The X5 HD to SSD Conversion Thread

[dutchi merengue]

Originally Posted by badettmann

Good to know...wonder if anyone has had luck getting the COWON firmware to work properly. I haven't pulled the trigger yet as I am like you and want to use the COWON firmware.

okay im back, this time i used the same kingston cf card and adapter as another member already posted up in the page before this and it worked, im currently using original firmware no problem


so far i notice no stability issues minus one that might not even appear for you x5 users (remember im using its brother the m3) but when i hook it up to computer using the subdock it crashes most of the time but the larger standalone dock works with no issue, so i dont know wtf thats about but thought it was worth mentioning, you might not even have that problem on an x5/m5

[Chasepoes]

Well, to kick-up an old thread:

I've ordered a Kingspec 1.8" 5mm PATA MLC SSD - 32Gb, and when it arrives I'll try to get it to work in my X5 (30Gb version). I'll post my findings here. I will be trying the original as well as the Rockbox firmware.

[kennyshazam]

I'm looking forward to the results of your tests.

[Chasepoes]

The disk that I ordered did not fit. Although it was advertised as being a 1.8" SSD, the actual size was nowhere near that, it was more like a 2.5" HDD chopped in half. So that SSD was returned, but it led me on to a different SSD: The Kingspec 1.8" CF SSD. This SSD can be found on E-Bay (amongst others) and can be had for a reasonable price. Although the price is higher then a CF-Card + Adapter combo, it is a much cleaner install, just a drop-in replacement. It's available in different capacities (128Gb being the biggest)

I ended up buying the 32Gb version of this SSD. The only problem I had with the installation was that I had to format the drive before I could get it to work in the X5. Installing the drive un-formatted resulted in the X5 freezing upon connection to my PC. But after formatting the drive using a CF adapter it works flawlessly.

The drive works without any problems with Rockbox as well as the latest official Cowon Firmware. File-transfer from and to the X5 hovers around 22-23Mb/s. The X5 feels a bit snappier then with the original harddisk, especially when changing\skipping tracks. Booting to Rockbox\Cowon also seems quicker. Because my original Toshiba HDD is completly shot, there is no way for me to give any factual comparison.

But I"m a happy camper because I've revived my old and trusted X5 (I've also installed a new battery). Now I''m saving up some money to buy the 128Gb version of this SSD and have a whopping big storage X5

P.S. My X5 is the normal (not XL) 30Gb version.

-edit-

I openend the case of the SSD to take a look inside. It is using a Jmicron controller and JMicron memory (3K spec MLC). Nothing fancy or ultra fast, but descent parts, so it should last a while.According to Kingspec: 8years @100GBytes write and erase per day at 32GB

[pushpull]

I am considering doing this myself. My X5L looks and acts like it first came out of the box but at some point the hard drive will fail on me. Since they banned the use of these devices where I work it doesn't get used but I like to have it for road trips. You said that it just drops right in without an adapter or mods, is that right? As far as using the 128Gb version, I believe there is a file limit imposed by the firmware that would render a portion of the SSD unavailable.

[Chasepoes]

Originally Posted by pushpull

I am considering doing this myself. My X5L looks and acts like it first came out of the box but at some point the hard drive will fail on me. Since they banned the use of these devices where I work it doesn't get used but I like to have it for road trips. You said that it just drops right in without an adapter or mods, is that right? As far as using the 128Gb version, I believe there is a file limit imposed by the firmware that would render a portion of the SSD unavailable.

That's right. No adapter or mods needed. The SSD has the same interface as the regular harddisk and almost de same dimensions (same width, same hight, but it's maybe 2 mm shorter, but that only makes it easier to mount in the X5 chassis). Besides the need to format the drive before dropping it in the X5, no modding is necessary. Well, to be absolutly honest: On the original HDD there is a peace of foam-like tape to prevent the HDD from rateling inside the case of the X5. I did pull the tape from the orignal HDD and stuck it on the new SSD. I also had a backup of the original HDD (everything except the music files), which I copied onto the SSD before dropping it in my X5.

Regarding the file-limit: Maybe that's true, I'm not sure. I'm using RockBox on the player, and as far as I know Rockbox does not impose a limit on file\disk size. But I'll have to look into it to be absolutly sure. The backup I had of the original HDD contained the original firmware (my X5 was using the original firmware till it died on me). So after dropping in the SSD I tested if everything worked ok, which it did. After that test I installed Rockbox. So I've not done any thorough testing of the SSD with the original firmware. I put some music-files on the X5 and played a couple of songs for about 30min., which worked flawlessly. After that I installed Rockbox, which I've been using up till now, without any complaints or bugs that I know of. I've not tested playing movies or watching photo's on the X5, because I never use my X5 for that purpose.

The actual conversion is very easy to do. Just unscrew the four little screws on the back of the X5 and remove the backside of the case. Gently pull up the harddisk a little bit, so you can remove the connector from the disk. Once that is done, take out the HDD. Put in the SSD, stick the connector back on (be carefull with the pins on the connector, they easily bend, so make sure it is alligned well before you push it on to the SSD), replace the backcover and the 4 screws and your done in 15 min. tops.