Talk:Harddrive

Todo

Need help getting data for the different SKU models and the default harddrive they are equiped with.

There is still some conflicting data to be sorted out, e.g.:

maximum size internal drive

The maximum size of the internal harddrive that the PS3 supports is 1TB (TeraBytes) 

note: this seems untrue as there are several people posting pictures of their external to internal drive mod with a size of 2TB

Personal experience

Using Normal Mode and Recovery - when trying to install a 1.5TB 3.5" drive as internal (using an eSATA cradle)

• Using Recovery it is possible to finish the format of the harddrive until 100%. The system however fails to reboot automaticly after that and halts. When enforced to reboot, it errors out with "Wrong Harddrive".
• When trying all the other Recovery Menu options it errors out with "Harddrive Error 0x8002F281".
• When trying to boot to XMB it also errors out with "Harddrive Error 0x8002F281".
• When replacing the drive for the previous tested 1TB harddrive, it boots without errors to XMB and reports : 827GB free/931GB total

Conclusion

>1TB didn't not work.

Using Factory Service Mode - when trying to install a 1.5TB 3.5" drive as internal (using an eSATA cradle) FSM

• Second try, using Service Mode
• first replacing drive for original 120GB 2.5" and using Factory Service Mode to downgrade to lowest firmware the system can handle (2K slim -> FW 2.70)
  • Result is fine. Log showed no errors : UPDATER_LOG.TXT
• Replaced for 1.5TB 3.5" drive and do exactly the same 2.70 again
  • Result is fine. Log showed no errors : UPDATER_LOG.TXT
• Boot to XMB with Service Mode still activated
  • No problems to get into XMB, but checking System Settings > System Information shows size detection issues:

System Software  Version 2.70
IP Address       xxx.xxx.x.xxx
MAX Address      xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
Free Space       30 G

• Exit Factory Service Mode
  • Blank screen freeze when trying to boot to XMB in normal mode
• Power off and try again gives "system software was not installed correct" error
• inserted USB with 2.70 on normal location and START+SELECT button to let it reinstall
  • Preparing Update counts to 100% and then halts (does not reboot), just like in first trial.
• Manual poweroff and reboot just results in blank screen with no harddrive activity

Conclusion

>1TB didn't not work in normal or recovery mode only with FSM enabled.

Going back to the 1TB and crosschecking

• Replacing drive back to the working 1TB (has 3.55 on it) gives prompt to reinstall 2.70, doing so errors out with "Harddrive Error 0x8002F281".
• Entering Factory Service Mode with 1TB and let it reinstall via lv2diag results fine without errors: UPDATER_LOG.TXT
• Boot to XMB with Service Mode still activated
  • No problems to get into XMB, but checking System Settings > System Information shows size detection issues (the '30 G' seems to be FSM related):

System Software  Version 2.70
IP Address       xxx.xxx.x.xxx
MAX Address      xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
Free Space       30 G

• Exit Factory Service Mode
• No problems to get into XMB, and checking System Settings > System Information shows no size detection issues:

System Software  Version 2.70
IP Address       xxx.xxx.x.xxx
MAX Address      xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
Free Space       827GB / 931GB

Conclusion

<1TB works fine in all modi.

maximum size external drive

External HDD : You can format it to any size up to 8TB

note: this seems untrue, because when >2TB drives have hit the market, no screenshots of >2TB external storage are known

• sources used: source: http://www.edepot.com/playstation3.html#PS3_Harddrive and euss temp blog
• todo: flush out errors, merging in a readable format

Footnote: maximum supported drive space correlates to support of 512sector (either native, or emulated), see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Format

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AES-256-CBC versus AES-256-XTS

There is conflicting mention of sources for the algo/mode used for GameOS encryption.

Fact:

• Sony/IBM loves AES
• 256bit based
• sectorsize 512 bytes (4096 bits)
• blockcipher
• recurring patterns are seen

Reference:

• CBC - Cipher-block_chaining mode
• XTS - XEX-based Tweaked CodeBook mode

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Experimental Tables

Speed Tests (PS3)

Brand	Series	Model	Linux			GameOs
			[hdparm -Tt]			N/A
			Cache read (MB/s)	Disk read (MB/s)	Link
Fujitsu	MHW	MHW2040BH			N/A
	MHZ	MHZ2080BH			N/A
		MHZ2160BH			N/A
Hitachi	Travelstar 5K160	HTS541640J9SA00			N/A
	Travelstar 5K250	HTS542580K9SA00			N/A
	Travelstar 5K500	HTS545012B9SA00			N/A
	Travelstar Z5K500	HTS545050A7E380			N/A
Seagate	Momentus 5400.2	ST96812AS			N/A
	Momentus 5400.3	ST980811AS			N/A
	LD25 SATA	ST920217AS			N/A
		ST9402115AS			N/A
	LD25 5400.2	ST940210AS			N/A
Toshiba	MKxx52GSX	MK8052GSX			N/A
		MK1652GSX			N/A
	MKxx55GSX	MK1255GSX			N/A
		MK2555GSX			N/A
	MKxx65GSX	MK1665GSX			N/A
		MK3265GSX			N/A
	MKxx76GSX	MK1676GSX			N/A
		MK3276GSX			N/A

PS3 Hard Disk Drive, partitions and storage regions

Storage Region	Name					File System	Usage		Size		Notes
	OtherOS				GameOS		Official	Unnofficial	Official	Unnofficial
1	ps3vflash				No	No	Firmware	Firmware & Linux/FreeBSD	256MB	Any	Only in PS3 Slim
	1	ps3vflasha			No	No	Physicall partition, containing logicall partitions				notes
		2	ps3vflashc		dev_flash	FAT16 ?	Firmware files		199 MB (409088)		notes
		3	ps3vflashd		dev_flash2	FAT16 ?	XRegistry		16 MB (32768)		notes
		4	ps3vflashe		dev_flash3	FAT12 ?	CRL/DRL		1024 KB ?		notes
		5	ps3vflashf		dev_flash4 ?	?	OtherOS	OtherOS++	4MB (4194304)	16MB (16384)	otheros.bld
		6	ps3vflashg		dev_flash5 ?	?	?	?	512 KB ?	?	notes
		7	ps3vflashh		dev_flash6 ?	?	Not used yet	Linux/FreeBSD	?	Any	notes
2	ps3db				dev_hdd0	UFS2	GameOS File System		Any		notes
3	ps3dc				?	FAT	GameOS Cache		2047 MiB (4194296)		notes
4	ps3dd				No ?	Several	OtherOS File System		?		Only in PS3 Fat