PS3 12Gb hard drive upgrade

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Soldato
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I just want to confirm I'm understanding things right before I go and splash out on one of these PS3s. As the 12Gb storage is all flash, is there still a hard drive slot in the bottom, and am I able to slot a 2.5" hard drive in there for storage? I've had a look online and got some fairly confusing info so I figured I'd ask here for a solid yes/no. And if I do upgrade it with the hard drive, what happens with the flash? Do I get the option of storing some games on the flash and some on the hard drive? And are there any limits on the size of the drive I can stick in it?

thanks!
 
Yes the 12gb is internal flash just like the 4gb Xbox slim, there is a empty hdd bay to upgrade with your hdd/ssd but there is no hdd cage provided and these seem to be as rare as rocking horse ****, I bought one when they where first released so I could pop my ssd in and I'm having a really hard time trying to find a retailer that stocks them (although I haven't looked for a few weeks) so at the moment I have my ps3 standing upright with the ssd resting in position (not ideal) also as soon as a hdd is installed the 12gb flash is redundant which is just stupid. And by the way there are no performance gains by using a ssd in a ps3 (looks like it may be "locked" to keep a consistent experience to all gamers)
 
Thanks for the quick reply! I'll be keeping my ps3 flat, so could I simply find something the right height to prop under the end of the drive so it is kept level, rather than spending £10 on a caddy? From first glances, it doesn't appear to be like the laptop caddies I've looked at where they convert the sata from the hard drive into some proprietry connector that the laptop/console takes?
I know this solution might not be the prettiest or most elegant, but I'll be the only one seeing it! :D
 
I just got the 12gb ps3 today, I had a look at the hdd bay and there is no caddy.

It doesn't look like theres any room for a 2.5" hdd to rattle around, so would I be ok going without a caddy if the ps3 is simply kept under my tv?

Ta.
 
No doubt since the caddy should be installed, without it the HDD will be in the air slightly (say 5-10mm) with only the sata connectors holding it in place. That seems stupid for the sake of a few quid...

ps3ud0 :cool:
 
ps3ud0 said:
No doubt since the caddy should be installed, without it the HDD will be in the air slightly (say 5-10mm) with only the sata connectors holding it in place. That seems stupid for the sake of a few quid...

ps3ud0 :cool:
Click to expand...

But for the sake of a few quid couldn't you just stick something 5-10mm high under the HDD? I've got a load of old gift cards which I could stack to fill the space :D
 
Lets hope you didnt take the same approach in not lapping your IFX-14 because of the few quid in wet and dry paper ;):p

ps3ud0 :cool:
 
ps3ud0 said:
Lets hope you didnt take the same approach in not lapping your IFX-14 because of the few quid in wet and dry paper ;):p

ps3ud0 :cool:
Click to expand...

:p

Thankfully I already had some lying around. However this isn't exactly comparable because lapping a heatsink provably increases the cooling efficiency. While propping up a hard drive using a piece of metal which arguably should have been included with the console in the first place rather than forcing you to pay £10 to Sony to buy a new one, when all it does is hold the HDD slightly off the ground, seems a little excessive.

Then again, maybe I'm just cheap!
 
I just upgraded the 12gb ps3 with a hdd and didnt use anything to secure it, and its fine.

Granted I haven't moved the ps3 from its position under the tv, so if you don't move your ps3 I don't think theres a need for a caddy tbh.
 
slightly off topic..

I've just seen that the 12GB is on the mainboard itself how does this work with a extra hdd in the machine?

does the sata hdd override the ssd?
does the ps3 give you the option to save media files to both sdd and hdd?
does system updates and games files use the ssd first then the hdd?

I fear my fat ps3 on the way out, and I may have to get a replacement at some point.
 
Hi there, I'm just about to buy a PS3 Slim 12gb & and the appropriate HDD Caddy online, and am just about to buy a SolidState drive from yourselves. Just need a litte advice before I do.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-118-OC&groupid=1657&catid=2101&subcat=2103

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-042-CS&groupid=1657&catid=2101&subcat=2103

It's between one of these 2 drives but basically my question is, is it possible / advisable to use an SSD in a PS3 as I don't imagine technologies such as NAND etc will work in a console.

Thanks in advance.
 
You can certainly use an SSD with the PS3, but it's a waste going for a high-end one as you're simply not going to get the same benefit from one as you would in a PC due to the speed of the SATA interface in the PS3. A cheap £60 120GB SSD would give similar performance.

The improvement in performance you get will depend on the games you're playing; some are more reliant on the HDD for caching/installing than others, which don't use the HDD at all and just run from the disc. Downloaded games (i.e. those installed entirely to the HDD) will see the biggest gains.
 
I just folded a small piece of card into a sort of U shape and slotted it over the end of the hard drive and it holds it fine IMO. It was just going to be temporary until I could get a cage, but once it was in I couldn't see the point in getting one.

actually it was an envelope that I folded in half once or twice, then folded into the U shape
 
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