Hacking Not sure what brand of HDD I should get

[the_randomizer]

Okay, so now that my Wii is ready to go (as far as installing all the hacks), the next thing for me to get is a USB hard drive. While I know there are many advantages, there are some things that make me hesitate.

- Should the HDD require extra power via AC adapter or should it just use a USB cable?

- Will having it constantly load Wii/GCN backups and homebrew exacerbate the rate at which an HDD experiences wear and tear?

- How will I know if the HDD will even work with the Wii, especially if all models are not supported? I don't want to
spend $50-$100 on a hard drive that won't work. I've seen many reviews where people said they had Dead On Arrival hard drives.

- If I use FAT32 for games, will I have to create another partition for GX emulators and ROMs that I run via the HBC? (i.e FAT32 for Wii/GCN ISO images
and an NTFS partition for homebrew)?

- I just don't want to get gypped when buying one.

I've seen these on newegg and amazon, but I'm still doing research/comparing. Any feedback is greatly appreciated

A) 500GB Western Digital USB 2.0 HDD: http://tinyurl.com/3tz6xvz

B) 1.5TB Western Digital USB 2.0 HDD: http://tinyurl.com/3zkamma

C) 320GB Western Digital USB 2.0 HDD: http://tinyurl.com/3zc9bg4

Just to list a few. I have my reasons for choosing WDD brand hard drives over Seagate or Toshiba.

 

[brausm08]

Okay, so now that my Wii is ready to go (as far as installing all the hacks), the next thing for me to get is a USB hard drive. While I know there are many advantages, there are some things that make me hesitate.

- Should the HDD require extra power via AC adapter or should it just use a USB cable?
i used to prefer the portable drives, but now that i have enough cables and power adapters, i don't need all the wires to go from the PC to the wii and back again....

- Will having it constantly load Wii/GCN backups and homebrew exacerbate (who says that) the rate at which an HDD experiences wear and tear? Not any more than if you were using it on a PC...all things considered, an HDD should last a lot longer than the wii optical drive. oh, and NGC can't be played from HDD

- How will I know if the HDD will even work with the Wii, especially if all models are not supported? I don't want to
spend $50-$100 on a hard drive that won't work. I've seen many reviews where people said they had Dead On Arrival hard drives. DOA's happen, that's what RMA/warranty is for.... there's a compatibility list here. it's incomplete...but a good reference none the less.... TBH, if you use a straight USB2.0 external HDD, you shouldn't have a problem

- If I use FAT32 for games, will I have to create another partition for GX emulators and ROMs that I run via the HBC? (i.e FAT32 for Wii/GCN ISO images and an NTFS partition for homebrew)? format the entire drive as FAT32...no other partitions needed

- I just don't want to get gypped when buying one.

I've seen these on newegg and amazon, but I'm still doing research/comparing. Any feedback is greatly appreciated

A) 500GB Western Digital USB 2.0 HDD: http://tinyurl.com/3tz6xvz
B) 1.5TB Western Digital USB 2.0 HDD: http://tinyurl.com/3zkamma
C) 320GB Western Digital USB 2.0 HDD: http://tinyurl.com/3zc9bg4

Just to list a few. I have my reasons for choosing WDD brand hard drives over Seagate or Toshiba.

i've used all three of these drives without issue...i too prefer WD as they have the best warranty IMO. i've also used a seagate and a toshiba without issue.... my current HDD and setup is listed in my sig....

 

[Hielkenator]

Go for a WD Elements 1 ~ 1.5 TB with AC Adaptor.

I'm sure you can get them cheaper than the ones you posted.

http://www.mycom.nl/Productgroep/Hardware/...de-Schijf/25620

 

[the_randomizer]

@brausm08 how do people play backed up ISOs for their gamecube games? oO Well anyways, I'll look at the compatibility list and get something from Amazon.

@Hielkenator, I don't live in the Netherlands, so I don't think I can spend USD there, but I could be wrong. Plus I don't speak the language (can't read it, etc).

If I understand you guys correctly, programs such as Snes9xGx, GenplusGX, VbaGX, FceuGX, WiiMC, etc will all work on the same partition as the Wii ISOs use (FAT32). I thought FAT32 had a 4GB limitation, but I'd have to use something like Clean Rip or USB LoaderGX; I hear that has a built in ISO imaging function, I'd probably use that instead.

Will I have to constantly unplug/plug in the HDD every time I use the Wii or can I keep it plugged in 24/7? I'd imagine unplugging/plugging would wear out the USB connectors.
Why would it make a difference if I got an HDD with just a USB cable versus getting one with both USB and AC cables?

 

[FIX94]

If I understand you guys correctly, programs such as Snes9xGx, GenplusGX, VbaGX, FceuGX, WiiMC, etc will all work on the same partition as the Wii ISOs use (FAT32). I thought FAT32 had a 4GB limitation, but I'd have to use something like Clean Rip or USB LoaderGX; I hear that has a built in ISO imaging function, I'd probably use that instead.
Well FAT32 got a 4GB single file limitation, so that's no problem because usb loaders are automatically splitting bigger files. Don't use usb loader gx btw, use a usb loader like wiiflow or configurable usb loader.

QUOTE(the_randomizer @ Jul 19 2011, 12:03 AM) Will I have to constantly unplug/plug in the HDD every time I use the Wii or can I keep it plugged in 24/7? I'd imagine unplugging/plugging would wear out the USB connectors.

You could leave it plugged, shouldn't be a problem, my hdd works fine and I never unplug it.

 

[the_randomizer]

If I understand you guys correctly, programs such as Snes9xGx, GenplusGX, VbaGX, FceuGX, WiiMC, etc will all work on the same partition as the Wii ISOs use (FAT32). I thought FAT32 had a 4GB limitation, but I'd have to use something like Clean Rip or USB LoaderGX; I hear that has a built in ISO imaging function, I'd probably use that instead.
Well FAT32 got a 4GB single file limitation, so that's no problem because usb loaders are automatically splitting bigger files. Don't use usb loader gx btw, use a usb loader like wiiflow or configurable usb loader.

QUOTE(the_randomizer @ Jul 19 2011, 12:03 AM) Will I have to constantly unplug/plug in the HDD every time I use the Wii or can I keep it plugged in 24/7? I'd imagine unplugging/plugging would wear out the USB connectors.

You could leave it plugged, shouldn't be a problem, my hdd works fine and I never unplug it.

While I was checking the compatibility list, I noticed that some HDDs have problems with WiiFlow, so I guess I'd go ahead and use configurable usb loader to do the ripping, I suppose. And that would do the file splitting, yes? Thanks for all the info you guys have given me.

I just hope the HDDs compatible with USB LoaderGX are also compatible with Configurable USB Loader....

 

[Fishaman P]

Don't use GX for anything!

Configurable USB Loader all the way!

 

[the_randomizer]

Don't use GX for anything!

Configurable USB Loader all the way!

I know that. I'm just asking if the same HDDs in the compat list are compatible with said loader (not GX); I pretty much have FAT32 for Wii games and NTFS for Homebrew, or something like that. Still, it would be nice to be able to rip gamecube games as well. But getting back to cords, doesn't the Wii have enough to power a USB without an AC adapter?

 

[brausm08]

@brausm08 how do people play backed up ISOs for their gamecube games? oO Well anyways, I'll look at the compatibility list and get something from Amazon. playing NGC backups is pretty much limited to DVD-R's, Wode (which is slooow and costs $$$), or Swiss loader (via SD Gecko (DealeXtreme.com:

 

[bulletmark]

Go for a WD Elements 1 ~ 1.5 TB with AC Adaptor.

It is much more sensible, simpler, and more practical to get a self-powered usb drive. Who wants to stuff around with extra bulk, cables, power socket, etc.

 

[the_randomizer]

Spoiler

@brausm08 how do people play backed up ISOs for their gamecube games? oO Well anyways, I'll look at the compatibility list and get something from Amazon. playing NGC backups is pretty much limited to DVD-R's, Wode (which is slooow and costs $$$), or Swiss loader (via SD Gecko (DealeXtreme.com:

 

[brausm08]

What you're saying is I can't have both Wii ISOs and GX emulators on the same FAT32 partition?

no, i'm saying you can....a single FAT32 partition for everything is ideal.

 

[the_randomizer]

What you're saying is I can't have both Wii ISOs and GX emulators on the same FAT32 partition?

no, i'm saying you can....a single FAT32 partition for everything is ideal.

Okay, good. FAT32 it is. The I guess that the Configurable USB loader puts the games in chunks or separate files for each game to bypass the FAT32 file size limit. Okay. Now I need to continue doing comparing and find out what hard drive best suits my needs. Western Digital is what I'll go with, then what model/make. I'm aiming towards something from the My Passport series, somewhere in the 320 to 500GB range, since I doubt I'm going to use more than that. Most models seem to have overall good reviews on Amazon and Newegg, so that helps me to narrow my search. This particular series comes only with a USB 2.0 cable; wouldn't the USB cable the hard drive comes be all I would really need? I highly doubt it's 6' long. *Sigh* I need to stop being such a noob. You'd think that for someone who's been working with computers since 1996 would know a thing or two about hacking/emulation.

EDIT 9:55PM

After some more searching, I might get this one right here (black cover)- http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Pass...N/dp/B0041OSB02

The black model is 20 dollars cheaper than the red one (which was linked here http://wiki.gbatemp.net/wiki/USB_Devices_C...lity_List#500GB ), which I find odd.
I could have sworn USB 3.0 HDDs had issues on the Wii...

 

[Hielkenator]

Go for a WD Elements 1 ~ 1.5 TB with AC Adaptor.

It is much more sensible, simpler, and more practical to get a self-powered usb drive. Who wants to stuff around with extra bulk, cables, power socket, etc.

Try a packard bell silver USB powered and you'll know why I said that.
It is'nt fast enough at boot ( spinuptime )
Due to "low power consumption via USB". AKA "Green label"

Some drives need to have both USB port inorder to function. 1 for power, other for data.
If you have other devices such as Wiispeak or microphones, you would have a problem.

An ac powered HDD, are in that regard trouble free.
It's not like you have to take out the drive constantly.....

 

[the_randomizer]

Go for a WD Elements 1 ~ 1.5 TB with AC Adaptor.

It is much more sensible, simpler, and more practical to get a self-powered usb drive. Who wants to stuff around with extra bulk, cables, power socket, etc.

Try a packard bell silver USB powered and you'll know why I said that.
It is'nt fast enough at boot ( spinuptime )
Due to "low power consumption via USB". AKA "Green label"

Some drives need to have both USB port inorder to function. 1 for power, other for data.
If you have other devices such as Wiispeak or microphones, you would have a problem.

An ac powered HDD, are in that regard trouble free.
It's not like you have to take out the drive constantly.....

The reason I was initially wary of having a hard drive with an AC adapter is, when I leave it plugged in 24/7, wouldn't there be the risk of overheating? I've never owned a USB hard drive, so you can see where I'm coming from. I also don't plan on using those so-called "green" or "environmentally friendly" hard drives, as I've heard horror stories about their instability and being downright unreliable. As of right now, I both the Wii's USB 2.0 ports are unoccupied. To recap, I'm asking for a direct answer, do I get a USB powered HDD, or one that has BOTH USB and AC powered? That's what I'm trying to find out. And I'm planning on getting a Western Digital, not Packard Bell. I'm assuming not all HDDs require both USB and AC to run, as I'm seeing some on the USB loader list which, after seeing the links (usually from Amazon) and the product pictures clearly show that all hard drives just use USB. I'm wanting to know if they're as reliable with/without an AC adapter.

 

[FIX94]

I'm asking for a direct answer, do I get a USB powered HDD, or one that has BOTH USB and AC powered? That's what I'm trying to find out.

My hdd is only usb powered and works amazingly fine with it, no problems at all. Games are running really fast, just like ac powered. So I don't think that both is needed, usb powered should be enough.

 

[amptor]

I would have to say, that being an IT professional myself, this is a very well thought out post and your choice of hard disk is good and what you said at the end about seagate and toshiba is 100% valid.

Get the western digital and you should be fine.

Okay, so now that my Wii is ready to go (as far as installing all the hacks), the next thing for me to get is a USB hard drive. While I know there are many advantages, there are some things that make me hesitate.

- Should the HDD require extra power via AC adapter or should it just use a USB cable?

- Will having it constantly load Wii/GCN backups and homebrew exacerbate the rate at which an HDD experiences wear and tear?

- How will I know if the HDD will even work with the Wii, especially if all models are not supported? I don't want to
spend $50-$100 on a hard drive that won't work. I've seen many reviews where people said they had Dead On Arrival hard drives.

- If I use FAT32 for games, will I have to create another partition for GX emulators and ROMs that I run via the HBC? (i.e FAT32 for Wii/GCN ISO images
and an NTFS partition for homebrew)?

- I just don't want to get gypped when buying one.

I've seen these on newegg and amazon, but I'm still doing research/comparing. Any feedback is greatly appreciated

A) 500GB Western Digital USB 2.0 HDD: http://tinyurl.com/3tz6xvz

B) 1.5TB Western Digital USB 2.0 HDD: http://tinyurl.com/3zkamma

C) 320GB Western Digital USB 2.0 HDD: http://tinyurl.com/3zc9bg4

Just to list a few. I have my reasons for choosing WDD brand hard drives over Seagate or Toshiba.

 

[brausm08]

To recap, I'm asking for a direct answer, do I get a USB powered HDD, or one that has BOTH USB and AC powered? That's what I'm trying to find out. And I'm planning on getting a Western Digital, not Packard Bell. I'm assuming not all HDDs require both USB and AC to run, as I'm seeing some on the USB loader list which, after seeing the links (usually from Amazon) and the product pictures clearly show that all hard drives just use USB. I'm wanting to know if they're as reliable with/without an AC adapter.

honestly, it doesn't matter all that much...i've used more portable drives than not...i've actually had really good luck buying WD 320GB portable drives (the older style passports) off the WD refurb site....when in stock, they go for

 

[kylster]

Please check outmy thread here: http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=283...p;#entry3513621
Seeing as these are all compatible with SNEEK/UNEEK + USB Loaders; hope this helps.

 

[dexter222]

USB powered would seem to be preferable if there is one large enough for your needs... You shut off power to the drive when you turn off your wii.

BTW there is absolutely nothing wrong with USB Loader GX - I use it and CFG Loader extensively and have tested for both authors... they are both great. I look forward to trying Wiiflow someday if they ever update it to work with the newer technology hard drives.