Recommend a PS2 HDD

[evil_ash_xero]

I just got this fat PS2, and a Network Adapter. The drive I am using for it, is supposed to be compatible, but some people have mentioned that sometimes it doesn't work with older NAs.
Freezes anytime I try to access the drive. With OPL or HDLoader, or that Launch.elf program. Just freezes.

Can anyone recommend something around the 200 GB range, that ABSOLUTELY works? I don't want to waste anymore money, if possible.
I've already tried two different Network Adapters.

An EBay link or something like that, would be supreme.

[BazookaBen]

Seagate and Samsung drives actually fit the adapter, for Western Digital drives you'd have to mod your adapter. Or you could always wire up a PATA to SATA converter and use any old SATA drive.

Have you formatted the drive in Winhiip yet? I think that's something you have to do:

http://sksapps.com/winhiip_tutorial.html

[evil_ash_xero]

Yeah, I did format it in that program. I have a Seagate.

The model is supposed to work, but on the PS2 compatibility site, a person wasn't able to get it to work, with an older adapter.

[AndehX]

I use one of these with a Samsung 2.5" SATA hard drive. Works perfectly

http://www.maxdiypower.com/index.php?ma ... vb1dq8u9n7

[22point8]

128gb SD card + IDE to SD adapter + 3.5" to 2.5" IDE adapter.

[nmalinoski]

Does anyone have any experience with these drop-in replacement interface boards for the official network/HDD adapters? Most of the information I'm finding about using SATA drives in PS2s involve either a separate IDE/SATA adapter or one of the prebuilt Chinese adapters with nonfunctional Ethernet jacks.

[AndehX]

Yes, they work great. I just modded a network adapter a few weeks ago for a friend using one of those adapters and it worked perfectly.

[Syntax]

I just fit a 1tb sata drive (Barracuda) in my fat 3000.
Connected via eBay spec sata network adapter.
Doesn't even sit flush .


The only issues I had were having to use a 48bit hdloader and picking the correct version of ulaunchelf as some don't have the correct hdd modules to start the hdd.

Also the hdd needs to be accessed via ulaunchelf before installing FMCB to hdd in the same session.
(FMCB does not have it's own hdd module it piggy backs ulaunchelf)

Also if you have a chip installed it need to be disabled as they use DEV9 which is the internal hdd DEV and stops apps from starting (Black screen)

[Kez]

Also if you have a chip installed it need to be disabled as they use DEV9 which is the internal hdd DEV and stops apps from starting (Black screen)

Some chips (Matrix Infinity 1.93 and possibly clones) are compatible with FMCB when loaded from memory card, so if you don't want to disable your chip on every boot you can always just run FMCB from the card - OPL can still access the HDD.

[Syntax]

Whilst loading from the memory card has slightly faster cold boot times and is compatible with Matrix chips I wanted to avoid having a useless memory card or usb stick hanging from the PS2.

Little pack I put together with the latest FMCB, OPL, POPs stuff and a Pops 1tb/2tb sata compatible uLaunchelf.
Personally I hate the PS1 compatibility issues and scrapped it for my system. (Crash bandicoot audio stutters)
Also has the system files MODBO 5.0
http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?fi ... 3924115059

[nmalinoski]

...I wanted to avoid having a useless memory card or usb stick hanging from the PS2.

Memory cards with FMCB aren't useless; you can save games to them just fine.

[Akira]

I got this hard drive:
320GB IDE 3.5" HDD Maxtor MaXLine II UDMA/133 5400RPM 2MB 5A320J0
Works great, but am already considering going 1TB!

I have it setup with a Memory Card booting straight into OPL, it's just great. FMCB is a great tool for hard drive users too.
(First I had the HD hacked, but I didn't like it).

[citrus3000psi]

This project just came out recently and I instantly thought of the PS2. Not sure what it would take to get going:

https://hackaday.io/project/20774-netpi-ide

TLDR: Raspbery pi zero with pata connector that offerse SD card and samba compatibility.

[AndehX]

Probably not much use since the PS2 network adapter can very easily be modded to work with SATA hard drives. Nobody uses old IDE drives anymore unless absolutely necessary, right?

[nmalinoski]

This project just came out recently and I instantly thought of the PS2. Not sure what it would take to get going:

https://hackaday.io/project/20774-netpi-ide

TLDR: Raspbery pi zero with pata connector that offerse SD card and samba compatibility.

It's a neat idea, and certainly necessary for certain applications (I recall seeing a similar RasPi project to simulate a CD-ROM for Konami's System 573 hardware, since it's so picky about its CD drives), but it would be a nonstarter for someone like me.

Networking (and thus SAMBA support) wouldn't be possible without case modification, and you'd still need to deal with having a Linux OS on the device. It would probably be simpler and more straightfoward to use an SD to 44pin IDE converter with a 44pin to 40pin IDE adapter, or a CF to IDE adapter; and I definitely find at least the idea of the $15 replacement interface board to be the cheapest and best-integrated solution, with the only downside being the time it takes to ship from China.

[tongshadow]

I recommend sticking to IDE Drives and genuine Sony Network Adapter. Even though IDE HDDs are hard to find at larger storage sizes you're way less likely to run into compatibility issues, so it's worth the trouble. SATA Network Adapters are not official.

Also make sure the HDD you want can physically fit into the drive bay, majority of them can but there are some brands that are too large to fit.

[nmalinoski]

SATA Network Adapters are not official.

I've found to steer clear of the cheap, prepackaged SATA HDD adapters, as the network jack on them is just for show. (Probably shouldn't call them network adapters.)

What does seem to work (and what I'll test when I get it in) is an aftermarket PCB with a SATA data+power plug that replaces the existing IDE interface board in the official network/HDD adapter; the theory being that you will get both SATA compatibility and networking.


The prebuilt SATA HDD adapters are, weirdly, a few dollars cheaper than just the SATA interface board, so I wondered if it would have been cheaper to buy one of those, then transplant its interface board into an official network/HDD adapter; but I decided it would be simplest to just get the board that advertises itself for fitment in an official adapter.

[Ikaruga11]

Aside from the iLink/Firewire port that some PS2 games used for System Link that's exclusive to the PS2 Fat, is the hard drive another one of the advantages of a PS2 Fat? I heard the PS2 Slim can't use Hard drives, so you're limited to loading games from USB (slower loading times) or just swapping discs constantly.

[Syntax]

Yeah that's pretty much it, about 3-4 times faster data transfer than usb1 and 2x the slim network to HDD adapters.

I found many games unplayable on a usb HDD via slim.

[elvis]

Millions of these floating around lately:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Sata-Ne ... 79882.html

SATA versions work nicely.

[AndehX]

The official network adapter with sata interface board works perfectly for me. No compatibility issues. It's clearly the best solution for the fat PS2. For the slims, there is a sata HDD mod you can do if you're up for a challenge.

[nmalinoski]

Millions of these floating around lately:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Sata-Ne ... 79882.html

SATA versions work nicely.

Does the network port on those even work? Everything I've seen about them so far suggests they're just for show.

[tongshadow]

Millions of these floating around lately:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Sata-Ne ... 79882.html

SATA versions work nicely.

Does the network port on those even work? Everything I've seen about them so far suggests they're just for show.

They dont work at all, so no option to use FTP to transfer files to the PS2 (which is pretty handy!).
Also, some SATA NAs arent fully compatible with OPL because they're bad chinese knock-offs.