Q: Hard Drive Upgrade

swhat · 03-01-2011, 11:54 AM

What Hard Drive comes with the M3 for 2009 and up? And is it possible to upgrade that hard drive to maybe a faster SSD? In theory, it should be possible, but has anyone ever done it?

Sean@PYSpeed.com · 03-01-2011, 11:58 AM

Not sure if it's worth an SSD upgrade, probably won't make the system over faster. But an upgrade to the hard drive for more music/data stored might be a good idea. I wonder if Alekshop knows anything about this. They seem to do a lot of retrofit work! Check with them!

Wah · 03-01-2011, 12:01 PM

Doesn't sound like it would be an easy job. I would think you need special software just to format it and install other software on it so it can be used in the car. I just put an SSD in my 3yr old macbook pro and it feels like a new computer... probably faster than a new non-ssd computer. Amazing. I'm never going back.

Sean@PYSpeed.com · 03-01-2011, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wah

Doesn't sound like it would be an easy job. I would think you need special software just to format it and install other software on it so it can be used in the car. I just put an SSD in my 3yr old macbook pro and it feels like a new computer... probably faster than a new non-ssd computer. Amazing. I'm never going back.

I don't think the iDrive computer was built like a actual computer. But overall, you are correct. Probably needs a special file system format and somehow write the new drive with the software needed for bootup!

GreasyGinzo · 03-01-2011, 12:15 PM

You should just be able to take an image of the stock HDD and put that image on the new SSD. I would have to guess that its some proprietary drive not just a 2.5" notebook drive installed in there though.

eluder · 03-01-2011, 12:22 PM

There are a few possible hurdles, though I'd love to see this done:

- physical access: shouldn't be an issue, since they probably fail and BMW wants the local techs to be able to replace them without too much trouble
- physical connection: the drive is probably SATA, but there's a possibility that it uses a custom physical connector. I think this is pretty unlikely however.
- firmware: this would be the biggest hurdle. The drives could have a customer firmware (this happens a lot int he enterprise IT segment, vendors can sometimes put custom firmware on their HDs for various reasons). This would be tough to duplicate for a replacement drive.
- partitions: pretty easy to duplicate these with a Linux box, then you'd expand the partition that contains the free space

The drives may be SSDs already. In a car, it's a good idea and 64-128GB SSDs aren't expensive. I doubt they are top of the line models either.

Bosna · 03-01-2011, 12:35 PM

If you take off the trim from your CCC you can actually see where the HDD sits. It's a small slot that looks the same as the PS3 HDD slot. Most likely a standard 2.5'' laptop hard drive in there.

persian54 · 03-01-2011, 01:49 PM

it boots up almost instantly and responds quickly

i don't see how (or why) you'd want to make it faster

more storage space would be nice though

Doctor J · 03-01-2011, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swhat

What Hard Drive comes with the M3 for 2009 and up? And is it possible to upgrade that hard drive to maybe a faster SSD? In theory, it should be possible, but has anyone ever done it?

i wouldn't screw around with it if I were you

sameh · 03-01-2011, 02:05 PM

with an M3, it's more about Drive Hard than about Hard Drive!! I think.

SenorFunkyPants · 03-01-2011, 02:13 PM

CIC info attached
E90 CIC info.pdf
SBT CIC.pdf

swhat · 03-01-2011, 02:57 PM

Yes, it would be definitely more for the space vs speed, but a little speed wouldn't hurt. I was thinking maybe if I bring my hard drive into the dealership, maybe they have software that can do it for me. Or if someone comes up with a plan, that would be awesome

Sean@PYSpeed.com · 03-01-2011, 02:59 PM

swhat ~, I would PM alekshop for him to check out this thread. he might have an response.

kaykay · 03-01-2011, 03:43 PM

Doesn't sound like a good idea to me. SSD won't help if the CPU of the BMW system is slow already.

OC3 · 03-01-2011, 03:58 PM

Not saying OP should do this or not, but generally speaking, even the slowest CPU is faster by far than mechanical hard drives (that have spinning platters on spindles & needles hovering over them). And, if you use SLC SSD, instead of MLC SSD, whoa.

kmarei · 03-01-2011, 04:11 PM

well based on those PDFs those HDs are repaceable
and i think it's safe to assume it's a SATA HD
so all you need is a way to clone the existing partitions to the new drive
and expand the audio partition to fill the drive

OC3 · 03-01-2011, 04:22 PM

Well, there you go. Ghost or Acronis...

eisenb11 · 03-01-2011, 05:01 PM

I'd be interested in a SSD upgrade, not because of speed, but because it's silent and a lot more heat and shock resistant than a hard drive. I'm very curious to see if the migration is possible.

Erhan · 03-01-2011, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OC3

Not saying OP should do this or not, but generally speaking, even the slowest CPU is faster by far than mechanical hard drives (that have spinning platters on spindles & needles hovering over them). And, if you use SLC SSD, instead of MLC SSD, whoa.

CPU is faster yes but that doesn't matter in iDrive I guess. There's no cpu heavy apps in iDrive (or is there?). Also, what is the bandwidth of the iDrive system. Chances are, SSD (even MLC ones) are much faster.

That being said, it makes more sense to have SSD then a regular HDD in a car due to all sort of vibrations. Although, BMW is not stupid, they may already be using a suitable HDD.

///My5UV · 03-01-2011, 05:10 PM

I'd like to know if you're able to do it.
Generally it just gets you more storage since the CPU in the CIC is probably slower than the hard drive interface so most people just cram a bigger memory stick in the USB port.

mexicanmike · 03-01-2011, 09:06 PM

Doesn't the iDrive system use a extremely high compression rate on the audio files? If this can not be changed, then upgrading your HDD for more storage is just a waste. just buy a 160gb iPod, that is if you have the ipod option. If not, USB sticks come in VERY large capacities.

PM alekshop. I do suspect that the iDrive would need a particular drive, running particular firmware. This allows BMW to charge through the nose for iDrive repairs.

Technic · 03-01-2011, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swhat

What Hard Drive comes with the M3 for 2009 and up? And is it possible to upgrade that hard drive to maybe a faster SSD? In theory, it should be possible, but has anyone ever done it?

Search still works... http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=185022

03-01-2011, 11:54 AM	#1
swhat Captain 127 Rep 628 Posts Drives: '11 MW E92 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Seattle Area iTrader: (1)	Q: Hard Drive Upgrade What Hard Drive comes with the M3 for 2009 and up? And is it possible to upgrade that hard drive to maybe a faster SSD? In theory, it should be possible, but has anyone ever done it?
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03-01-2011, 11:58 AM	#2
Sean@PYSpeed.com Major General 306 Rep 8,952 Posts Drives: 2009 AW E92 M3 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Bay Area iTrader: (22)	Not sure if it's worth an SSD upgrade, probably won't make the system over faster. But an upgrade to the hard drive for more music/data stored might be a good idea. I wonder if Alekshop knows anything about this. They seem to do a lot of retrofit work! Check with them!
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03-01-2011, 12:01 PM	#3
Wah IG@i.am.wah 2780 Rep 3,815 Posts Drives: M2 CS Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: NJ iTrader: (4) Garage List 2022 Tesla Model Y ... [0.00] 1974 BMW 2002 [0.00] 2020 BMW M2 CS [0.00]	Doesn't sound like it would be an easy job. I would think you need special software just to format it and install other software on it so it can be used in the car. I just put an SSD in my 3yr old macbook pro and it feels like a new computer... probably faster than a new non-ssd computer. Amazing. I'm never going back.
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03-01-2011, 12:15 PM	#5
GreasyGinzo Captain 41 Rep 635 Posts Drives: '08 E92 AW 6MT M3(Totaled) Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: North Jersey iTrader: (1)	You should just be able to take an image of the stock HDD and put that image on the new SSD. I would have to guess that its some proprietary drive not just a 2.5" notebook drive installed in there though. __________________
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03-01-2011, 12:22 PM	#6
eluder First Lieutenant 9 Rep 309 Posts Drives: m Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: home iTrader: (0)	There are a few possible hurdles, though I'd love to see this done: - physical access: shouldn't be an issue, since they probably fail and BMW wants the local techs to be able to replace them without too much trouble - physical connection: the drive is probably SATA, but there's a possibility that it uses a custom physical connector. I think this is pretty unlikely however. - firmware: this would be the biggest hurdle. The drives could have a customer firmware (this happens a lot int he enterprise IT segment, vendors can sometimes put custom firmware on their HDs for various reasons). This would be tough to duplicate for a replacement drive. - partitions: pretty easy to duplicate these with a Linux box, then you'd expand the partition that contains the free space The drives may be SSDs already. In a car, it's a good idea and 64-128GB SSDs aren't expensive. I doubt they are top of the line models either.
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03-01-2011, 12:35 PM	#7
Bosna Picking fights with sharks 5 Rep 133 Posts Drives: 2011 M3 ZCP Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Portland, OR iTrader: (0)	If you take off the trim from your CCC you can actually see where the HDD sits. It's a small slot that looks the same as the PS3 HDD slot. Most likely a standard 2.5'' laptop hard drive in there. __________________ 2011.5 M3 Coupe DCT 2007 Lotus Exige S 6MT 2005 545i 6MT Fast is subjective.
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03-01-2011, 01:49 PM	#8
persian54 Lieutenant General 927 Rep 15,818 Posts Drives: M760/G83M4 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: The Valley, SoCal iTrader: (298)	it boots up almost instantly and responds quickly i don't see how (or why) you'd want to make it faster more storage space would be nice though __________________ From E93 335i to E89 Z4 to E93 M3/E89 Z4 to E350/SL550
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03-01-2011, 02:05 PM	#10
sameh Lieutenant Colonel 171 Rep 1,530 Posts Drives: 2015 Porsche 911S Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Texas iTrader: (0)	with an M3, it's more about Drive Hard than about Hard Drive!! I think. __________________ 2011 E92 JB/BL/DCT--->80K Miles 2015 F80 SS/SO/DCT?->28K Miles 2015 Porsche 911S
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03-01-2011, 02:13 PM	#11
SenorFunkyPants Brigadier General 2511 Rep 4,381 Posts Drives: 2019 M5 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	CIC info attached E90 CIC info.pdf SBT CIC.pdf
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03-01-2011, 02:57 PM	#12
swhat Captain 127 Rep 628 Posts Drives: '11 MW E92 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Seattle Area iTrader: (1)	Yes, it would be definitely more for the space vs speed, but a little speed wouldn't hurt. I was thinking maybe if I bring my hard drive into the dealership, maybe they have software that can do it for me. Or if someone comes up with a plan, that would be awesome
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03-01-2011, 02:59 PM	#13
Sean@PYSpeed.com Major General 306 Rep 8,952 Posts Drives: 2009 AW E92 M3 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Bay Area iTrader: (22)	swhat ~, I would PM alekshop for him to check out this thread. he might have an response.
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03-01-2011, 03:43 PM	#14
kaykay Lieutenant Colonel 90 Rep 1,769 Posts Drives: 2011 E92 M3 ZCP Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: SoCal iTrader: (0) Garage List 2011 E93 328i Conve ... [9.50] 2011 E92 M3 ZCP [8.66] 2008 550i Sport [10.00]	Doesn't sound like a good idea to me. SSD won't help if the CPU of the BMW system is slow already. __________________ '12 CLS550 Palladium Silver - loaded '11 E92 M3 ZCP - SG/B-EXT/CF, M-DCT, loaded '11 E93 328i, BSM over Saddle Brown, sport, loaded '08 550i M-Sport, Carbon Black (Gone but not forgotten), '06 W211 E55 AMG (Gone, miss this animal),'01 E39 540i Sport
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03-01-2011, 03:58 PM	#15
OC3 Havin' a blast! 125 Rep 4,847 Posts Drives: 2013 M3 E92 Jerez Blk DCT ZCP Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: SoCal iTrader: (1)	Not saying OP should do this or not, but generally speaking, even the slowest CPU is faster by far than mechanical hard drives (that have spinning platters on spindles & needles hovering over them). And, if you use SLC SSD, instead of MLC SSD, whoa. __________________ BRP 1:56 \| CVR 2:01 \| ACS 1:53 \| WSIR 1:34
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03-01-2011, 04:11 PM	#16
kmarei Major General 688 Rep 6,845 Posts Drives: 2018 Audi RS5 coupe Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Reston, VA iTrader: (34) Garage List 2018 Audi RS5 [0.00]	well based on those PDFs those HDs are repaceable and i think it's safe to assume it's a SATA HD so all you need is a way to clone the existing partitions to the new drive and expand the audio partition to fill the drive
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03-01-2011, 04:22 PM	#17
OC3 Havin' a blast! 125 Rep 4,847 Posts Drives: 2013 M3 E92 Jerez Blk DCT ZCP Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: SoCal iTrader: (1)	Well, there you go. Ghost or Acronis... __________________ BRP 1:56 \| CVR 2:01 \| ACS 1:53 \| WSIR 1:34
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03-01-2011, 05:01 PM	#18
eisenb11 Major 53 Rep 1,153 Posts Drives: 2012 E92 M3 SSII Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Redondo Beach, CA, USA iTrader: (0)	I'd be interested in a SSD upgrade, not because of speed, but because it's silent and a lot more heat and shock resistant than a hard drive. I'm very curious to see if the migration is possible.
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03-01-2011, 05:10 PM	#20
///My5UV Lurker 78 Rep 812 Posts Drives: YMB F80, SS E90 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Austin iTrader: (0)	I'd like to know if you're able to do it. Generally it just gets you more storage since the CPU in the CIC is probably slower than the hard drive interface so most people just cram a bigger memory stick in the USB port.
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03-01-2011, 09:06 PM	#21
mexicanmike Captain 18 Rep 636 Posts Drives: 09 E93 Jerez Black Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Morgan Hill, CA iTrader: (0)	Doesn't the iDrive system use a extremely high compression rate on the audio files? If this can not be changed, then upgrading your HDD for more storage is just a waste. just buy a 160gb iPod, that is if you have the ipod option. If not, USB sticks come in VERY large capacities. PM alekshop. I do suspect that the iDrive would need a particular drive, running particular firmware. This allows BMW to charge through the nose for iDrive repairs.
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