PS1/2 Fat PS2 with IDE hdd vs. Slim PS2 with USB hdd

[Knocks]

I would like to buy a PS2 and mod it. I like the 90000 series model but I don't want to sacrifice compatibility. I also don't want to burn DVDs and would ideally just have all my favorite games on one hard drive (like the Xbox or Wii).

How does loading games from an external USB on the slim PS2 compare to the fat PS2 in terms of compatibility, ease of use, etc?

 

[xist]

There's no question about the difference between an IDE HDD and a USB HDD....the ports on a PS2 are 1.1 so compatibility is rubbish and USBAdvance gives varying, stuttery results. HDD gaming on a slim is not so great and not very pleasant.

Additionally the 900xx series PS2's are not FMCB exploitable so of the two choices you present are not really a choice at all.

 

[Joe88]

simply put

the external HDD loading is horrible, slow and very low compatibility compared to internal

DVD-R are cheap, 50pk for like $12
and with Free McBoot and ESR, it makes a nice combo

anyway my suggestion is try to find a 50001 phat PS2 (the last model # in production for the regular PS2 series)
and also track down a network adapter

from there you can start hacking your PS2 without need a gameshark or action replay via an exploit install ISO that you can manually install to the HDD from your computer then run it on the PS2 to install

 

[Knocks]

If the difference is that clear, I'm just going to get a pre-modded fat PS2 for $60 off craigslist and call it a day. Gotta love easy choices.

Can I transfer new ISOs via ftp (or another network method) or will I need to disconnect the drive every time?

 

[xist]

Yes you can transfer games using using LAN ....something like Lord Bogami's HDL Dump would do the job but it's much slower than a direct connection and can sometimes cause corruption. Far preferable is the direct hook up to an IDE cable or even just using a USB IDE enclosure.

 

[Knocks]

Why is it so slow? Is the PS2 adapter 10 or 100 mbps? It would really suck to mess with IDE cables every time you get a new game. IDE connectors are not really intended for daily unplugging.

 

[dewback]

Times for adding on a Game about 4gb
IDE hooked to the computer about 4 to 6 mins
PS2 onto the hard drive about 20 to 30 mins
over the network about 40 to 45 mins

 

[Knocks]

Is it 100mbps or not?

 

[xist]

Not...in fact nowhere near. Try dividing by just under 50 to get an idea of the speeds via LAN transfer. The USB IDE enclosure is your best bet.

 

[Knocks]

You can't divide 100mbps by 50. RJ45 is a standard interface. It's either 10mbps (Ethernet) or 100mbps (Fast Ethernet). GameCube had a 10mbps adapter and Xbox had a built-in 1000mbps port.

 

[xist]

100 divided by 50 is 2. The max speed over the LAN network is 2.1Mb.

 

[Knocks]

The fact that 100/50 = 2 doesn't change the fact that there is no such thing as 2.1Mb LAN. But thanks for the lesson in arithmetics

.

 

[xist]

I'm always happy to help out with Math's problems that are that simple.

And the fact that there is no such thing as a 2.1Mb LAN transfer doesn't mean that the throughput speed of the current apps and the Network adapter itself isn't set at a current max of 2.1. Network transfer isn't that fantastic a proposition if you're changing games often. Far better to buy a big HDD, load it up with games, play through them all and then swap them all out when you're done.

 

[djricekcn]

from there you can start hacking your PS2 without need a gameshark or action replay via an exploit install ISO that you can manually install to the HDD from your computer then run it on the PS2 to install

What is this method and what does this method do? I tried googling but could not find anything of a HDD exploit for ps2

 

[Joe88]

from there you can start hacking your PS2 without need a gameshark or action replay via an exploit install ISO that you can manually install to the HDD from your computer then run it on the PS2 to install

What is this method and what does this method do? I tried googling but could not find anything of a HDD exploit for ps2

http://www.console-exploits.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8872

just be aware you need a PS1 disk to use that
though it should be noted you need a retail HD loader disk (I had v1.00 from when it was first released) to do any of this as the ps2 needs a way to boot hd loader
and it cant boot elf files without some kind of hack first

once its up and running you can now start free mcboot and you shouldnt need the ps1 disk anymore, you can launch stuff from the ps2 main menu

though I assume you PS2 is already hacked from your other thread that said you were running hdldump
this is for if your ps2 cant boot elf's or has no way to boot them

 

[Knocks]

Wouldn't memor32 take care of everything if I get an older PS2 model? You still need boot discs?