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      11-11-2011, 09:41 AM   #1
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The size of HDD

Does any one know:

1. The size of built in HDD

2. The location of HDD in X3

3. Can HDD be replaced with a larger capacity HDD or a flash drive
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      11-11-2011, 09:56 AM   #2
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Not sure the total size of the HDD but it allocates either 10 or 12gb for music, but the playback is strange, it alphabetizes an album instead of track list order. - only on whats stored on the x3's HDD. I think more space on the HDD is used for NAV and other stuff

no idea about replacing it, however you have a USB port in your center console, you can easily plug an ipod or an external hard drive into there. I was thinking of putting an SSD in at some point and loading all my music there. For now I'm using my ipod classic and its been great.
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      11-11-2011, 10:48 AM   #3
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12.5 GB for music. I thought I read that it's an 80 GB drive.
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      11-11-2011, 11:10 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by laimbeer View Post
12.5 GB for music. I thought I read that it's an 80 GB drive.
yeah I think it is 80GB, but only 12.5GB for music, rest is for the BMW stuff.
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      11-11-2011, 11:42 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alokbhargava View Post
Does any one know:
2. The location of HDD in X3

3. Can HDD be replaced with a larger capacity HDD or a flash drive
2. it's part of the CIC unit at in the front.
3. Probably but you'd have to re-install the O/S and code the car afterwards

I might be interested in upgrading the HDD at some point if BMW hadn't made such a pig's ear of the HDD music software
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      11-11-2011, 01:48 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sfax View Post
2. it's part of the CIC unit at in the front.
3. Probably but you'd have to re-install the O/S and code the car afterwards

I might be interested in upgrading the HDD at some point if BMW hadn't made such a pig's ear of the HDD music software
sfax, what do you mean by that? Does the software allow you to just put a CD in and store it to the HD? Will it take any music CD that is purchased commercially? I thought I heard that it won't take all CD's. You might have to rip your own and then stick those CD's into the drive in the X3.
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      11-11-2011, 01:57 PM   #7
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It won't play Audio DVD's. Regular music CD's and MP3 files will work fine.

Replacing the drive means you have to reload the car-specific owners manual as well.
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      11-11-2011, 02:58 PM   #8
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so having DVD-A's is useless? that means you can't take advantage of the 5.1 system in the X3 (if there is one). I assume there is if there's a surround setup. I listened to the premium sound system and was less than impressed. I fooled around with the EQ and put in in surround and took it out. messed with the fading too. But I could never get it to be spacially correct. I didn't like the bass response and it was too centered way up front. But music is very subjective so this is my opinion (and I'm sticking to it)
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      11-11-2011, 03:09 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cadman50 View Post
sfax, what do you mean by that? Does the software allow you to just put a CD in and store it to the HD? Will it take any music CD that is purchased commercially? I thought I heard that it won't take all CD's. You might have to rip your own and then stick those CD's into the drive in the X3.
If you put in an audio CD it will allow you to rip it to the HDD as well - whilst listening to it I think. Should work for any audio CD (but I don't think it works for data CDs)

The only way to get music ripped to files (mp3, wma etc) onto the HD (easily) is using the USB port in the glove box and importing via the iDrive menu
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      11-11-2011, 09:42 PM   #10
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Does any one know where the HDD is located in X3?
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      11-11-2011, 10:23 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alokbhargava View Post
Does any one know where the HDD is located in X3?
See post #5 by sfax.
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      11-11-2011, 11:40 PM   #12
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80GB toshiba 2.5" pata drive

It has high vibration specs.

Some have replaced with a larger drive and/or an SSD.

SSD with PATA are not plentiful.

You can clone the drive in Linux, however, increasing the partition size is very challenging.

I've read boot up time decreases with an SSD IN OUR Harman/Becker navi units.

Hard drive is just south of the cd/DVD slot. It's slide out replaceable.
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      11-12-2011, 03:51 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by walendvay View Post
80GB toshiba 2.5" pata drive

It has high vibration specs.

Some have replaced with a larger drive and/or an SSD.

SSD with PATA are not plentiful.

You can clone the drive in Linux, however, increasing the partition size is very challenging.

I've read boot up time decreases with an SSD IN OUR Harman/Becker navi units.

Hard drive is just south of the cd/DVD slot. It's slide out replaceable.
Great info. Thanks for posting
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      11-12-2011, 07:58 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by walendvay View Post
80GB toshiba 2.5" pata drive

It has high vibration specs.

Some have replaced with a larger drive and/or an SSD.

SSD with PATA are not plentiful.

You can clone the drive in Linux, however, increasing the partition size is very challenging.

I've read boot up time decreases with an SSD IN OUR Harman/Becker navi units.

Hard drive is just south of the cd/DVD slot. It's slide out replaceable.
Awesome! Thanx!!!
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      11-12-2011, 09:59 AM   #15
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The OS is QNX. The key is you'll need to have a copy of QNX running somewhere (either an old PC or via VMWARE). You'll need to find a QNX utility that will allow you to resize the partition for the user area for music.

Within LINUX, you should be able to make a clone of the drive if your goal is to reduce boot time. you can clone the drive in linux. It's within QNX where you'd have to go and resize the partitions.

You should be able to do this w/o having the car recoded/reloaded, or whatever you want to call it. As long as you do a copy of the hard drive, the software/firmware within the car will be agnostic to the hard drive hardware. On some other forums, people have replaced the 4200rpm drive with a 5400rpm drive and were able to see boot times decrease. An SSD will be even faster!

I am guessing in a couple of years, Harmon/Becker will move to a SATA 1.5 or SATA 3.0 based drive, which will allow for more hard drive options. I see Toshiba already sells an automotive SATA drive in a larger capacity. I'd plan for this for your next car, maybe.

Taking the drive out, doing a clone, and trying a new drive isn't very invasive. I'd suggest cutting the power to the car if you remove the hard drive. The hard drive does write/read data after the car is completely off (I hear mine hammering away).

Non automotive drives may be a bit quieter. An SSD would be silent for obvious reasons.

Have fun!
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      11-12-2011, 11:16 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cadman50 View Post
so having DVD-A's is useless? that means you can't take advantage of the 5.1 system in the X3 (if there is one). I assume there is if there's a surround setup. I listened to the premium sound system and was less than impressed. I fooled around with the EQ and put in in surround and took it out. messed with the fading too. But I could never get it to be spacially correct. I didn't like the bass response and it was too centered way up front. But music is very subjective so this is my opinion (and I'm sticking to it)
The surround sound is Harman's Logic 7 dsp. I believe when engaged no matter what the source material is, it will always synthesized to Logic 7. Remember it's a car and you sit to one side or the other so your ears are not equidistant from the speakers to get spatially correct sound. One would need to get something like Dirac, have ears like Mr. Potato or sit on the center console to get it right.
The center speaker still plays in normal stereo setting. You might try disconnecting the center speaker to hear an improvement.
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