Easiest PS2 SSD and Fan Upgrade | This PS2 Is Completely SILENT!

[@xboxmods]

Just FYI, Noctua does actually sell a 5v version of this same fan. It’s NF-A6x25 5V. They carry both voltages for a number of their fans. I learned that the hard way when I bought the 12v model for my Dreamcast and it wouldn’t spin 😭.

[@dreamcastfan]

Yeah, just what I was going to say. All the Dreamcast Noctua fan mods use a 5v model, so it should just be a case of buying the 5v one and slotting it in.

[@mbe102]

I bought the wrong one for my Gamecube and it sounded like my GC was about to fly away. Getting the right voltage REALLY helps haha.

[@trigg7466]

i Bought the 5v Version of this fan . After installing i noticed that it's louder than the stock fan. Not recommended. Gonna put my stock fan back in and just gonna leave it as is.

[@paklekj4429]

@@mikeycrackson wheres the exhaust fan then if you only has 1 fan option and you use it for intake?

[@Xfade81]

@@mikeycrackson Pulling hot air out of the console is better then to push cold air in because of how the case and internals are designed. The hot air will eventually heat up other parts of the system because there's no second fan to quickly dissipate it. Other reason is because of the PSU it's next to. Your proposal will actually get more dust in to the console.

[@techhoarder3416]

For anyone doing this with a larger drive (3.5"), you need an external HDD enclosure that has its own power supply because the larger drives require a 12V rail that is not provided by the USB port. Also, Winhiip is the WRONG application to use. It is buggy and very limited (max off 255 titles, cannot handle drives larger than 1TB) and does not set up any virtual memory cards. So you would be stuck making one for each and every individual game. Use HDLBATCH, which takes care of game titles, VMCs, and doesn't have the limitations and problems with Winhiip. Lastly, if you can, go with the original SONY adapter and get a SATA upgrade kit for it (if using a modern drive). This gives the best compatibility and won't randomly die like some of the 3rd party Gamestar (and various knockoff).

[@oPtiMuMpRiCe]

You da real MVP

[@bobsteve7312]

Cheers my friend!!!

[@RiderNexus]

THANK YOU!

[@TerminatorZXY]

You can just get an old IDE drive like Maxtor.

[@Qseyo24]

You got the juice Man. Saludos desde Argentina

[@notkyloren]

Instead of using FreeMcBoot, since you're using an SSD -- You should just flash the Free Hard Drive Boot image. It's basically FMCB, but works off the SSD automatically when you power on the PS2. No need for a memory card.

[@MachoNachoProductions]

Nice! I will definitely look into that 😁

[@That_Handle]

Thanks!

[@MegaIceLynx]

I switched to FreeHDBoot myself as well. I am though struggling incredibly trying to get some sort of cheat device to work on it while keeping both memory card slots open.

[@ronaldmcdonald9328]

what I use

[@MegaIceLynx]

@@TogonzoMedia thank you! So many guides I’ve looked through which don’t address clearly how to configure that.

[@mrg7272]

My uncle recently passed away. He wanted his nephews to have all of his positions and I found an old ps2. I’m going to do this to it so I can keep a little of his memories alive. RIP Uncle “Tweety”

[@dub2536]

This video could not have arrived at a better time for me as I just found my old PS2 after almost fifteen years. Very impressive presentation. TY kindly!

[@maverickhuntersyd]

I love your comprehensive mod videos. I love how I can get a junk console, watch your video and then have the gist of everything I should do to it rather than seeking out the smaller mods myself on top of the major ones.

[@James_D.]

I used to be a fan, but after watching this masterpiece I‘m a whole air conditioner!

[@MachoNachoProductions]

Haha nice😂 Thank you 🙏

[@scotter140]

👏👏👏

[@IamAJoe]

As a member of the council of Dads, I give this joke the Dad seal of approval.

[@Yakobu90]

Cool! 😎

[@HighAcuity]

Have seen this joke 1000 times before.

[@KennytheHedgehog619]

Just followed this tutorial and I was blown away at how much a difference this fan makes, seriously its a game changer!

[@Beezerfish79]

Can confirm, just did these exact upgrades on my og PS2 last month. Totally worth it

[@MachoNachoProductions]

Nice!

[@ratykat]

I'd love to see a shoot out between DVD, front usb, the memory card loader from last week, IDE drive and SSD to see what the differences are in terms of load time etc. Thanks for another great video Tito!

[@Legend1148]

And LAN games

[@pizza_for_free]

Front USB is the slowest, as the ports are USB 1.1. HDD is faster than DVD. SSD is theoretically the same as HDD, iirc the PS1 hardware controlling the drives cannot actually pull the data as fast as an SSD is capable of supplying it, but I could be wrong.

[@Jorge.ALXNDR]

@@pizza_for_free and using the USB 1.1 is a recipe to crash cuz it's too slow for some games

[@robertwarnick3094]

This channel is so under rated. The work he puts into these videos is amazing. I love the work you do and love the content of this channel. Keep up the amazing work!!!!

[@MachoNachoProductions]

Thank you so much Robert!! 🙏

[@sergeleon1163]

@@MachoNachoProductions agree with Robert, I'm seeing the video a few days after release and didn't see any comments addressing the scratch mark question. Although you can't get rid of them entirely you can reduce them greatly with (black) car plastic/trim restorers. Example CeraKote Ceramic Trim Coat.

[@Salku_Chaotix]

I never treat this channel as underated. Its just right.

[@ViciousAlienKlown]

It's a great channel but there are channels on KZbin who don't get any views that deserve a huge audience.

[@wyldelf2685]

​@@ViciousAlienKlown thanks 😂🎄👍

[@Rappoltt]

IMPORTANT NOTE TO ANYONE DOING THIS WITH A 3.5" HDD: Those single cables Tito shows and even the cables that have 2 USB ends almost never have enough power for a 3.5" HDD to work properly, even with high-power USB ports. You'll need a dock with an external power supply for those. I've been through this many many times. Don't gamble with your time, just spend an extra $10 on the dock. They dock will always work for 2.5" HDDs and SSDs, as well.

[@banterwithbawden5444]

What do you mean by the dock

[@Rappoltt]

@@banterwithbawden5444 A HDD dock, if you purchase one. Dock vs cable.

[@rafadono]

Great videos as always! The fan issue is not necessarily one, because you have to measure the airflow and heat transfer to see if it is a problem or not, for example, the original fan has fewer blades than the new one, so even if the new one rotates at a slower speed than it should be it can give more air and produce a better heat transfer overall.

[@MachoNachoProductions]

That’s good to know! Thank you! I am researching better ways to measure heat and cooling since I do video covering those topics.

[@Fogolol]

@@MachoNachoProductions i say don't worry too much about the cooling on your phat ps2, as long as it isnt RIDDLED with dust and that fan does indeed spin it will not overheat the ps2 slim on the other hand gets really warm

[@CakeZombie6727]

he said the disc tray was broken while it was open y didn't he put a new one?

[@Eventwow]

I remember the 30001 model when I was a electronics manager. It had a a lot of updates that made the system better

[@natethebad]

A comparison video, or even just a quick community tab update, comparing the SSD mod to the Memory Card mod would definitely be interesting. also, the librarian style with your glasses at 11:40 was pretty funny and caught me off guard. Thanks for another great video!

[@MachoNachoProductions]

Haha thank you Nathan! I will definitely do some testing and share my findings on comparing the two 👍

[@MediocreTCG]

@@MachoNachoProductions looking forward to it. I recently did the game star/SSD/and fan mod myself and wanna sleep how sd stacks up for my slims.

[@That_Handle]

🔴 My curiosity and concern lie in whether or not the memory card SD reader would have provided fast enough if not matching speeds to keep PlayStation2 consoles synced while playing multiplayer online as well as LAN-tunneling, over iLink (s400) system-link and LAN MP. Not that it's a core interest but it would be interesting to see, among those, the small handful subset of yet notable PS2 titles that often desync from others when connected online from players using different storage and pathways from which to play. Such a comparison especially in light of how much the SD card modded memory card could serve so many slim models to, potentially, vastly improve the opportunity to increase the online PS2 player base. 🔴 Also, am curious whether the slower fan speed will cause overheating when you start using more than one DualShock controller and all the rumble Motors are kicking in as well as the effect of the USB Jacks when you are using force-feedback steering wheel + keyboard/voice chat, Rock Band peripherals once a USB splitter is plugged in, music creation peripherals or lightguns that pull power.

[@Shelboooooo]

@@MachoNachoProductions Yes please. I am considering this mod but wondered about the data speed between the memory card or using an SSD for my roms of games I own.

[@SirReptitious]

A comparison video would be great. This is probably a stupid question, but I want to know if one of these solutions has better compatibility than the other. In the last video you linked to a google doc that listed game compatibility, and I wasn't very impressed. I'm guessing it's the same here since they both use mcboot? Are there other solutions that are better? Otherwise if I want lousy compatibility I'd just say only use PS2 emulation. I expected much better from these solutions running on native hardware.

[@ryantakahashi9130]

Noctua makes those same fans in a 5V model already. NF-A6x25 5V PWM and NF-A6x25 5V. Not sure how long the PS2 pushes 7V but if it's only short bursts, the fan will probably be fine. Otherwise it might just need a small resistor to drop down the overall voltage some. That being said if the cooling is already sufficient with an undervolted fans there is no point in changing them. Fans should last longer that way.

[@briangilmartin662]

As a long time fan of Dynasty Warriors, I'm loving the fact that this channel is tackling the PS2! I don't know much about heating and cooling, but I could see where someone might be concerned about the voltage rating on the fan. Especially if it's not getting enough power to do its job.

[@MachoNachoProductions]

Love dynasty warriors, if been a long time since I’ve played though 😅

[@KBABZ]

Thanks for the guide!! I used this to install an SSD into my PS2 after the laser started acting hinky, and it works great! The only hurdles were to do with OPL, which wasn't covered in the video itself but I was able to figure out.

[@coderkind]

A comparison video would be great; guessing the internal drive will perform a lot better and work with more games. Hopefully this marks the year we get a proper ODE and HDMI solution for the console, as its library of games was amazing.

[@MachoNachoProductions]

I’ve been praying for an internal hdmi from from pixelfx. Hopefully we get one soon 😁

[@alexcesarcarboni3920]

As long as i know there is no ODE in the works for ps2, but the HDMI mod is about to be launched for citrus3000psi, it was scheduled for the end of 21 but i think it was delayed due the part shortage.

[@robbyjvc]

IMO Any company manufacturing a PS2 ODE would have a hard time competing with a FREE (as in cost, and freedom) product like OPL.

[@alexcesarcarboni3920]

@@robbyjvc agree, maybe the only advantage would be in compability and ps1 Native, for sure would be who buy It, but less than other systems without a open source loader like the OPL that Works Very well.

[@minmogrovingstrongandhealthy]

Most of these videos are clickbait BS. Often the drive mods or USB lack compability and power to run a game properly. The ''oversized paperweight'' remark falls flat and is completely ignorant in this video because a new laser bay unit was-is still 5 dollars with free shipping from china. Anyone can replace it thanks to video or photo tutorials since forever. Add a chip to it to run backups that is another 10 dollars. You are good to go for another at least 20 years. These replacement parts will be available forever since PS2 and PS1 is still the most popular gaming system in the world and sold more then any other. The HDD can be optional and as a bonus, no need to ignore it's original functionality like the DVD drive and the run of original games or backup discs.

[@damonwalden5699]

I'm extremely pleased that you rotated the logo on the disk drive when you stood it up😌

[@Mullratte]

Maybe it's just me but I actually enjoy the fan noise it's really nostalgic besides I use a home theater system so I never really hear it anyways.

[@glassvial]

Biggest con would be having to remove the SSD and plugging it into a PC to load new games. I think the old school HDD adapter plus the SATA adapter shown at 3:50 might be the better option, then you can keep the network port to transfer new games via FTP. I also think it's a bit disingenuous to call the Game Star model a "network adapter" when it has no network connection, but I digress. ;) As far as the scuffs, you can try magic eraser as some have mentioned, but be careful as it may smooth the matte finish. Try on an inconspicuous area first. Yes to a comparison video, and thank you for this video, looking forward to the updates.

[@filds1]

I dont think this a problem. Since SSD doesnt suffer from high usage aka storage on it like regular hdd when they go full they pretty much go down in speed. Soo you get a 250 or 500 ssd and just download shit ton of games on it since games are around 500mb to 1.45gb you can still load around 300 games on a 500gb ssd

[@l00tur]

Hey Tito for those scratches, you could try the plastic scratch removal liquids. I believe Novus is the brand most go with and has a 2 part plastic scratch removal/restore set that’s pretty cheap. I’ve used it for SNES, PSX, Dreamcast with success. No buffering wheels or anything, just need a microfiber cloth and you’re golden!

[@GranpaSlayman]

In tears while watching this. Brings back many memories, and now there's a way to revive one - a complete new One. .

[@Fighter_Builder]

I installed a hard drive into my old PS2 semi-recently and I've been having a ton of fun with it! If you told me as a kid that you could stuff a whole hard drive in there and install whatever games you wanted, I wouldn't have believed you lol Really nice to see you giving the PS2 some attention recently! Also, I personally went the route of using the SATA connector board in an original network adapter. I've heard official adapters are a bit more reliable, so I opted for that instead. I'm also interested in doing a fan mod, but I dunno... That old PS2 fan whirr is kinda nostalgic for me lol

[@MachoNachoProductions]

Haha true! That ps2 fan noise is instant nostalgia 😅

[@amirpourghoureiyan1637]

@@MachoNachoProductions It's as important as the engine noise when you start a car! Switching it on and hearing the fan noise with the splash screen is just pure nostalgia for anyone who grew up playing PS2

[@gentarofourze]

I ran games off my hard drive in 2006, but those days it required a boot disc to get into the hard drive software.

[@TheShogun88]

I just picked up a ps2 for the sole purpose of enjoying all my childhood games, and well the soft modding as well 😅 I’m confused about the iso part of the mods though like do I have to own the games to download/Flash them on to a drive from the ISO/ ROM websites to be able to play them? I don’t own any ps2 games, and as many know they have gone up in price for the really good ones.

[@tspawn35]

@@TheShogun88 So, no you don't have to actually own the game. People will call it illegal. But, no one is going to know that you don't own a real copy.

[@kingkosher6231]

Not only will I be subscribing to this channel but I ordered everything to do this mod to my very own childhood PS2 that JUST RECENTLY had it's DVD drive fail on me. Thanks for saving my trusty PS2 from sitting on my shelf because I'd be unable to throw it out since I played countless hours of games on it. You have given my favorite console of all time new life, thanks.

[@bradcarlson8349]

I did the exact set of mods to mine, using the same fan kit and drive caddy, a few months ago. Works great and haven't noticed any issues from heat. Also eagerly awaiting LaserBear's fan solution, just in case.

[@bonkerzmusic6506]

Amazing transformation. When I was a kid I was so dissapointed to find out that my fat 30xxx could not use a modified chip. Its amazing how far technology has come far, wish I had this tools and upgrades when I was young, time goes so fast :(

[@dhoome1234ify]

I've always wanted to see a PS2 mod from Macho Nacho. Keep it up guys ❤️

[@MachoNachoProductions]

Thank you! I hope you enjoyed this one!

[@whosdenzel]

great video. but I never understood all the complaints about the fan. had a 39001 date code 3A and a 39001/N date code 3B. its definitely audible but never enough to bother me. when playing a game the sounds/music drown the sound out easily.....to each their own I guess. I think people overexaggerated it though

[@dylwingo8084]

Awesome videos! Really love the attention to detail and the overall quality! It be pretty cool in the future to touch up on laser replacements for both the PS2 Fat and Slim consoles, since some of us still enjoy playing Physical media, despite the digital SSD and Memory Card options available, or at least be able to have the ultimate PS2's that utilize both disc media and digital media

[@swordsaver]

Great tutorial and you made it so simple to follow. I didn't end up changing the fan but followed your SSD setup with no issues.

[@silverian]

Great upgrades and it is always nice to know repairing choices to do when DVD drive breaks! I really love this kind of videos!

[@bobsamurai]

not sure if it was mentioned here, but you can also buy better thermal pads to improve cooling

[@Fuzzy-88]

Tito! Always clean and very professional videos and editing. I would love to see this setup against last week's SD memory card in the near future.

[@MachoNachoProductions]

Thank you RYDco! Will definitely look into making a comparison video!

[@alexcesarcarboni3920]

@@MachoNachoProductions i think that you could show usb and smb on this comparison too, just to show all options available that runs via opl. Maybe even show some ways to setup smb, however it's only a software side and not hardware.

[@tzexiangwong]

Im gonna try this on my own PS2 since i still have one and it still can read games and run. Im glad i found this video, it might bring my old PS2 more life.

[@mydjsobad]

Those Gamestar adapters are SUPER hit or miss on whether they'll actually work. I've purchased multiple brand new and had issues, while using the SATA upgrade board for the official Sony HDD/BB adapter has never even once caused me an issue. If you can get one of the Sony adapters, just do the upgrade and save yourself the potential headache.

[@dapperfan44]

How was the upgrade? I bought the Kaico adapter because I couldn't be arsed to take my Sony adapter apart.

[@thebeautifulvideogame1396]

Had a bad Gamestar experience as well. The unit didn’t work with any ssd or hdd on multiple ps2 systems. Return shipping was three quarters of the price. So upgrade for me as well.

[@mydjsobad]

@@dapperfan44 the install is actually super easy, just remove a bunch of screws and swap out a ribbon cable. I used one of the bitfunx upgrades but I think they're all pretty much the same. What ultimately makes all of the difference is that the Sony interface board for the PS2 is miles better than the gamestar ones, the upgrade board just replaces the IDE port on the Sony BB/HDD Adapter

[@dapperfan44]

@@mydjsobad cool, thanks for the input. Might try it one day.

[@wide4402]

I bought this same TPO silent fan and installed it just the other day, very impressed with how quiet is is

[@PushaTK]

SSD modding a ps2 for games has to be one of the smoothest ways to play ps2 roms using original hardware

[@PushaTK]

Make the comparison video between the SD & SSD PS2 emulation

[@PushaTK]

The biggest pro I can think of between the SD & the SSD is that the SD method would work on a slim PS2, whereas the HDD method requires a fat PS2. The SD method has less hardware tinkering as well, and sometimes the amount of work between each choice can influence a decision. SSD has a higher storage capacity cap, & would most likely provide faster loading times with games compared to the SD I assume.

[@MachoNachoProductions]

I may have to 😁

[@Rappoltt]

It's totally fine to run a DC fan under it's sticker voltage as long as it spins and does sit there cogging. That's how 2 and 3 pin fans have their speeds modulated; through voltage. The worst thing that will happen is it will 'die' sooner, because it won't have the torque from 12v to start spinning... in a couple decades. You can often run them over that voltage also without consequence. A 12vDC fan is usually happiest between 7v and 15v, so 5v might be a bit low. Noctua's 5v fan running at 5-7v might be happier or last longer, but it will probably spin faster and be noisier.

[@dev1anceONE]

Original PS2 Fan is 7v(there is DC7V 0.21A - it gives something about 1.47W) so it will be propably fine

[@JPHarringtonJr]

This looks like an awesome mod. I cant wait to craft the perfect PS2 for me when the time comes. I have a slim, and idk if I will search for a fan solution on that, but I confess I like the look of this original unit more. The front cover of the disc tray is iconic. Thanks for the awesome coverage as usual my dude!

[@MachoNachoProductions]

I love the original ps2’s look also! Honestly might be my favorite looking console. Thank you Jim! Cheers buddy!

[@Zulf85]

I've had both over the years, and there are definitely a lot of advantages to getting an original model. I'd highly recommend it!

[@arturowareham1683]

Everything you do is fire Tito, keep up the great work brotha.

[@Izquierda]

Nice video! A couple of suggestions: 1) The fan mod is not really necessary, and as you noted this Noctua fan is being underpowered, if you actually tapped 12V for it it would be louder. It's not necessary because the noise mainly comes from the drives. The most silent option is actually an SD card paired with appropriate adapters for SATA (if using a 3rd party or modded first party network adapter) or PATA (if using an unmodded original network adapter). 2) Performance is better with an SSD compared to the original PATA drives (game lists on OPL and such load faster), but an SD card can be just as good in performance if not more. 3) WinHIIP is not as good as HDLDumb for loading games, though it has the useful feature of formatting drives to the PS3 format, but it is recommended to use ULauncher ELF instead to format the drive (and add OPL folder structure) while it is connected to the PS3 instead.

[@ubermenschmexa]

This sounds interesting and also way cheaper than the mod on this video. I'm looking to mod my PS2 to play games from a drive but never heard of using an SD card. Is there any video of how to do the things you say?

[@yt_dt]

Between the previous video and this one, you have given my favorite console, hope again in 2022

[@bingbollard]

Definitely need a MC2SIO, heat and price comparison to make an informed choice on this. Still, great video.

[@MachoNachoProductions]

I will definitely look into making a video about it 👍

[@brianmoody9996]

Definitely like to see a comparison video between the ssd and sd adapter.

[@victornicolasruy-diaz2647]

I'm really interested in the comparison you exposed. About the fan voltage issue, I think it might not be such a problem at all. Most cooling systems have tension modulators to control the speed (and noise) they run according to the heat they must decrease. If that Noctua, that we know is super efficient, work as PS2 need with a maximum of 5-7V there is no problem to be fixed. In fact, it's overclocking what would be a problem shortening the fan life.

[@jakeiswayblack3377]

Just ordered an Ocean Blue PS2, and bought everything in this vid for the build. I'm so excited to play GTA and ffX again

[@wetsu7648]

Nice video as always - I did this exact mod a year or so ago. As far as dealing with the scratches on the top shell, you can use the Mr Clean Magic Eraser sponge with some soap/ water to clean and buff-out some scratches (just be gentle around the PS2 logo so you don’t rub that off) and the shell should be almost like new.

[@TheDramolcan]

Its time we see some wireless controller options for PS2.

[@izzieb]

I feel like a SATA adapter with a built in USB to SATA adapter would be a killer product. Would making any changes or copying large files over much easier.

[@MachoNachoProductions]

That would be so sweet!

[@frankgile1996]

I legit was thinking the same thing... Maybe with the USB roughly where the network used to be?

[@sbpir92i]

Or sata moterhboard 🤩

[@gumbyx84]

I'd like to see a quick comparison video between the adapters

[@briancernic]

I was planning on doing the same fan mod but was worried about the low fan speed as well. I ended up 3d printing a mod that sits on top using a 120mm silent fan tapping into 12v. Silent still, but with tons of airflow. Great stuff as usual though!

[@Fecius]

13:11 All of the games that you have there are fantastic! You have a great sense for gaming dude

[@JesusRodriguezCisneros]

Hey Tito! Another PS2 mod back to back :D This got me thinking on swapping my old IDE drive for a SATA, though I’d have to get an adapter; I guess that speed is not an advantage but an arguable better durability and a quieter solution. The fan option I’d be holding off until a more proven solution since my PS2 in on a cabinet which may encounter overheating, though I’m jealous on how quiet yours turn out! I guess the downside of your current setup is that for new games you have to take the disk out (though connecting my PS2 to the network is another equal pain). Cheers dude!

[@MachoNachoProductions]

Yeah dude, waiting on a fan from laser bear may be a good bet. I’m sure this one is fine but I know laserbear is definitely putting in the research to make sure it’s as good or better than the stock fan in terms of cooling. Cheers buddy!!

[@Spentbrass42]

i went and got a official network adaper and a sata board for it installation was somewhat uneventfull except for the screws holding the IDE and its power connector boards being annoying and requiring me to drill them out. but ive had no problem with the WD 500gig drive i installed with it and its a pretty viable option if you find the official one under 20 and the adapter for 15.

[@dapperfan44]

If you want to play new games without bothering to remove the hard drive, you can use a flash drive. A few things though: You can only use FAT32, so you can't put a game on it above 4 GB without extra steps. The USB ports are like 1999 technology, so load times will be slooooow. Game plays normally, though. In addition, prerendered cutscenes will play slowly too. I believe it's kinda finicky and only certain USB drives will work.

[@DrBIeed]

This is a cool idea but the additional hardware is only as good as its weakest link. The fact that the original fat only supports ancient IDE means the SSD will be limited to 133mb/s and that you’ll have to pull the drive every-time you want to add anything to it anyway because the PS2 only has USB-1 ports. Modded PS2’s are great once they are setup but a bit of a hassle when it comes to anything that isn’t already on board.

[@rotallyPumpered]

Putting my hand up for the comparison video. I've got a decent stock PS2 with Free McBoot, but the reliance on DVD-Rs is a bit of a hassle, especially these days when they're harder to come by. I'm interested in finding the best way to launch ISOs without discs.

[@dmo848]

Me super glad I saved all my blank DVD r disks n the rw

[@TingFeng77]

A con I would add is that the fan connector is rather fragile, it’s very easy to rip the entire connector off the board so you should be careful when doing so

[@Kyush4]

Surprised you went with Kaico, they are shady as it gets. And Gamestar adapters also come broken or break easily. Great vid though!

[@MachoNachoProductions]

I had no idea that Kaico had such a bad reputation. I’m glad I know now though 😅

[@Kyush4]

@@MachoNachoProductions no worries nacho, happy to help!

[@sann1n]

Can You tell how do you take this crazy cool camera shots with the PS2 rotating on the black background? I am impressed by the production quality of Your videos, keep it up!

[@W0lfenstrike]

Just curious about how much of an improvement does an HDD brings to shorten loading times compared to the regular discs, especially on data stream heavy games like San Andreas. Then use that baseline to compare how it performs against an SSD (I don't expect much of an improvement due to bottlenecks) and a MicroSD card.

[@MrGeocym]

Orders of magnitude, even on a regular SATA HDD load times are seconds. But the bottleneck is the port on the PS2 is IDE so even a HDD is not running at full capacity, that said though, the PS2 was optimised to run from the even slower ODD so anything is an improvement I have a 2TB disk in my PS2 and its amazing, i have a bunch of PS2 games on there complete with box art, i use the hard drive as virtual memory cards so i never run out of space to save, i also have PS1 games and a bunch of retro emulators on there too. And all running in a minimum of 480p, some games even run in 720p or 1080i with no modification

[@tonypham8742]

Back during the HDloader days booting from the HDD was significantly faster than the disk drive

[@spragzpc1]

Hope laser bear gives the original designer come credit his been selling those for year on eBay & recently upgrade to Amazon

[@silenthill4]

getting rid of the scratch marks is easy just use

[@kegajitt]

USE WHAT

[@markianclark9645]

​@@kegajitt...silent hill is being funny...in other words use your imagination...really nothing can remove those deep marks...light scratching can be reduced by certain gritty creams like T-cut for car paint..I bought an expensive cream but it's not that great...if you buff scratches away by doing the whole top you'll lose the Blue PS2 logo...and the original finish...so you can't win...and the Chinese stopped making aftermarket moulded shells...which is annoying...

[@omarsheriff51]

"The convenience of having your favorite titles is extremly convenient" I couldn't agree more

[@dapperfan44]

I think in my experience, using an SSD does have a minor improvement over HDD. Maybe not full potential, but noticeable. Load times in games like Bully and Crash 4 2001 are near non-existent compared to the same games running off disc.

[@Zulf85]

I honestly forgot that Wrath of Cortex was technically Crash 4 lmao. That game may not be the best but it can be an absolute blast to play

[@dapperfan44]

@@Zulf85 I liked it more than Twinsanity back in the day. When I first played Twinsanity I was like, this isn't Crash.

[@popstar_pills]

the loadtimes will be the same for an HDD compared to an SDD. Both are faster than Discs, OPL has an option to roughly match the Disc speed if it's too fast and causing issues

[@dapperfan44]

@@popstar_pills The bottleneck is definitely there, but the comparison video I saw showed load times about 3 seconds faster. At any rate, it's not so much about load times for me as it is cooling by having less moving parts.

[@TheDaxter11]

From what I've seen in other videos like Spawn Wave's, if you use the Free Boot card and you plan on ripping games from their disks with it, it'll just give you the option to format the SSD or hard drive on the PS2 without needing to connect it to your computer.

[@raikoh05]

I would like a comparison of the ease of installation vs the memory card hack

[@powerzx]

You will not notice any overheating in PS2 at all, but your laser will. :) At first termopads on CD and DVD drivers will turn into stone, then later CD/DVD drivers will burn out and laser will die.

[@JMDeathPunchDD]

This was just so freaking Neat to look at, now im way more interested to play more ps2 games and try this out for myself. Amazing Video!

[@shhteeeve]

Definitely do the comparison with the memory card adapter, and compare to a dvd based game. Im addicted to those comparison vids!

[@wakirk]

I was watching this the whole time wondering why all the work for a dead system, you neglected to mention up front you can load games onto the SSD. You only mentioned that the optical drive was dead. The only game I ever knew could run from the HDD was Final Fantasy XI. Other then that, Great Video.

[@shawnpaulzuccarellorizzo]

I call it totally unnecessary work. Quite useless actually.

[@MegaManNeo]

Other than the need to clean and this particular PlayStation2, I actually really like this mod. All people need to do is to swap parts which is probably the easiest thing about hardware in general. The SSD preparation looks simple enough too which is great.

[@yashy2x]

I love this channel ❤️ i don't know why but you have gamesack and modern vintage gamer vibes to your channel ❤️❤️❤️

[@Bromon655]

You can’t have the ps2 experience without the iconic jet engine fan. Sounds of my childhood

[@brendanjameswilliams]

3M magic eraser with some water and a little bit of pressure got a fair amount of the scratches on a matte black ps3 I had.. definitely worth a try.

[@sergiox03]

You’ve earned yourself a sub and a like. Awesome content can’t wait to watch more.

[@Trains-With-Shane]

not especially playstation 2 related but I used that same StarTech USB to 2.5" Sata adapter a LOT when I worked in my previous I.T. role and I love the thing. I keep one in my laptop bag and one in my desk drawer.

[@enermaxstephens1051]

For those scuffs on the housing, I would try a plastic polish. Something like Norvus, which is used at aquariums to keep many of their plastics looking good. You may need a very small polisher to get the best effect. If that didn't get them out, I would consider hitting just the top with a new coat of paint. If you get the color right, nobody would ever know the difference as long as you made sure you got those scuffs polished with the Norvus first.

[@djb1ge]

I’d honestly want one of these preloaded with all my old favs from that generation over a PS5. Time to start saving up!

[@2_19GamingGoodness]

Great video as always, this channel keeps me modding.

[@samuraijaydee]

Did you cut a new thermal pad for the processors? Looks like you did, what brand and thickness did you go for? 1mm artic?

[@rickygiese5846]

Awesome video and perfect timing! I just bought a PS2 off eBay and I'm waiting for my network adapter to be delivered today, I'm glad you suggested WinHIIP, I just downloaded it and am prepping the harddrive!

[@bland9876]

You will usually see a performance boost in random reads and wrights no mater what system the SSD is installed in.

[@XanderRowlet]

I actually just modded my PS2 using all these parts. I encountered some issues with my SSD not being recognized all the time (applications would crash, OPL occasionally wouldn’t see the SSD, and sometimes FreeHDBoot wouldn’t load at all). I believe the issue is with the 3D printed 2.5” bracket. I think the plastic around the screw holes is too thick to allow the adapter to plug into the PS2 expansion port. After removing the mount, I’m experiencing no further issues. Just some food for thought. Plus, I’m not sure any kind of bracket is necessary if using a lightweight SSD.

[@MrMysterious420]

Very interested in a comparison vid. I have a free McBoot setup now with ssd and want to compare it to running MC2SIO

[@aarongarza4769]

Do not use modern SSDs on an IDE interface, even if you have a SATA adapter. SSDs require a process called TRIMM to be performed weekly to maintain health of the drive. The OS being used has to support said function and said function is only supported through SATA interfaces using the AHCI protocol. Use modern HDDs, which will max out the ide interface anyway, for applications like this, not SSDs. HDDs will offer vastly more storage for the price and will last considerably longer than an SSD. Well assuming you don’t drop said hard drive on the floor or anything like that.

[@armorgeddon]

With modern SSDs and even high quality ones from 10 years ago this a not an issue since a) their firmware does garbage collection independently from the system's operating system and b) there's next to zero writing going on when used in a PS2. I bought my very first SSD, an Intel X25-M, in 2010 and in the beginning I used it with Windows XP which had no TRIM support but despite that that exact SSD still works perfectly fine everday in my HTPC. Same goes for a Crucial M4 I bought in 2011. Without TRIM you may just give up a tiny amount of write performance but apart from that it was only really ever needed on old SSDs with totally crap SSD-controllers & -firmware. Unless you're nearly constantly writing data to an SSD a good quality one will most likely last longer than a mechanical harddrive which also suffers much more from high temperatures.

[@nukeamx]

im just looking at my ps2 right now thinking about doing the same thing because its absolutely amazing simply said having all the games on the ssd thats inside it makes it very convinient

[@Redonepunch]

The fan is thicker so hopefully it should compensate for the lower RPM. Putting my hand on the back of the PS2, I can feel plenty of air moving with the noctua fan.

[@cajun4christ]

Still the BEST intro music on KZbin!

[@bootmii98]

Not the best idea since the sound of the PS2's fan is distinctive and iconic

[@LoveGia]

i've been looking for a fan upgrade for years! so helpful, thank you!

[@PelicanGamer2012]

That intro was so dope

[@Knightphall]

Your video inspired me to do the same to my old PS2 I bought in 2004. I actually use it more than the emulator on my PC.

[@LatitudeSky]

Just got a fat PS2 that seems totally functional. Working on cleaning and updating it as a spring project.

[@user-ut9ln4vd5m]

You call that a lotta dust?!? lol! Try an old desktop computer that's been in a busy, dusty location for years, I've seen occasional dust "bunnies" the size of my hand, and cpu coolers that looked more like a miniature building made of dust. Also, try putting a little temp sensor on a wire inside in a few locations, to test the temps before & after, see if the new fan still works well even with the lower voltage ?

[@chaoseagle4275]

I only saw the amazing intro of this vid, and without a second thought i subscribed.

[@PredictableEnigma]

I have a huge PS2 disc collection and my system is the first edition that I've had since childhood and its still in great shape. I hesitate to mod it but a quiet fan sure is tempting

[@mulletmcnugget]

Nice! I put a HDD (with HDadvance) in my PS2 when I moved countries in 2005, meant i could take my PS2 in my hand luggage and be able to play when we arrived without waiting for the rest of my stuff in shipping. Now it lives in my PS2 powered Arcade Table. :)

[@PhaQ2]

Under-volting the fan is why it's so quiet. The airflow is plenty for cooling at lower voltages, and will extend the life of the fan.

[@G59Loser]

Thank you so much for the ps2 content. recently I found you through your various gameboys mods, but the ps2 is a very special console to me it’s my childhood system.