Maximum hard drive size?

New MPC-4000 user here! Used to have an ASQ-10 a few years ago, but now I wanted the "real thing".

It was by far the cheapest MPC-4000 I have ever seen, but the condition certainly didn't fit the description. It didn't play any samples at all when I received, but after opening it up I noticed that one memory module wasn't seated properly. Actually none of the memory modules could be locked in place, and one surely wasn't fully compatible with the MPC. With only one memory module it seems to work perfect, and I really doubt it will crash now like description says.

Anyway, I will do three upgrades in the first place:

1. Order and install a pair of proper 256 MB memory modules

2. Install a new quieter fan (thanks for the info about this in another thread!)

3. Install a new modern hard drive, because they are cheap, quieter and cooler

My question is, how big hard drive can MPC-4000 handle? A 160GB drive is not more expensive than a 80GB drive.

Thanks.

It is unknown at this time what the largest Hard Drive that the 4000 can handle.

At one point, it was thought that this was limited to 120G or less due to Fat 32 restrictions
but MPC Forum users have shown this to be wrong by plugging in larger drives externally.

To the best of my knowledge from watching these forums, the largest HD that
MPC 4000 has been reported with is an external 500G Drive.

The largest internal drive that I've heard of is 120G.


That doesn't mean that either internal or external can't handle more. You could try, if you purchase from
a retailer that will provide free returns/exchanges.

I would believe that if the MPC can handle a 500G external (USB) drive that it could also handle an internal
500G drive.

Cheers,
Dave

Thanks for your reply. I saw an ad for an MPC-4000 with a 500GB internal drive so I guess that'll work. Either way, I'm going for a 160GB drive. I don't need more than that, and I also want a drive with a single platter. They are cooler and quieter.

have a 150 gb internal drive and the 4k w/o probs.

I cant recall where and when I read this but since the 4k is based of older ATA technology I dont think you will get more than 127GB out of a harddrive after formatting it in the 4k? Dreadnutz are you sure you the fully 150gb or did it limit itself at 127gb?

I was worried a bit about that limit as well, but this guy here in Sweden obviously has a 500 GB hard drive installed. After all I think the 137GB limit was broken in 1999 or something and that's a few years before the MPC-4000 was launched. Some equipment only needed a BIOS/firmware update to change this as well.

Well I wish you luck in trying it out and please report back about it! I just think this has been discussed before and back then I'm pretty sure the limit was 127gb and the 4k hasnt had a OS update in 500.000 years so I dunno.... But be our guinea-pig!

Hehe...sorry, but I don't think I will be the guinea pig this time. I've decided to go for a 120GB laptop drive instead with a 2.5"<->3.5" converter. They are even quieter and cooler, and also made to moved around. The price difference is negligible too.

Seagates are quiet and you can still find 80 GB 7200 rpm drives on the net for 3.5 EIDE. I could not find the 120 GB because they have long been discontinued.

Laptop drives are still in a whole different league noisewise, and even so if we talk about vibrations. I actually have an 80 GB 3.5" Seagate Barracuda drive lying around here already, but as a friend of mine said: The only sound you should hear from it should come from the audio outputs.

you can also press "stop spinning" and then you wont hear your HD!

MPC 4 ME wrote:you can also press "stop spinning" and then you wont hear your HD!

I think the fan is making the most noise anyway. It will be interesting to hear the difference when I get the new fan next week. I also bought a rubber frame to put between the fan and the MPC.

By the way, there are more reasons for me to replace the hard drive. If I have critical data on a hard drive, I either...

* Use RAID to protect it

* Back it up very regularly

* Replace the hard drive every three years

IDE hard drives were never built to last, although they are better now than they were 5-10 years ago.

Fess wrote:

MPC 4 ME wrote:you can also press "stop spinning" and then you wont hear your HD!

But its true!
since os 1.60 I believe..
This doesnt work when your MPC is connected to a computer via USB. The computer will activate the HD automatically.. At least, my mac does