Conservation of launch 20GB PS3

Hi all,

I've owned an NTSC PS3 that started life as a 20GB since launch and surprisingly it's still working fine. (probably through lack of use to be honest).

More recently, I'm hearing/seeing that it's best to open these up and replace the thermal paste to aid the presentation of YLOD but is this there any substance to this?

What steps would you recommend to conserve it and keep it running as long as possible?

 

Put it in a box and don't use it.

 

Anyone with a more constructive answer?

 

Idk but don't get paranoiac. I would just enjoy the thing. My 12 year old Nikon dslr camera is working fine and I know it will die at some point but I keep shooting.

 

Thanks - I've seen different opinions on if applying new thermal paste does actually prolong its life.

 

Due to reputation of the PS3 fats YLOD, minimal use it for just PS3 games to keep the mileage down. As long as running best not to risk damage in the thermal paste "re-lube".

 

hi Jei , LeHaM is just kidding around. I have Slim PS3's and what i've done is install CFW which allows me to control the internal fan speed i have it at 65%. Next i replaced the Thermal Paste with Arctic Silver 5 and all of the Thermal Pads with Fujipoly. I also installed a Coolermaster Fan on the outside of the PS3 , my temps are around 42 degrees Celsius. When i'm done playing on the PS3 and place it somewhere else the bottom is just slightly warm , when i got my first PS3 the bottom was hot as hell. There is also talk of removing the Heat Spreader and applying new Thermal Paste , i would love to do that but it requires advanced skill.

 

The issue was mainly due to heat being too great which ended up creating issues for users as they eventually started dropping like flies with YLOD (and people trying to play the last of us or something with it when it can kill the damn system).

Simply put, the issue was the RSX solder joints getting too warm, so they either cracked (no longer joined to RSX/Board) melted and joined to a neighboring one, or any combination of it. It's the same issue the 360 had but on a much more controllable scale.

Solutions to this (before YLOD happens)
-Reapply thermal paste (gets old, becomes less effective, overheats, ylod. Arctic Silver 5 is always a suggested one. I even used it on my DECHA00A)
-install cfw for more fan control (which believe me is nice, or invest in a third party fan which i don't say is a smart investment as they seem placebo at best)
-have a backup system on hand should it die (another fat, slim, superslim, the usual)

Solutions post YLOD
-can it (trash it)
-reflow it (temp solution, does not always work)
-reball it (also temp solution but may not work as long as one hopes)

 

Thanks for the replies, really appreciated.

I think il try pixelbutts suggestion to reapply the paste once I've found a decent enough guide. As far as I'm aware it's up to date firmware wise so I'm presuming CFW isn't a simple thing to apply now.

Il do some reading up - thanks again all.

 

Huh? Explain this, please.

 

theres a game on the ps3 (i swear its last of us, if not its some other late game) that is used for a stress test on the system to see what kind of stuff would be needed. its a gpu heavy game so it often kills the fat systems due to the problems stated (thermal paste, heat flow, etc).

It has such a high amount of stress that it kills fat systems. If you boot it and the fan immediately sounds like a jet engine, replace the thermal paste immediately. Fan wise just hope you can get it to cool fast enough.

The game is not used on slims or superslims as they are less prone to issues like that.

 

I'm honestly not trying to be rude but that sounds like some major bs. Thanks for explaining, though.

 

I wish it were, but take my word for it, it can 100% kill a system. The RSX gets hotter based on more complex geometry in frame, so you can turn around face a wall and it will cool down, then turn to a forest of polygons and it will heat up.

 

They can't get hot enough to get anywhere near solder melting point. It's not a case of "it getting too hot". Cracked are caused by heating and cooling over and over the expansion and shrinking causes the cracks.

 

I was asking because I want to buy me a ps3 for the only reason of playing the last of us.
I did some quick googling and found only two or three people saying that "the last of us killed my ps3". That's why I'm not quite willing to believe it yet.

 

There is nothing special about the last of us that would kill the console. Its simply coincidence. Those poeple just had an older ps3 that was on the verge.

I feel like the CECH-2501 is the best ps3 console for playing ps3 games. I've replaced many blu ray drives in earlier slims. The later 3x slims build quality seems cheaper and isn't downgrade-able

 

be sure to dust it out regularly, I bought one of those powered dusters on amazon, worth it to regularly clean your stuff

 

Nothing to do with the BGA at all!

It's the connection between the die and PCB substrate of the cpu package >



Warming the chips back up makes the system work again because the underfill softens slightly, creating the connection in the solder bumps once again..

This is why letting a xbox 360 overheat, whilst putting retarded pressure on the die, makes it work again.. The 360 will kill power not much over 120c..

Try and melt even 60/40 solder with a hair dryer....

Reballing chips that have this issue is more of a scam than anything, good way to waste time and money....


sorry for the grumpyness

 

I have a old 20 gig one as well and it still running awesome.

When I got it years ago(did a trade with my friend)the first thing I did was apply new paste and was already running cfw so I can adjust the fan speed which helps out a lot.

 

Why not get the PS4 version though? Much higher frame rate and resolution and none of the awful controller input lag there was in the PS3 version