Downloads
release
dev builds
extras
themes
Documentation
manual
wiki
device status
Support
forums
mailing lists
IRC
Development
bugs
patches
dev guide
Search
Donate
1 Hour
1 Day
1 Week
1 Month
Forever
Login with username, password and session length
News:
Welcome to the Rockbox Technical Forums!
Rockbox Technical Forums
Support and General Use
Hardware
what are the best/easiest hard drives upgrades for iRiver H120 and H140?
« previous
next »
Print
Pages: [
1
]
2
Author
Topic: what are the best/easiest hard drives upgrades for iRiver H120 and H140? (Read 17773 times)
highriver
Member
Posts: 9
what are the best/easiest hard drives upgrades for iRiver H120 and H140?
«
on:
November 11, 2012, 02:41:17 AM »
Hey guys,
Looking for your knowledge on how to upgrade two iRiver players with new hard drives, one H120 and one H140.
My main question is, what are the easiest hard drives to install that are at least 80GB?
A 240GB drive would be great but unless they are really easy to install I prefer not to experiment with adaptors and bootloaders as I don't want to risk breaking anything inside the players or spend too much time on software issues.
So far it looks like it would be a piece of cake to install a 80GB but what about 120GB or larger capacity?
«
Last Edit: November 11, 2012, 07:03:05 AM by highriver
»
Logged
monoid
Member
Posts: 107
Re: what are the best/easiest hard drives upgrades for iRiver H120 and H140?
«
Reply #1 on:
November 11, 2012, 04:11:51 PM »
I've just recently replaced old disk in H120 by 120 GB SSD.
SSD cost cca 130 EUR+VAT. It is 50 pin ATA, so no adapter was needed. Bootloader 6 did not work, but 7pre4 works fine. I did not have to compile or so anything.
My procedure was:
1) Rockbox iRiver (it has bootloader 6)
2) Load bootloader 7pre4 to iRiver's HDD and flash it using RockBox to iRiver's EEPROM.
3) Format SSD using PC (you need something like swissknife, fat32format, ...)
4) copy .rockbox from iRiver's HDD to SSD
5) Remove HDD from iRiver
6) Insert SDD to IRiver
7) Copy music to IRiver
(In reality I had intermidiet steps - trying SSD with bootlosder 6) If you want to use classical HDD, bootloader 6 might be OK.
Have a look also here:
http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php/topic,40018.0.html
EDIT:
I flashed
only
the bootloader 7pre4. I
did not
flash ROM and/or RAM afterwards. (I do not know if flashing RAM/ROM makes things better or worse. I do not have a desire to experiment. )
«
Last Edit: December 01, 2012, 04:37:22 AM by monoid
»
Logged
highriver
Member
Posts: 9
Re: what are the best/easiest hard drives upgrades for iRiver H120 and H140?
«
Reply #2 on:
November 17, 2012, 07:08:54 AM »
Thanks a lot for your answer.
Can you tell me exactly what is the brand and reference number for the 120 GB SSD you installed inside your iRiver H-120?
Is it any different to one of the Toshiba "MK" HDD?
«
Last Edit: November 18, 2012, 01:33:49 PM by highriver
»
Logged
monoid
Member
Posts: 107
Re: what are the best/easiest hard drives upgrades for iRiver H120 and H140?
«
Reply #3 on:
November 17, 2012, 12:48:04 PM »
It is not either Toshiba or classical HDD.
I use SSD disk "Mach Xtreme Technology Nano 50Pin Series 1,8" PATA SSD - 120GB". It has 50 pin connector, so no reduction is needed. It is 5 mm thick and about 0.5 cm shorted than original HDD. It cost cca 130 EUR+VAT.
Using SSD over HDD has advantage in lower consumption, resistance to shocks and no noise of spinning (if you want to use H120 also as dictafon, this is handy). It has disadvantage of much higher price.
http://www.tiphardware.cz/mach-xtreme-technology-nano-50pin-series-1-8-pata-ssd-120gb.html
The shop is based in Germany, so I guess they will also have pages in German or English.
I found also this disk, and it should
probably
work as well.
http://www.memoryc.com/storage/solidstatedisk/128gbkingspec18inchidecf50pincf186.html
Logged
highriver
Member
Posts: 9
Re: what are the best/easiest hard drives upgrades for iRiver H120 and H140?
«
Reply #4 on:
November 17, 2012, 02:07:57 PM »
Thanks... A 120GB SSD sounds like the way to go!
You wrote "(In reality I had intermidiet steps - trying SSD with bootlosder 6)"
Do you mean there were other steps to the procedure you didn't mention?
«
Last Edit: November 18, 2012, 01:34:29 PM by highriver
»
Logged
monoid
Member
Posts: 107
Re: what are the best/easiest hard drives upgrades for iRiver H120 and H140?
«
Reply #5 on:
November 17, 2012, 02:34:36 PM »
No, I meant that I described, what is needed to do, not exactly everything what I did, because I tried to run SSD with offitial bootloader 6, but it did not work. So, I swapped the disks there and back twice, but it is not needed as you know that SSD will not work with bootloader 6. Or at least it did not work in my case. Bootloader 7pre4 is OK.
Also, if 64 GB is suffitient for you and 120 GB SSD too expensive, you may consider using Compact Flash card in adapter instead.
Logged
highriver
Member
Posts: 9
Re: what are the best/easiest hard drives upgrades for iRiver H120 and H140?
«
Reply #6 on:
November 18, 2012, 08:18:26 AM »
Thanks, I really want to install that 120GB SSD now...
One more thing though, can you tell me how you connected the card to your PC to format it to FAT32?
I guess I will have to open my PC (not a laptop!) to connect it directly to the motherboard?
Is the connector a common one I am sure to find on my motherboard?
By the way my motherboad is this one:
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/AMD_AM3/M4A79XTD_EVO/
Picture:
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/fullimage.php?image=19613
And while I am at it, do you think the 240GB card could also be installed following your procedure?:
http://www.mx-technology.com/en/product/ssd2.php?sid=5#fragment-16
«
Last Edit: November 18, 2012, 01:35:01 PM by highriver
»
Logged
monoid
Member
Posts: 107
Re: what are the best/easiest hard drives upgrades for iRiver H120 and H140?
«
Reply #7 on:
November 18, 2012, 08:51:39 AM »
I used converter from 1.8" 50 pin ATA to normal disk ATA and plugged it into a universal ATA/eSATA - USB converter.
This:
http://mb-shop.cz/ide-kabely/adapter-pro-zif1825-ide-hdd-na-ide-40-pin-%28vyrobek-S-324940%29
And something like this:
http://www.saverman.cz/obchod/digitus-adapter-pro-pripojeni-ide-sata-hdd-na-usb-2-0-vcetne-zdroje
I cannot locate PATA connectors on your motherboard, maybe they are there, but PATA discs are not used very much now-days, so I guess they are not there.
Probably better (than my solution) would be to use native 1.8" disk housing with USB (you need 50 pin ATA, no ZIF or ATA with different number of pins). You could use old iRiver disk in it later on or SSD disk if you decide replace SSD in iRiver with different, or iRiver dies.
I mean something like this:
http://www.memoryc.com/storage/enclosures/kingspec18inchcf50pinssd.html
Logged
highriver
Member
Posts: 9
Re: what are the best/easiest hard drives upgrades for iRiver H120 and H140?
«
Reply #8 on:
November 18, 2012, 01:26:41 PM »
Thanks again for your very useful explanations.
I think I will purchase the 1.8" disk housing with USB as you relevantly pointed out that after using it to format the SSD card, I could fit my old iRiver HD inside of it (I actually have a few iRivers in stock I wish to experiment with so I will have use more than once for the disk housing to format SSD's or HDD's).
Do you think the Mach Xtreme 240GB SSD could be installed following the procedure you applied with the 120GB SSD?
That is the one here:
http://www.mx-technology.com/en/product/ssd2.php?sid=5#fragment-16
Also, can I easily plug the Mach Xtreme SDD into an iRiver H-140 as well?
«
Last Edit: November 18, 2012, 02:27:36 PM by highriver
»
Logged
monoid
Member
Posts: 107
Re: what are the best/easiest hard drives upgrades for iRiver H120 and H140?
«
Reply #9 on:
November 18, 2012, 02:43:07 PM »
I do not know, if 240 GB will work or not. I would like to know, what is the limit for disk size. If the limit is in RockBox, one could recompile it somehow. I do not have the skill....
But if it is in bootloader and it is less than 240 GB then you would have a problem. There is a problem with iRiver source code for bootloader. Something went wrong and so it is highly recomended not to compile own bootloader. (That is why I experimented, if last offitial works with SSD or not. I was scared to brick iRiver using potentialy defective bootloader. 7pre4 seems to be OK, no problems.)
The smaller one (120 GB) works in my H120, so it should work in yours, but one never knows...
Try to ask in "Repairing and Upgrading Rockbox Capable Players" part of forum something like: "iRiver H1x0 - What is the limit on SSD/HDD size using bootloader 7pre4?". Someone hopefully will know the answer.
I would like to Mod another iRiver with possibly bigger disk than 120 GB.
EDIT:
Yes, that SSD may be also used in H140. Only some kind of padding will be needed as H140 uses a bit thickier HDD.
«
Last Edit: November 18, 2012, 04:52:53 PM by monoid
»
Logged
highriver
Member
Posts: 9
Re: what are the best/easiest hard drives upgrades for iRiver H120 and H140?
«
Reply #10 on:
November 19, 2012, 05:51:41 AM »
Ok! I will keep you informed with the SSD installation on my iRiver H-120.
Once I am done with my experiments on the iRiver players I have waiting for a capacity upgrade, if some of you need more help just get back to me and I will share the knowledge.
And if someone here had success installing a 120GB or bigger HDD (not an SSD), I would like to know which HDD you installed and the procedure you followed.
Of course, anyone who managed to install a 240GB SSD is welcome as well!
[edit] just found this link:
http://www.anythingbutipod.com/forum/showthread.php?t=70395
«
Last Edit: November 19, 2012, 03:42:35 PM by highriver
»
Logged
monoid
Member
Posts: 107
Re: what are the best/easiest hard drives upgrades for iRiver H120 and H140?
«
Reply #11 on:
November 22, 2012, 02:04:21 PM »
It looks like disk of any size may be used with bootloader 7pre4.
http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php/topic,27634.0.html
I asked, if it applies also to SSD, so we will see if someone would answer it. But I expect it does apply also to SSD.
Logged
highriver
Member
Posts: 9
Re: what are the best/easiest hard drives upgrades for iRiver H120 and H140?
«
Reply #12 on:
November 30, 2012, 01:30:40 AM »
Thanks for the info Monoid, I received my 120GB SSD, now waiting for the screwdriver!
Installing a 240GB SSD sounds nice but these are rather pricey (more than twice the price of a 120GB) while price for a 60GB is close to the one of a 120GB. At least that's how it is for the Match Xtreme branded SSD's.
Here is a link that could be helpful for those intending to install the 7pre4 bootloader:
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=144613.0
«
Last Edit: November 30, 2012, 01:38:08 AM by highriver
»
Logged
monoid
Member
Posts: 107
Re: what are the best/easiest hard drives upgrades for iRiver H120 and H140?
«
Reply #13 on:
November 30, 2012, 03:44:28 PM »
I would like to add:
I flashed
only
the bootloader 7pre4. I
did not
flash ROM and/or RAM afterwards. (I do not know if flashing RAM/ROM makes things better or worse
I do not have a desire to experiment. )
Logged
highriver
Member
Posts: 9
Re: what are the best/easiest hard drives upgrades for iRiver H120 and H140?
«
Reply #14 on:
December 01, 2012, 05:41:08 AM »
Success!!! I had a fright when I switched on my iRiver H120 for the first time after plugging the SSD as I got an ATA error message. The solution was quite easy, I used the hardware reset function of the player and switched it on again and the player now works like a charm! To be precise, I had to switch the player off and on a few times to save the display theme, fonts and other settings according to my liking. It appears browsing through the Rockbox software was kind of slow before saving my settings which was rather disappointing, but now it reacts very quickly, I have no idea why it was slow...
Logged
Print
Pages: [
1
]
2
« previous
next »
Rockbox Technical Forums
Support and General Use
Hardware
what are the best/easiest hard drives upgrades for iRiver H120 and H140?
SMF 2.0.19
|
SMF © 2021
,
Simple Machines
Rockbox Privacy Policy
XHTML
RSS
WAP2
Page created in 0.072 seconds with 21 queries.