Playstation 3 - General discussion

[Bones]

One or two of you have probrably seen elsewhere that I scored a good deal on a trio of PS3 consoles, then picked up another one fairly cheap.
 
All three from the trio are good.
The first one had it's cooling fan unplugged - Someone had been into it and forgot to plug it back in, did so after the first re-TIM and the fan worked. The second re-TIM'ing was due to me having the reflow the CPUs in it but that was an easy repair. It did work at first but them gave me the RBLOD and had to reflow it's CPUs to fix.

The second one I had to re-TIM is doing fine as is but it was failing the fan test, looked into that and all was OK. The fan WAS working and still does even though it still fails the test as is. That's the one I intend to keep since it's a higher, nicer model than the others. Picked up a couple of cheap games and a controller today, played it for a few hours and it did fine, no issues noted with it.

The third one I've yet to open up since it's acting OK as is but still need to run it and maybe go ahead and re-TIM it too. Clean it out, re-TIM and it should be OK once it passes a few hours of gametime use.

The fourth and final one seems to have a bad PSU and needs another fan, those are cheap to get and once I get it going I'll know what I really have.

I intend to sell the others and maybe do it again once I recoup my investment and I should be able to with ease. Get 'em cheap and sell them for a nice profit but at the same time sell them for a fair price too.
If I do well enough this can be a self-sustaining way of getting a few spare bucks in the piggy or even for other things like a Ryzen setup (Eventually). 

BTW the soldering station once again paid for itself with the CPU reflow I had to do.

[Bones]

My work so far seems to be paying off.
ATM I have a few "Bites" on the two systems I will be selling so I took apart the third one, cleaned it out, then re-TIM'ed and reflowed the CPU's in it. Updated the firmware in the two systems, tested and all looks to be ready.

Believe I'll be making a few extra $$ with these and if it all goes as I want I'll get a few more - Lather, rinse, repeat.

[ShrimpBrime]

That's a great idea. PS3 was super popular. Should have no problem making a little cash.

[Bones]

I hope so - Nothing concrete ATM but I know they'll go sooner or later.

[Bones]

Had a guy at one of the game stores ask me if I would consider doing some side work fixing consoles if needed.
I said "Yes" and today I'm running one of the ones I've fixed for him to check out as in let him see the work I do.

He's going to run the unit over the weekend and see how it does.

ATM I'm currently fixing a PSU to one, console woudn't power up and suspected the fuse - It was bad and since it was one of those soldered-in fuses I'm modding the PSU with a mini-fuse holder for E-Z fuses changes as needed. If it works after this I'll be happy since doing the mod isn't as easy as it sounds.

Once done I'm actually going to post up how I did it.

[zila1]

That's good to hear Bones. You know this retro stuff is becoming quite popular. I myself have an old Sega Dreamcast that has been sitting on my shelf in it's original box. Haven't used it in 15 years. My neighbor is always bugging me about it. He wants it bad.

He has several old consoles that he has reconditioned and they look great. Fun on a Saturday night with the family kinda stuff.

[Bones]

I'm really hoping this pays off and it could.

I'm having to delid the GPU and CPU in one unit to fix a problem with it overheating, same basic thing as it is with later Intel chips. The TIM in this case has completely dried up and is now useless, got the GPU lid off with very little effort but the CPU's lid is glued on like it is in other CPUs. Problem is you can't remove the CPU itself so access to the sides is very limited and with all the various parts of the board around, just makes it harder to do. However I did run across an article from a guy that did a few of these.
Had some really good info about "How" to do it right and said if you use an oil spatula that would work fine for it so.....

I'll be headed out later to get one and fix this puppy up.

[Vinster]

couldn't you use a razor to put a little pressure on the HS edge and then rest a pot on top of the CPU and torch the pot?

I have the Red light flash of death on my PS3. I've re-tim'd it and it worked for a while but it's gotten messed up again. the issue I've read if if you keep the PS3 stood up (Like I have always done) the heat will warm up the GPU or CPU and gravity would shift the chips off the pads and short some pins. with the pressure the HS has I have a hard time believing this issue, but gravity always wins so I can't 100% discount it.

I'm going to be doing a heat gun cook on it shortly like this one, I've done it before and fixed it but didn't do it to this extent.



There are apparently heat sensor mods out there. I haven't read through them but some seem quite complicated.

I also have a spare Corsair H70 and H100... water cool mod?

Vin

EDIT: here's a good vid;


Here's another;

[Macsbeach98]

Jun 10, 2017 11:28:24 GMT -5 Bones said:

Had a guy at one of the game stores ask me if I would consider doing some side work fixing consoles if needed.
I said "Yes" and today I'm running one of the ones I've fixed for him to check out as in let him see the work I do.

He's going to run the unit over the weekend and see how it does.

ATM I'm currently fixing a PSU to one, console woudn't power up and suspected the fuse - It was bad and since it was one of those soldered-in fuses I'm modding the PSU with a mini-fuse holder for E-Z fuses changes as needed. If it works after this I'll be happy since doing the mod isn't as easy as it sounds.

Once done I'm actually going to post up how I did it.

Interesting I have got my money on the new fuse blowing as soon as you apply power.

Generally when a switchmode power supply fuse goes there is something wrong in the switchmode.

I would like to know how this goes Rodney. 

[Bones]

We have a winner!!!
Mac, you guessed it - Blew the fuse the moment I turned the switch on. I know it's the PSU itself since the system works fine with one I bummed from another unit.

Vin, I too have seen those clips and they are good, however I did find one today that was really good but it's an article: flake.tweakblogs.net/blog/10754/mythbusting-the-truth-about-playstation-3-cooling

I did get the lids off just fine but screwed up and knocked a component off the board in a bad way while doing the CPU. Can't fix it so I guess this one is for parts now.

You can't just use a razor, too many components around the CPU to work around. The tool I got wasn't an oil spatula but something similar, however it's really too wide and that's how I knocked the component off the board while using it to cut through the glue.
To use a narrow oil spatula is the way to go as I found out the hard way. These can be found in any arts and crafts store since they are used for oil painting. I did find with this one the TIM under the lids had completely dried out and was useless so it was bound to completely quit before long anyway as was. If I can somehow fix the board I will but I dunno..... At least with my skills.

Mac could probrably do it.

[Vinster]

I am thinking of doing the CPU TIM as you are with mine now, thinking through it more I've done the heat-gun thing twice. but not all that extensive and the unit had failed within 2 weeks of "fixing" it. so maybe this weekend I'll delid it.

thanks for the blog link.

Vin

[Macsbeach98]

You I thought might of known better Vin, heatgun reflow is a temp fix at best guaranteed to fail again at a later date just like reflowing Graphics cards does.
The real cure is a reball with Leaded solder balls.

[Bones]

I would not suggest another reflow since it obviously isn't doing any good AND each time you do the solder points are slightly weakened.
You will have to do a delid and re-TIM of the CPU and GPU.

I have another one that got hot and cut off, I just went out and modified the tool I have to avoid another accident with this one. Maybe this time around with what I've learned it will go better.
Beware of scratching the PCB surface of the CPU when doing this, yesterday I had that happen as well but luckily the scratch wasn't deep enough to have hurt anything, beveled the tool on it's end so it won't try and dig into the PCB when cutting the glue.
Biggest thing was to narrow the end down so I don't knock anything else off and that's been done too.

I suggest with the GPU to look at the side facing away from the CPU and to the right of center where you see the gap between the lid and PCB surface - You'll see an area with no components there, that's where I'd do the prying to pop it's lid off. All I did was insert a standard flathead screwdriver and twisted right after I warmed up the lid with my soldering station's airwand. I set it for 200F and got some heat in it but not enough to affect the solder underneath. I then quickly did the deed with the screwdriver and it popped right off, no sweat.

Heating the CPU doesn't affect it for this end, you'll have to do it in the same way as a PC's CPU and BE CAREFUL about knocking stuff off the board when cutting through the glue, much too easy to do.

[Vinster]

Jun 16, 2017 17:22:44 GMT -5 Macsbeach98 said:

You I thought might of known better Vin, heatgun reflow is a temp fix at best guaranteed to fail again at a later date just like reflowing Graphics cards does.
The real cure is a reball with Leaded solder balls.

it was easy, and at the time worth a shot. had there not been items on both sides I would had baked it.

But I have it apart now, I have a oil paint spatula that I sharpened. so tomorrow I'll find my heat gun and give this a go.

I'll be doing it this way, I like this method the best out of all the vids I've seen and no need for any glue.



Vin

[Bones]

Make sure the tool you have is angled correctly so when wiggling it you don't have the chance of accidentally bumping a component - Happened AGAIN this morning but this time the component was still attached electrically so I just pushed it back in place and hoped for the best - The system survived this and it's working much better now.

I didn't hardly bump it either, these components are to the point you can almost fart on them and they'll come up so BE CAREFUL.

I had to shorten the end of the tool and even narrow it down some as I learned by working with it after the second "Bump" but now I have the tool close to being as it should be. The end was so long it made the tool stick out too far and that's how I wound up bumping a component on this board. I literally ground it down to half of it's length to bring the bend/angle of the tool closer to the work, that made the part that was wanting to bump everything get clear of the components and by narrowing the end as well it reduced the chance of it bumping something while going along the side of the CPU cutting the glue. I probrably need to shorten the end a bit further but as is now, not too bad.

Layed the lids back on as you showed in the vid and it made perfect sense - No need to reglue anything down as long as you use the plate as the guide/holder for keeping the lids aligned - Slap the fans/heatsinks on, hold it together as you ease it back into the bottom shell of the unit and you're golden.

[Vinster]

I'm nearly done mine, CPU/GPU are re-TIM'd and the MB is re-sandwiched in the metal frame. I have a bunch of pics. Going out to do family stuff and I'll finish re-assembly later.

In cleaning up the silicone glue on the CPU I did get a needle tip sized scuff on the green cover layer on the CPU outer edge. I am seeing a touch of shine. I hope it isn't damaged. But this is all worth it anyway as this unit was bricked anyway and just collecting dust. So a last ditch effort as I see it.

I'll post up tonight how my luck has went.

Vin

[Bones]

Hoping it works for you.

When I did mine this morning I didn't try to clean the glue from the CPU itself, just the lid. As long as you lay the lid back on the same way it came off it should sit properly since the cut patterns of the glue should match the lid, if you completely clean the lid then it should be fine - So far the one I did is working great.

I'm currently doing another one and it's delid went well, nothing bumped or anything so it should be OK when I'm done.

[Vinster]

Mine made it. and it's so quiet now. Like new. I'm thinking of doing the fan mod to have the fan spin faster when at low speed. But here are the pics.

Modified Oil Spatula (Sharpened)



Dry Powder for TIM




The After with AS5



the lids pressed on to the fan unit as per above video




Vin

[Vinster]

Here is the nick on the CPU (Top Left) and it didn't affect the unit




I have another PHAT PS3, newer gen that is spooling up. once it starts with the temp issues I'll be doing the same right away.

it was important to me to bring back this PS3 as it's an original, so it'll Play PS1 and PS2 games as well. These are hard to come by and when you find one people want stupid $ for them.

Vin

EDIT: I also added cardboard (1mm thickness) to help with pressure on the CPU/GPU

[Bones]

Unfortunately the one I "Killed" was one of those older compatable units - I believe it could be fixed but ATM it's beyond what I know in repairing it.
I'll look it over again later and see if there isn't something I could do with it.

The TIM in all of these so far was like dried powder as yours was so I do suspect all of them are like that at this point, currently working or not. The one I finished yesterday is still throwing the red LED so something else is going on with it - I'll mess around with that one later too. Was working and evetually threw the LED, figured this would fix it but no so for now.

The tool I modified has it's cutting edge beveled so the edge can't dig into the CPU's PCB and so far it's worked perfectly, if it tries to dig into anything it's the lid.

As for your newer phat I woudn't wait for trouble, go ahead and do the deed  - You know you'll have to sooner or later and if you do, it's less potential problems with the chips if done before any issues pop up.

[Vinster]

Jun 19, 2017 13:31:33 GMT -5 Bones said:

As for your newer phat I woudn't wait for trouble, go ahead and do the deed  - You know you'll have to sooner or later and if you do, it's less potential problems with the chips if done before any issues pop up.

not a bad idea, these units do need the fan mod though. the heat coming out of my repaired unit was staggering. the Fan really should be running faster.

in the above video the guy uses a 100K pot but uses a fraction of the rotation. so I'd think getting a 30K or at most 50K pot to get a better range and accuracy.

and with everything, I used nearly an entire small tube of AS5. There is a lot to cover when doing this.

Vin

EDIT: Just realized that the fan mod wasn't included in the above video, so here it is.



I think he's pulling down the tach feedback which then has the fan controller increase the fan speed to suit. I've done it. it works, I used a 50K pot and it works fine. the adjustment still isn't linear but I have more range than what he has in his vid.

[Bones]

Got the one that was acting up working again, did a reflow and now it works fine. I let it run for a few hours and it did as expected so it's done.
Just finished yet another one, that also went well now that my tool is about right for the job.

I have two more to do and they'll all be done, then it's time to start selling some PS3's..... Minus the ones I'm keeping of course.

[Vinster]

Jun 21, 2017 0:56:42 GMT -5 Bones said:

Got the one that was acting up working again, did a reflow and now it works fine. I let it run for a few hours and it did as expected so it's done.
Just finished yet another one, that also went well now that my tool is about right for the job.

I have two more to do and they'll all be done, then it's time to start selling some PS3's..... Minus the ones I'm keeping of course.

Is there an original fatty in that bunch? If so, that'll be the one to keep.

Vin

[Bones]

Jun 21, 2017 6:55:23 GMT -5 Vinster said:

Is there an original fatty in that bunch? If so, that'll be the one to keep.

Vin

And that would be the one I killed.
Yes - It was an original phatty I had the accident with figuring this stuff out. It's possible to fix but I don't have the needed skill for this kind of repair..... Yet.

[Vinster]

Jun 22, 2017 11:22:49 GMT -5 Bones said:

Jun 21, 2017 6:55:23 GMT -5 Vinster said:

Is there an original fatty in that bunch? If so, that'll be the one to keep.

Vin

And that would be the one I killed.
Yes - It was an original phatty I had the accident with figuring this stuff out. It's possible to fix but I don't have the needed skill for this kind of repair..... Yet.

Then I'd keep two, a working one and that one. Here a functional phatty goes for $250+ all others maybe $150.

and did you know all PS3's play PS1 games.... even the slims... that blew my mind, I didn't know that until earlier this year.

I'm having issues with Bluetooth atm. I don't know if it's the joysticks not holding a change or what. but I can only use my PS3 with the joysticks plugged in.

I'll be ordering replacement batteries in a few days. And 2 controllers have busted charge ports (kids can ruin everything ) so I've ordered those and are apparently on my doorstep as per Fedex's shipping notification. so I'll get those controllers fixed up and that'll get me from 1 controller to 4 controllers.

then I'll be a happy camper.

I'm on the fence on opening up the newer PS3 I have (it's a phat body, with only 2 USB ports and but doesn't play PS2 games). It can get loud, but the air coming out of it is very cool, nowhere near the heat as my phatty. It didn't bother me going the distance with this one as it was a paperweight anyway, but that one is still working well...

Vin

[Bones]

Well now I have three to hang onto, being the third was also an accident but now I've figued out how to stop that from happening.
I'll take a piece of cardboard and place it at the side of the chip I have a tool working towards so if it slips it will only affect the cardboard, not the board.

Had that happen once again last night with the very last unit to do, namely the one we really wanted to keep. It's possible to fix this one and I'll tinker with it later on to see if I can't do something with it but from now on I'm using the cardboard strip. What happened was I was trying to clean off the concrete on the GPU RAM chips and you know how that stuff is.
It suddenly came up and the tool just slipped and hit a component, knocking it loose.

The original phatty that I know of is dead unless at sometime in the future I can pull off a miracle.... And it could happen one day but I'm afraid it may well get buried and forgotten by the time I do learn how.

[Vinster]

Jun 19, 2017 7:34:51 GMT -5 Vinster said:

Modified Oil Spatula (Sharpened)

I used the same blade that I used to pull the HS off, I also used to clean off the paste on the GPU.

I have the board on my lap, and both hands on the blade and I used my left hands thumb to apply downward pressure while wiggling the blade. it was slow but worked.

I then used 99% alcohol to rub off the remainder that was just barely there that the blade couldn't do.

Vin

[Bones]

Figured out if I heat up the stuff on the GPU chips it comes right off with ease, just used my delidding tool as a scraper and it all came off in a few seconds per chip.
A very light sanding with fine sandpaper finished off the job.
I set my desoldering wand for about 180F to warm it up and scrape it off.

[Vinster]

Nice and easy, I'll try heat on my next one.

Vin

[Bones]

Good news - Picked up an incomplete system with the hopes it was one of the older ones and turns out it was.
Have some work to do with it, not sure if the board itself is any good and someone removed the BR drive power header plug from the board so I'll have to resolder one back in. Once done with that fix it's ready for testing, already delidded it and that should be fine as long as the chips themselves aren't hurt.