Hard drive for PS3. Replacing the hard drive on the PS3. Installing the Hard Drive in the PS3

Sony PlayStation-3 appeared on the market in 2006. For eight years of existence, it is significantly behind the modern versions. Differences have affected not only the external appearance of the prefix, but also its internal device. The main element that has significantly advanced is the hard drive for the PS3. So, the first models were supplied with a hard drive, the volume of which was 120 GB. But today the PS3 is used not only as a game console, but also as a universal multimedia player. In addition, the console is capable of supporting Blu-ray technology. As a result, even a hard disk for a PS3 with a memory capacity of 500 GB is already considered insufficient for storing various multimedia information. "What to do?" - the user of a prefix with the winchester in 120 Gb can ask. From this situation, there is a way out - replacing the hard drive. On the PS3, it is recommended to install a harder hard drive. This article will discuss PlayStation gaming consoles, as well as how to install or replace a hard drive on your device.

Features of game consoles PS3

For example, consider the Sony PlayStation-3 Slim. In the basic configuration, the hard drive for the PS3 Slim has a capacity of 250 GB. This version differs from previous models in the absence of a built-in card reader, which was no longer installed in order to reduce the cost of the product. In addition, these consoles have completely changed the architecture of the processor, which is a variant of 64-bit IBMCell on 3.2 GHz. It was designed to decode video information and render graphics. This processor consists of eight SPE cores and one PPE. Previous models contained only six cores. The graphics data is processed by the Nvidia RSX550 graphics card, which is based on NV47. This version of the console has an elegant design and light weight, in addition, it is significantly more economical in terms of power consumption. This is due to the fact that the Slim-version spends only 100 watts, and this is about half as much as the previous versions. Also PS3 Slim is characterized by low noise.

How to choose a new hard drive for PS3?

This procedure is not something weird. Sony did not create any barriers to its implementation. This means that all PS3 consoles work with standard 2.5-inch hard drives, with the type of SATA interface. The only limitation is that we need a hard drive for PS3 with a thickness not exceeding 9.5 mm. Most often, models of 750 GB and 1 TB hard drives have a large thickness. Therefore, when buying such a device, you need to pay special attention to this parameter. It is recommended to buy a 1 TB hard disk for replacement. Maybe at the moment you do not need this size, but over time, appetites can increase. In order that in six months you again did not have to change it, it is better to install it immediately with a margin.

Update the new PS3 Slim

If you purchased the console and immediately decided that you needed to replace the hard drive with the PS3 in order to install a larger one, then your task is quite simple. Since you do not have to back up information. This process takes the most time. You only need to go to the official Sony website and download a new version of the software (firmware) from there. This file is transferred to the flash drive in the PS3 / UPDATE package.

Upgrading a second-hand console

The minimum required to download this product is software. However, if the console stores settings, games or other media files that you would like to save and transfer to a new hard drive, then you need to perform a data backup procedure. To do this, you need to write the contents of the hard drive to an external storage device via the USB interface. If your hard drive with PS3 games is crammed to the eyeball (250 GB), then this process can take a few hours. As an external storage medium it is better to use an external hard drive. You can, of course, use a flash drive, but its maximum capacity is only 64 GB.

The first stage: Backup of information

If you decide to save useful information and settings from the old hard drive, then follow these steps. First of all, check which version of the software (firmware) is installed on your device. After that, estimate the amount of data that must be saved. This can be done on the system information page. Select the System Settings menu under Settings. Next, open the Backup Utility option. To start the backup process , select Backup Utility under Settings. The system will ask the question of transferring information to an external medium. We agree with this proposal. We insert external media into the USB port and start the copying process.

The second stage: Replacing the hard drive

In the beginning, it is necessary to unscrew the screw (blue) from the cover of the hard drive compartment. To get to it, you need to remove a small rectangular cover on the body of the device. After the screw is disconnected, remove the hatch cover. This is a narrow plastic strip with inscriptions on it. Next, remove the hard drive with a metal mounting frame. To do this, turn the special handle and pull it toward you. Remove the previous hard drive from the mounting frame and insert the new one in the same way. We put the bracket back into the console body, close the lid. We fix it with a screw. This completes the installation of the hard drive in the PS3.

Third stage: Software installation

After installing the hard disk, turn on the console. The system notifies that it is not able to continue the correct operation, since the PS3 does not see the hard disk. The display will show a suggestion: restart the console, format the hard drive and replace the firmware. We reload the game console and install the software, taken from the official site or copied earlier from the old hard drive. To do this, we connect the flash drive with the firmware recorded on it to the device. The system notifies that all data will be lost during formatting. Since the hard disk is empty, we agree boldly. To confirm the operation, press the Select and Start keys simultaneously, hold them for a few seconds. The system will automatically format and install the software. We are waiting for the completion of this procedure, which will take about two minutes. After that, the game console is ready to work, but its hard drive is completely empty. To complete the process, you need to overwrite the backup files.

Fourth stage: Reservation of reserved data

Go to Settings and open the Backup Utility menu. From the list offered, select the Restore function. A warning will be displayed on the monitor that all the contents of the hard disk will be destroyed. We agree, because the Winchester does not yet have useful information for us. We select the removable media that we backed up to during the first stage. We are waiting for the end of the recording process. Everything, the device is ready to work.

A little bit about game consoles

At the moment the console Play Station-3 is the market leader among gaming devices. The only serious competitors are Xbox-360 and Nintendo Wii. The decision, which is better to purchase a prefix, is determined by quite reasonable factors, the main one of which is that many games can be inaccessible to one or another prefix. Therefore, it's better to decide which games you want to play first, and then find out which console supports them. If the set of toys for you is not critical, then you need to focus on the technical characteristics of the device. Nintendo Wii in this section is much inferior to its competitors. It focuses exclusively on games, as well as interactive entertainment. These devices do not have digital audio and Blu-ray support. If you compare the two remaining options, the PS3 allows you to view video files from disks, and on other indicators it deserves special attention. But with all this, the console Xbox-360 is like an intermediate link between a personal computer and a game console. Nevertheless, the PS3 outperforms it in its characteristics.

Conclusion

As you can see, it is not difficult even for an inexperienced user to connect a hard drive to the PS3. Everything is elementary, the main thing is to follow the instructions. Installing a 1TB hard drive will provide free space for recording your favorite games and media files. As a result, you do not have to make a choice which game to burn and which to erase. A hard drive of this size will allow you to store video files on the console in HD-quality. What was impossible to do with a basic hard drive.