PS3: replace hard disk
The hard drive in the Sony Playstation 3 is too small for you? We show you how to replace the PS3 disk and upgrade a 320 GB hard drive - any notebook hard drive is suitable for this
Notebook hard drive as Playstation 3 mass storage
When choosing the hard drive, Sony opted for tried-and-tested technology and installed a 2.5-inch SATA hard drive, which is also found in standard notebooks.
- You benefit from this because the usual notebook hard drives have become so cheap that a 320 GB model hardly costs anything.
- A leaderboard of all 2.5-inch SATA hard drives can be found here for orientation.
- We chose the quiet Samsung HM320JI as an upgrade solution. Higher capacities often do not fit in the PS3, because such plates are too thick for the HDD cage in the housing.
- In addition to the new hard drive, the only tool you need is a small Phillips screwdriver in size PH0.
Don't forget to back up your PS3 hard drive!
If your PS3 has been in use for a while, you should make a full backup of your games, demos and files before replacing the hard drive - either on a USB stick or an external USB hard drive. If the new memory is installed, the backup can later be restored under the same menu item.
- The backup tool can be found in the menu of the PlayStation 3 under "Settings | System settings | Backup program | Backup". If you only have saved games on the PS3, a 4 GB USB stick is sufficient. If you want to back up films, demos and music, select a USB hard drive as the backup medium. You must format both the USB stick and the USB hard drive as FAT32 beforehand
The OP: replace the PS3 hard drive with a new one
- There is a flap on the lower narrow side of the PS3, which covers the slot for the hard disk and can be lifted with a narrow object.
- Now unscrew the blue screw. Caution: The metal is very soft - if the tool does not fit exactly (size PH0), you can damage the screw. Then pull out the hard drive cage on the metal bracket.
- The old hard drive is attached to the cage with four screws. Attention: These screws are also very soft.
- Loosen the old plate, insert the new one in the same orientation and screw it tight. Installation in the housing is carried out in the opposite way to removal. Then connect the PlayStation again and switch it on.
PS3 start with the new hard drive
- After starting, the PS3 recognizes that a new hard disk has been installed and formats it immediately. This step cannot be avoided, so you should always start with an empty HDD.
- Under "Settings | System information" check the size of the new disk under "Free space".
- The backup from step 1 can be uploaded to the new hard disk using data recovery.