Expanding Your PS3's Storage Capacity Guide!

[itani]

Expanding PS3's Storage Capacity Guide

Do you need more than 60GB on your PS3 to download or store movies & games? Or would you like to be ready when downloadable content is available for your next favourite game? Now 60GB is enormous for a gaming console, but will it be enough for the future? Imagine all the downloadable content that will be released for the GTA IV or MGS4?

This guide is to help you purchase the right hard drive for your PS3 and it will feature the instructions on how to attach your new hard drive to the PS3 without any hassle or any second thoughts of you performing the task wrong.

Pick a drive

The PS3 can support any hard drive, but Sony has said that "proper operation is not guaranteed for all models." So want a guaranteed working hard drive? Following the specifications below:

It must be a SATA drive

This refers to the type of connector on the drive (in other words, the slots that will fit into your PS3's slots). Also called a Serial ATA drive. Parallel ATA drives won't work.

It must be a 2.5" internal drive

Otherwise it won't fit. This is the size used by the majority of the world's laptops though, so there are hundreds of them. Look for a 2.5" laptop, SATA. The model my PS3 came with was a Seagate Momentus 5,400rpm, 60GB SATA 2.5" internal drive. It made sense to go for something similar, so I got a Seagate Momentus 5,400rpm 120GB SATA 2.5" internal drive with 8MB cache (part number ST9120821AS). Including VAT it cost £66.51.

Useful information:

Size

This is the important bit. Do you just want another 60GB model as a backup or do you want to go for some more sizeable? Prices increase for bigger drives of course, but not as much as you might think, and new larger drives are getting cheaper all the time. Something to bear in mind is that you'll always lose about 20GB of space to PS3's operating system. So 120GB hard drive will leave you at and estimation of 97GB of useable space.

Cache

Some drives come with built in memory called cache, which enables them to shovel data off the drive and into the system faster. My recommendation is to go for a drive with at least 8MB cache in order to ensure performance as good as the in box Sony unit.

Rotation speed

Or spin speed, measured in rpm. This is how fast the innards of the drive rotate and, in theory, the faster the spin speed the better the performance of the drive. Sony's fitted PS3 drive spins at 5,400rpm, so I chose a drive that matched.

Any data?

Your new drive will be completely blank, apart from your firmware and user data (your network ID and so on). So before you remove the old hard drive, use the PS3's Backup utility.

Settings ---> System Settings ---> Backup Utility

To copy vital data like game saves to a memory stick. Once your new drive is up and running, simply use the utility to restore or copy it all back again.

Step 1

Turn off your PS3, remove the power cable and lie it horizontally. On the left hand side there's a doorway marked with a HDD sticker. Put your fingernail in at the right edge and bend the panel out. The hard drive's components are sensitive to static so touch something metal to earth yourself before continuing.

Step 2

You're now looking at the side of the PS3's built in hard drive held in place with a single screw. Gently unscrew this with a medium size Phillips crosshead screwdriver (turning anti-clockwise - that's to the left). Completely remove it and put it somewhere safe. - you'll need it again in a few minutes.

Step 3

Next, pop up the hinged metal loop on the hard drive case using a fingernail, and take a firm hold of it between your finger and thumb. Using this loop as a handle, smoothly and carefully slide the drive around 1cm to the right and into the little dark space by the side of the drive.

Step 4

Your drive should now be nice and loose. To get it out completely, use the metal loop handle again and, as before, pull the drive out of the PS3 and place it carefully onto a flat surface. You've done it! You're now halfway way through the process.

Step 5

Using the same screwdriver you used before, undo the four screws on the sides of the drive casing. The drive should now slide out. Put it somewhere safe for the moment and then store it in the same anti-static bag your new drive came in once you've made the switch.

Step 6

Touch something metal before handling your replacement hard drive. Now place it in the caddy (it's exactly the same size right?). Make sure the sticker on the drive is facing upwards and the connectors (the gold 'teeth') are on the left hand side. Now reattach the four screws.

Step 7

Slide the drive back inside your PS3, over to the right hand side of the slot. Then slide it slowly (but firmly) to the left, into its correct position. The connector on the drive should lock in the with jaws of your PS3. Reinsert the blue screw and reattach the outer casing panel (the HDD slot).

Step 8

Now it's time to fire up your PS3. If the process has been carried out correctly you'll see the familiar PS3 'wave' on screen and then just a second later a message detecting a new drive. Just say 'Yes' and let your PS3 reformat this new drive (which only takes a couple of seconds to do).

Step 9

Your PS3 will now restart. Your user data and firmware updates will survive but everything else will need to be restored. Want to see how much space you've got?

Settings ---> System Settings ---> System Information

That's to find out (I got an impressive 97GB of useable space from my 120GB drive).

Hope this guide helped you.

[edztheonly]

That's great that we can increse the size but actually what is the maximum storage capacity we can use on the PS3 ? For example...a 250G ? Would that fit ?

[calouc]

That's great that we can increse the size but actually what is the maximum storage capacity we can use on the PS3 ? For example...a 250G ? Would that fit ?

+1:icon_comp ???

[pig098]

That's great that we can increse the size but actually what is the maximum storage capacity we can use on the PS3 ? For example...a 250G ? Would that fit ?

i heard people used 125 gig ,but not so sure about 250

[drtoker]

I dont understand why any hardware manufacturer would put a limit on the size of the hard drive you can attach. Machanically it really makes no difference, does it? I mean, to a computer (or console) what is the difference between a 125GB and a 500GB drive?!?
They are both just storage anyway...

[mataan7]

thanks for the gr8 guide