[BACKWASH - this post is old but has been revived - original post date: 07/19/2011]
As the owner of a 3rd gen fat PS3 (Model: CECHHxx) I was limited to a 40GB hard drive. After installing GT5 I was more or less out of
room and needed more. I went to Wal-Mart and picked up a 1TB external
drive (~$100) and ripped it apart only to find it doesn’t fit inside the
drive tray.
PROBLEM: The original drives are 9.5mm in height
where as the new drive is 15mm (see gallery). The thicker drive doesn’t
fit through the slot in the side of the PS3.
SOLUTION: Make it fit – take the top off, remove the
power supply, cram it in there, and bolt it all back together. Below is
a more or less step by step gallery of how to so. Keep in mind this
voids the warranty (but it’d be a surprise if you still have one).
CAUTION: Disconnect the unit from all power and
video cables before opening. There are high voltage components present
inside the PS3, so proceed at your own risk.
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| 9.5mm 40GB on the left, 15mm 1TB drive on the right |
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| Well there's your problem. Time to take this thing apart... |
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Remove the warrenty sticker, then remove the rubber stopper, then remove the T10 torx screw.
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| Slide the lid down about an inch and lift up. | | | |
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| Remove the Philips head screws. All are the same length except for the green one. | | | |
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| From the back of the PS3 start prying the top off. Use a guitar pick or spudger to avoid scratches. |
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| Once the back is loose rotate the lid forward and lift up to remove it. |
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| Remove the plug from the back of the power supply. |
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| Remove the plug from the front of the power supply. |
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| Remove the 6 screws holding the power supply in place and lift straight up. Be careful not to lose any washers on the ground cable (yellow). |
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| Power supply screws (for reference). |
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| Take the cover off the tray by removing the two screws and lifting upward. |
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| Remove your old drive. Put the new one in the carriage and insert it into the PS3 from the top. Don't forget to install the single screw located behind the black HDD door on the PS3. |
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| There's not enough room for the metal HDD cover to fit so discard it. Be gentle reinstalling the power supply - don't crush your HDD or bend your PSU. |
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| Put everything back together by reversing the instructions. You should only have the metal driver cover and 2 screws left over. |
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| Check your free space and enjoy. |
