Of course, it goes without saying that this will totally void your warranty, but we thought we'd say it anyway. [Thanks, Sidd]
Mod at your own risk: How to put an old Xbox 360 HDD into Xbox 360 S
by David Hinkle 
on Aug 25th 2010 8:00AM
69
Of course, it goes without saying that this will totally void your warranty, but we thought we'd say it anyway. [Thanks, Sidd]
Reader Comments (69)
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 8:18AM Edge of Blade said
WAT! It's just floating there! This is a horrible idea. And worse, the drive isn't properly grounded either.
Reply
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 8:27AM szimm said
Letting it "float" is not a problem - unless you like to lift up your xbox and wave it around while it's running... In which case you would be an idiot. As long as there is a connection, there's no problem. And the drive will not take any damage either way. And what the heck do you mean by grounded? Have you ever built a computer?
Honestly, I don't even see how this is a mod. He took a standard 2,5 HDD out of the old xbox HDD shell and plopped it into the completely standard 7-pin sata connector in the new xbox console. It's the same that you would find in any external HDD enclosure. No mod, this is plug and play. Oh, and a big F#%& you to Microsoft for trying to make standard hardware proprietary by putting it in a little, shaped box. Talk about rip-off.
Reply
Honestly, I don't even see how this is a mod. He took a standard 2,5 HDD out of the old xbox HDD shell and plopped it into the completely standard 7-pin sata connector in the new xbox console. It's the same that you would find in any external HDD enclosure. No mod, this is plug and play. Oh, and a big F#%& you to Microsoft for trying to make standard hardware proprietary by putting it in a little, shaped box. Talk about rip-off.
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 8:51AM XaiaX said
@Edge of Blade Yeah, this is not really a mod, and I can't see how this would void your warranty in the slightest, except on your old HDD, when you "hit it with a hammer".
Also "they lie about 4GB". You don't know how math works, dumbass.
Since it is just a raw SATA connector, how long till we see some hong kong company release drive sleds that allow you to just snap an old system's drive into them and just put that into the new machine?
I like the matte finish on the arcade model a lot better than the annoying gloss on the elite, and I already have an elite old model, so that would give me a chance to keep the dreaded shiny away.
Then I could give the wife the old 360.
Hmmm....
Reply
Also "they lie about 4GB". You don't know how math works, dumbass.
Since it is just a raw SATA connector, how long till we see some hong kong company release drive sleds that allow you to just snap an old system's drive into them and just put that into the new machine?
I like the matte finish on the arcade model a lot better than the annoying gloss on the elite, and I already have an elite old model, so that would give me a chance to keep the dreaded shiny away.
Then I could give the wife the old 360.
Hmmm....
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 8:54AM Edge of Blade said
@szimm Come to think of it, the new hard drive style only relies on the grounding wires on the connectors. But still, I wouldn't want a drive just hanging there.
Reply
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 9:09AM Fullmetal Salchemist said
@szimm
I had to install a new RAM module. I nearly crapped my pants I was so scared.
At least I'm a super leet hacker now, though.
Reply
I had to install a new RAM module. I nearly crapped my pants I was so scared.
At least I'm a super leet hacker now, though.
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 9:10AM Edge of Blade said
@szimm *facepalm* NO... I'm talking about the new style of drive for the 360.
Reply
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 9:20AM McDuckScrooged said
@Milky1985 Rack mounted servers dont use SATA they use SAS..
SAS or Serially Attached SCSI drives run at really high RPMS (10K - 15K) have a greater instruction set than regular SATA and are basically built for maximum read/write speeds.. The connectors look exactly the same and the drives and the interfaces are completely interchangeable but if you actually look at the SAS interface closely it has a lot more of the gold interface point that SATA... SAS implements the complete SCSI protocol and the SATA protocol, SATA only implements the SATA protocol. The SAS drives are usually around laptop size drives, but there is a dramatic difference in performance..
more info here:
http://ixbtlabs.com/articles2/sas-and-sata/
You can very easily unscrew the caddy and stick in another SAS drive, its all designed to be easily interchangeable..
Reply
SAS or Serially Attached SCSI drives run at really high RPMS (10K - 15K) have a greater instruction set than regular SATA and are basically built for maximum read/write speeds.. The connectors look exactly the same and the drives and the interfaces are completely interchangeable but if you actually look at the SAS interface closely it has a lot more of the gold interface point that SATA... SAS implements the complete SCSI protocol and the SATA protocol, SATA only implements the SATA protocol. The SAS drives are usually around laptop size drives, but there is a dramatic difference in performance..
more info here:
http://ixbtlabs.com/articles2/sas-and-sata/
You can very easily unscrew the caddy and stick in another SAS drive, its all designed to be easily interchangeable..
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 9:23AM McDuckScrooged said
@szimm Man thats Sup4h 1337 risky business.. You know if you put your finger near the ram sticks they fry ? You have to ground yourself to your bed and stick a crocodile clip on your left nut before attempting to touch those ram sticks..
Reply
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 9:24AM Edge of Blade said
@szimm I know, under the hood, they use the same model of hard drive... I'm talking about the chassis.
Reply
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 9:27AM szimm said
@McDuckScrooged
SERIOUSLY man, there's no kidding around with this stuff - last time I even opened my pc case I had every extremity on my body connected by wires to a 4 feet grounding spear in my backyard! :O And STILL, I could clearly feel the static electricity just killin' all ma chipz! I quickly shut the case again, and haven't gone near it since...
Reply
SERIOUSLY man, there's no kidding around with this stuff - last time I even opened my pc case I had every extremity on my body connected by wires to a 4 feet grounding spear in my backyard! :O And STILL, I could clearly feel the static electricity just killin' all ma chipz! I quickly shut the case again, and haven't gone near it since...
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 9:30AM szimm said
@Edge of Blade
Ah okay, but the chassis has nothing to do with grounding the disk - it's just a piece of plastic designed to let Microsoft sell (almost) standard HDD's at a premium.
The actual hardware inside the chassis is the same you would go and by in any computer store for your laptop or mini-pc.
Reply
Ah okay, but the chassis has nothing to do with grounding the disk - it's just a piece of plastic designed to let Microsoft sell (almost) standard HDD's at a premium.
The actual hardware inside the chassis is the same you would go and by in any computer store for your laptop or mini-pc.
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 9:49AM McDuckScrooged said
@szimm Man your Sup4h 1337 .. ,
I am too scared to even press the power button because you know the static could run down and fry my chips.. I mostly just stare at it and pretend to use it , I occasionally wear a complete rubber suit and press the power button while attaching crocodile clips to both my nuts just to be sure..
Reply
I am too scared to even press the power button because you know the static could run down and fry my chips.. I mostly just stare at it and pretend to use it , I occasionally wear a complete rubber suit and press the power button while attaching crocodile clips to both my nuts just to be sure..
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 11:17AM Milky1985 said
@McDuckScrooged
1. Depends on the server, some will use standard Sata as they are lower spec, i will admit that the better spec amchines will use SAS but i fail to see what the difference between SAS and SATA has to my origonal point even with the mistake i made in the origonal posting. I should have put "Add a New" rather than "Replace".
As rack mounted servers tend to come with a big bunch of "dummy" mouting cases rather than the proper ones, you have to pay through the nose for the bits of plastic required to properly add them :/
Reply
1. Depends on the server, some will use standard Sata as they are lower spec, i will admit that the better spec amchines will use SAS but i fail to see what the difference between SAS and SATA has to my origonal point even with the mistake i made in the origonal posting. I should have put "Add a New" rather than "Replace".
As rack mounted servers tend to come with a big bunch of "dummy" mouting cases rather than the proper ones, you have to pay through the nose for the bits of plastic required to properly add them :/
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 2:35PM McDuckScrooged said
@Calv1n ?? wtf ??
@Milky1985 I understand where you are coming from now, but still they are caddies once bought they can have any drive you want inserted.. To be able to quickly eject / hot plug the disks the caddies are a necessity.
I thought you meant because of the form factor of the drive and not the actual caddy..
Reply
@Milky1985 I understand where you are coming from now, but still they are caddies once bought they can have any drive you want inserted.. To be able to quickly eject / hot plug the disks the caddies are a necessity.
I thought you meant because of the form factor of the drive and not the actual caddy..
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 8:21AM Miranda Lawson said
Can't we just use the transfer cable instead of trying to modify? Unfortunately I lost mine after I got an Elite.
Reply
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 9:06AM McDuckScrooged said
@Mazrael The transfer rate of the sata interface if its sta2 is 3Gbps (if they are using sata 1 then its 1.5Gbps) the transfer rate of USB 2 interface is 480Mbps..
thats 384MBps for sata2 and about 60MBps for USB 2
real world its slower, but sata is still much faster than usb.. So its worthwhile doing this just for the performance boost..
Reply
thats 384MBps for sata2 and about 60MBps for USB 2
real world its slower, but sata is still much faster than usb.. So its worthwhile doing this just for the performance boost..
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 9:45AM Mazrael said
@McDuckScrooged This is the sort of info I like.. I've not tried using USB to store installs.. my USB is more for saves, say for Dragon age, where you can only have 10 characters per storage device, could be interesting to see the difference of an installed game on a USB
Reply
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 11:02AM Enigma7ic said
@McDuckScrooged Actually the only difference between using a hard drive and a USB stick is when you're installing games on it (with the USB stick taking 20-30% more time).
Actual loading and playing installed games off a flash drive is the same as using an HHD and sometimes it's even a bit faster.
Reply
Actual loading and playing installed games off a flash drive is the same as using an HHD and sometimes it's even a bit faster.
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 12:21PM trendscenedental said
@McDuckScrooged
That's the theoretical transfer rate, not the actual throughput. Your platter-based HDD won't ever be able to spin fast enough to provide 3 Gbps transfer speeds.
Reply
That's the theoretical transfer rate, not the actual throughput. Your platter-based HDD won't ever be able to spin fast enough to provide 3 Gbps transfer speeds.
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 2:25PM McDuckScrooged said
@Enigma7ic -- Flash drives that use SATA connections yes they can be faster.. Flash drives via USB ? No not a chance.. The USB bus will get saturated in anything i/o intensive.. Also flash / USB drives will be destroyed by constantly writing to them, they have a max number of writes before they become completely unreliable.
@trendscenedental
hence the "real world its slower, but sata is still much faster than usb"
bit at the end ... Sata is still much faster.
Reply
@trendscenedental
hence the "real world its slower, but sata is still much faster than usb"
bit at the end ... Sata is still much faster.
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 11:12PM Enigma7ic said
@McDuckScrooged
Believe it.
http://www.examiner.com/video-game-news-in-atlanta/a-look-at-xbox-360-performance-with-a-usb-flash-drive-part-2
Reply
Believe it.
http://www.examiner.com/video-game-news-in-atlanta/a-look-at-xbox-360-performance-with-a-usb-flash-drive-part-2
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 8:25AM ahiggins2010 said
Worst video ever... Lighting, non existent until he turns on the light then turns it off then points the camera into the console. then the speaking... if you dont know how to describe something with out saying um every 5 seconds please dont make a video. and yes a floating HDD and it being un-grounded is a very bad choice i hope he doesnt plan on moving that once its in. and i agree 20 not worth it. go big or go home.
Reply
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 8:51AM CaptainProtonX said
@Gonzie
Maybe you are just noticing the immensely locked down nature of the 360. This goes hand-in-hand with the profile ties assigned to your 360.
In many respects, the 360 is the true "Cell" in this generation and not the PS3. Each 360 is an extension of MS' game database and digital distribution format.
No, you can't just pluck in any ole HD. That would just be too friendly of MS.
Reply
Maybe you are just noticing the immensely locked down nature of the 360. This goes hand-in-hand with the profile ties assigned to your 360.
In many respects, the 360 is the true "Cell" in this generation and not the PS3. Each 360 is an extension of MS' game database and digital distribution format.
No, you can't just pluck in any ole HD. That would just be too friendly of MS.
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 3:56PM Prboi said
@CaptainProtonX
Can you blame them? Considering how much money Sony loses/dosen't make for allowing their console to be modded, I think Microsoft is smart in making it hard to mod it. Does it help us out in fufilling our wants? No. But how would you feel if you had a product that you were selling & nobody bought it because they could get another one that's better from someone else?
Reply
Can you blame them? Considering how much money Sony loses/dosen't make for allowing their console to be modded, I think Microsoft is smart in making it hard to mod it. Does it help us out in fufilling our wants? No. But how would you feel if you had a product that you were selling & nobody bought it because they could get another one that's better from someone else?
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 8:47AM Eric H said
Just a tip, before you put your hard drive in use a piece of duct or packing tape to create a tab for removing the hard drive. To do this take a piece of tape about 7 inches long, put 2.5" on one side of the drive and then another 2.5" on the other side parallel to the 1st. then seal the remaining 2" in the middle creating a tab you can use to remove. A piece of cut foam on each side of the drive wouldn't hurt to reduce the stress on the connector as well.
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 9:01AM CaptainProtonX said
This article is rife with inaccuracies considering its brevity.
Reply
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 9:04AM Tukachinchilla said
This looks too easy. How soon before we see a sled adapter?
Reply
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 9:10AM CaptainProtonX said
Considering MS sneaky ways, isn't there a method that MS can send scanbots to machines and review current HD configurations?
If the HD is less then 250, could that be grounds for banning?
I love the games, but I have no trust in MS and it's 400 page EULA.
Reply
If the HD is less then 250, could that be grounds for banning?
I love the games, but I have no trust in MS and it's 400 page EULA.
Posted: Aug 25th 2010 11:20AM Usr666 said
@CaptainProtonX wondering the same... it might be difficult since you can add USB drives to get yourself close to the 20gb. I would love to do this with my 120gb and just snag the new xbox for $100 less, I just don't want to f' things up for either ha...
Reply
Sorry, you must be logged in to leave a comment.
Featured Stories
The most popular posts
in the last 7 days
- Vita 'UMD Passport' won't be offered in US 220 comments
- Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning review: A tempting fate 152 comments
- David Jaffe leaves Eat Sleep Play, layoffs hit developer [Update] 107 comments
- Don't call it a remake: Final Fantasy X is a 'remaster,' to be clear 95 comments
- Battleship movie adapted into FPS by Double Helix 93 comments
