How to change the new super-slim PS3 hard drive

Puzzling over how to replace the hard drive in the new super-slim PlayStation 3? Check out Gamespot's handy guide that'll have you up and running in minutes.

[Tyrone_Biggums]

Glad sony hasnt gone propitiatory on the hard drive...more money for some this and that.

[NeXXXuS]

Your username and avatar are pretty amazing lol

[NastyLeftHook0]

more money fo dem rocks cuz

[black911]

what about my username and avatar?

[jsslifelike]

So, does anyone know if this applies to the 12GB Euro version as well?

[Knight_Crawler]

@Black911 - Your user name is racist and your avatar team is the garbage of the NFL.

GO PATS!

[morkendo23]

my main concern is not changable HARDDRIVE but more interested in YLOD issues being fixed,fan over heating being fixed,reballing for lead "heatsink" graphic issues fixed.
this ps3 maybe SUPER slim but will it have these same SUPER problems???

[Emilio_Estevez]

You can change the HDD

[wnek9]

there is also the powersupply going out thats what happend to my slim

[sjaakiejj]

" YLOD issues being fixed"

... That's not a hardware issue. It may occasionally be a manufacturing issue, but generally it is a user issue - if you don't take proper care of your electronic equipment, it will break. If it were a hardware issue, it would be far more widespread. Alas, it's not.

[Jaybronee]

My fat and slim PS3 are still running fine after all these years...quit trolling.

[Brawler]

@Jaybronee Same here my I had to replace my 60GB ps3 twice once due to hard drive failure other time to blu ray drive failing. Since that I haven't had a single issue with this replacement 60GB ps3.

[Maddens Raiders]

your username doesn't make any damn sense and your avatar.. well your avatar is just dumb. 'At's a lotta trash talk from a team that just started winning Super Bowls in *the 21st century.

RAIDAS FOREVA BITCH

[PS3ROCKS]

Cooooool

[t0mmyb0y]

Beeaanns

[Godmars290]

And they still have the blue screw that burrs if you don't use the exact right screwdriver.

[DarkBlood]

the blue screws burns?

[SaffronCurse]

It implodes and destroys everything within the console.

[DarkBlood]

riiiiight well that sure as hell didnt happen to me and i used a butter knife before using a screwdriver before o.o

[Soldierone]

Lmao I used a pocket knife because my screwdriver was gone and I had no issues with it.

Pretty much any screw will get messed up if you don't know what you are doing, which seems to be the issue here (aka blue screw that burns) .

[gaffyh]

He said BURR, not burn. Burr is technical term meaning when the head on the screw gets messed up. Never happened to me on the blue screw, but has happened to me on a laptop screw.

[BitbyDeath]

The blue screw is evil, wish they could just use a simple clamp

[DlocDaBudSmoka]

the blue screw strips, is what he is trying to say. as in he stripped the screw and cant get his screwdriver to remove it anymore.

[Knight_Crawler]

I have actually smashed a PS3 from rage because of that dam blue screw.

I almost did it again but I took to my local electronic store and they took on the worn out blue screw for 15 bucks.

[dudeOplenty]

video gaming is the least of your problems, brother.

[sjaakiejj]

Drill it out if you burr it.

Generally you should always take care when picking the screwdriver, regardless of the screw you're trying to remove. As a rule of thumb, never attempt to remove a (possibly) tight screw with a screwdriver that is either too large or too small.

[Vortex3D]

First you need to use a screwdriver that is perfect fit. Don't use a screwdriver head that is slightly too large or too small.

Second, wonder why Sony would use such an easy to strip screws? Sony doesn't like home users to do the hard drive upgrade themselves. If they do, they better be careful or the screw is permanently stuck. I know what all you will say but the fact is if you want to do it yourself can't get a perfect fit screwdriver, then tough luck. If you do somehow break the hard drive doing it yourself, how many will admit it to Sony?

[kingPoS]

The screws on my ps3 hdd were on so tight, I had to use pliers. That's a torture of 30 min I wish to never repeat.

[Anon1974]

I think I had my drive out and replaced within 2 minutes each, on both my units. It couldn't have been easier. Wonder what happened to yours? Maybe heat or something?

[LKHGFDSA]

Yeah just for the record I've had no problem at all switching HDDs on PS3s and I've done on at least 4 different consoles.
It's very easy.

[kingPoS]

The hdd came from my now dead 60gb ps3. I was taking out the 120gb hdd so could put the original 60gb drive back in. I guess I put those screws on a little too tight eh. lol

[mushroomwig]

I had the same problem, the blue screw was incredibly easy but those HHD caddie screws nearly drove me insane. I ended up chucking it out and using the new HHD without the caddie...that was over a year ago and it still works fine.

[pupa]

If you do not know how to use tools and use the wrong screwdriver DO NOT BLAME it on the PS3 or Sony.

[mushroomwig]

I'm not blaming Sony, I'm blaming the factory that made that particular console. You can act like a fanboy all you want but mistakes do happen from time to time and it's very easy for the screws to become stripped.

[Monkeysmoke]

Very easy

[Neko_Mega]

Awesome, this means I can put 1TB in it.

[AznGaara]

Welp guess that solidifies my purchase.

[auen1]

what about the supposed mount that you'd need to get from sony (similar to the one in the xbox 360 slim)?

[Agent_hitman]

Great you can store more porn on your Ps3 HDD.. *sarcasm*

I wonder how can you play games on your 12gb ps3 super slim with mandatory install?.

[Vortex3D]

You don't. Remember 12GB flash model is for very casual gamers who only think cheap. While it's true that anyone who games slightly more than very casual gamers will need a hard drive (unlike X360 games that must work directly with DVD drive), Sony must find a way to get those casual gamers to choose PS3 than X360. Any other problem like needing a hard drive later is post initial sale issue.

But with 12GB model targeted at casual gamers, I do hope more games are designed to make install optional than mandatory. I have seen kids/casual games on PS3 that require 7GB mandatory install. Why? Were the developers so lazy to do any kind of optimizing before shipping the game?

(For gamers who willing to spend any kind of extra money to buy a large hard drive for game install, don't bother to respond to my comments because to you, it doesn't matter how much extra cost to put in a large hard drive which should not be required on game console.)

[KrimsonKody]

Well, I'm still operating off of my 2nd PS3 (slim model).
I had a launch fatty, but someone I know burnt it out (they lefted it on for more than 5 days, doing everything from watching blurays back to back, playing games & leaving it idle while running said games & blurays).

I feel like I wanna 'upgrade' & put an 1TB HDD inside, but if I'm gonna do that, I want another fatty PS3 to install it into. I do not wanna put a 1TB in what could be considered 'the inferior version' of the PS3.
I miss backwards compatibility, I miss all the slots that the fatty has, & I'm not concerned about size, it'll still fit comfortably in my home.

My ONLY concern now is;
At one point, there was a rumor about how the fatty PS3 gets hotter faster & overheats whilst using a 1TB HDD, thus, putting strain on the system.
Does anyone know whether this is true or not?
A 1TB PS3 would be perfect for me to close out this gen, until the next-gen kicks in.

[Vortex3D]

There is still one critical issue that we wouldn't know until someone gets his hands on the 12GB model. The hard drive mounting bracket. Since Sony now is selling their branded hard drive for PS3, there is a very good chance the 12GB model doesn't come with the mounting bracket. From the video, it looks the mounting bracket is different from the older models.

Sony can charge whatever they want for the mounting bracket even it costs hardly anything to make. If Sony really wants users to buy Sony branded hard drive, they can even choose not to sell the mounting bracket. I can see what will make a lot of gamers very angry but remember, Sony needs to find every way especially to prevent higher end users from buying the 12GB model that is not targeted for them in the first place. Just look at Microsoft in how they sell the X360 without hard drive. You want a hard drive later? Buy Microsoft branded hard drive which is more expensive but it comes with the hard drive mounting bracket (older model came with entire hard drive enclosure). This way, a mount bracket that costs nothing to make is actually a profit maker for them. Sony seriously need to make good profit and the last thing they want is the 12GB model becomes the best seller of all other models.