Installing PS3 Games - Currently best method?

[Blythe93]

Today I've installed latest 4.91.2 EVILNAT (Cobra 8.5) BETA10 onto my PS3 Slim and I wonder which method is currently the best / easiest for installing the games? Which games format is the best for archival as well? ISO? Is it better to install them to the internal or external HDD? I currently have only the Multiman installed on my PS3.

Thank you for your time!

EDIT: Alright, I've figured out a thing or two:

• Fastest way to install games is via Ethernet cable and ISO format is probably the best one. I did have to decrypt my ISOs but I wonder if they would work if I put KEY files in the same folder where the corresponding ISOs are?
• It seems that the internal HDD is the way to go, I might upgrade it to an SSD at some point. I checked some guides and tutorials and it doesn't seem all that complicated. Any SSD model to recommend?

 

[NiQ1]

Today I've installed latest 4.91.2 EVILNAT (Cobra 8.5) BETA10 onto my PS3 Slim and I wonder which method is currently the best / easiest for installing the games? Which games format is the best for archival as well? ISO? Is it better to install them to the internal or external HDD? I currently have only the Multiman installed on my PS3.

Thank you for your time!

EDIT: Alright, I've figured out a thing or two:

• Fastest way to install games is via Ethernet cable and ISO format is probably the best one. I did have to decrypt my ISOs but I wonder if they would work if I put KEY files in the same folder where the corresponding ISOs are?
• It seems that the internal HDD is the way to go, I might upgrade it to an SSD at some point. I checked some guides and tutorials and it doesn't seem all that complicated. Any SSD model to recommend?

Best and fastest is from the internal HDD - But that's assuming you have enough disk space. Mind that digital games (pkg) can only be played from the internal HDD, so if you don't have enough storage, you might not want to fill it with ISOs, which can be played from a different medium. If using the internal HDD, I find it most comfortable to push ISOs and pkgs through the network using FTP rather than bothering with USB disks.
External (USB) disks are also a possibility, although they will take up a USB port and can be cumbersome. The upside is that copying new ISOs using a computer is trivial. If you have a NAS then using ps3netsrv is also a very good option.

 

[BigOnYa]

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• It seems that the internal HDD is the way to go, I might upgrade it to an SSD at some point. I checked some guides and tutorials and it doesn't seem all that complicated. Any SSD model to recommend?

You can use any model SSD with a modded PS3, but you will only get 1.5tb max space no matter the size SSD/HD you use. Also same goes with PS3 as with X360, its only a sata2 interface, so you won't notice big differences with a SSD vs HD.

 

[RAHelllord]

Personally I grabbed the ISO files, mounted them on my PC, ripped them into unencrypted form via the ps3 dumper tool, and then moved them via ftp to the internal SSD, a cheap 500gb one.

Worked like a charm and load times for anything are as good as they're ever gonna get, the initial file transfers took a bit with the slow 100mbit Ethernet connection but it's also something you just set and forget until it's done eventually.

If you want to replace the internal drive I'd personally suggest a cheap SSD like a SanDisk, WD Blue or Green, or one of the cheaper Samsung models. The SATA connection will be the bottleneck for any cheap SSD that didn't come out of the bargain bin, but it'll use a little less power than an HDD and preserve the the power circuitry more. The price differences between HDDs and SSDs under 2TB are also entirely negligible, or the SSD option might even be cheaper.

 

[NiQ1]

Personally I grabbed the ISO files, mounted them on my PC, ripped them into unencrypted form via the ps3 dumper tool, and then moved them via ftp to the internal SSD, a cheap 500gb one.

Worked like a charm and load times for anything are as good as they're ever gonna get, the initial file transfers took a bit with the slow 100mbit Ethernet connection but it's also something you just set and forget until it's done eventually.

If you want to replace the internal drive I'd personally suggest a cheap SSD like a SanDisk, WD Blue or Green, or one of the cheaper Samsung models. The SATA connection will be the bottleneck for any cheap SSD that didn't come out of the bargain bin, but it'll use a little less power than an HDD and preserve the the power circuitry more. The price differences between HDDs and SSDs under 2TB are also entirely negligible, or the SSD option might even be cheaper.

Personally I have a QNAP NAS with 16TB of disk space (expandable), and there's a native ps3netsrv QPKG, making it very straightforward for me - just copy the ISO to a network share, refresh webMAN MOD XML and it immediately shows up.

 

[Blythe93]

Mind that digital games (pkg) can only be played from the internal HDD, so if you don't have enough storage, you might not want to fill it with ISOs, which can be played from a different medium.

Ah, I didn't know that info. Thanks for mentioning it!

If using the internal HDD, I find it most comfortable to push ISOs and pkgs through the network using FTP rather than bothering with USB disks.

Yeah, I've noticed that when I tried with USB method. Way too slow. Enthernet is definitely the way to go.

External (USB) disks are also a possibility, although they will take up a USB port and can be cumbersome.

Yeah, the only downside I've run into with PS3 Slim is that it has only two USB ports, and front ones at that! I need one for PS3 Eye camera, leaving me with only one port to use.
I'll definitely look into getting a bigger HDD/SSD.

You can use any model SSD with a modded PS3, but you will only get 1.5tb max space no matter the size SSD/HD you use. Also same goes with PS3 as with X360, its only a sata2 interface, so you won't notice big differences with a SSD vs HD.

If you want to replace the internal drive I'd personally suggest a cheap SSD like a SanDisk, WD Blue or Green, or one of the cheaper Samsung models. The SATA connection will be the bottleneck for any cheap SSD that didn't come out of the bargain bin, but it'll use a little less power than an HDD and preserve the the power circuitry more. The price differences between HDDs and SSDs under 2TB are also entirely negligible, or the SSD option might even be cheaper.

Noted. I won't go over 1TB by any means and the prices are pretty much the same in that area between HDD and SSD, SSD definitely being a better choice.

Thanks for all the info, guys. Much appreciated. ^^
Thankfully, I've managed to find a relatively unused PS3 Slim. According to the info I managed to get via webMAN, power on time is around 63 days which isn't much. Even temperatures are pretty decent (55°C/131°F for the CPU and 62°C/143°F for RSX), I probably don't need to replace the thermal paste either anytime soon.

How do you guys charge your controllers? Some official or third party charging docks / stations?

 

[BigOnYa]

How do you guys charge your controllers? Some official or third party charging docks / stations?

I do wish at least 1 USB would stay powered on to charge controller but no. I just use an old phone charger USB thingy.

 

[RAHelllord]

I have a 5m USB cable and just use it wired with the PS3 until it stops charging.

None of my Anker chargers will charge the controllers and I'm too lazy to go digging for an old phone charger.