great deal.

I also used the backup to external hdd feature and got it up and running again without having to re-download everything(I download everything that is free).

And one cool thing to note is that when you save ps2 games to the hdd they save so much faster than the old 8meg memory cards.

And one cool thing to note is that when you save ps2 games to the hdd they save so much faster than the old 8meg memory cards.

I also think that is cool.

I just ordered the Toshiba HDD Mick linked. I'm going from 20gb to 120gb. :)