Playstation 3 overheating Fan problem?
I have done the research!!! And I wrote this guide taking more safety precautions against breaking my system than the originators so this is a reproduced guide wearing safety belts.
This means there are 2 possible problems with your PS3. Either 1) your fan is dying and needs to be replaced or 2) the heat transfer from your 2 processors to the fan is deteriorating. Number 2 is the most popular for overheating because Sony didn't use the greatest of thermal compounds on their processors, and the heat sink solutions Sony used in its launch systems weren't as well engineered as the later systems. 60gig are the most prone.
This has happened to me and I have fixed my PS3. It works perfectly as if I had just bought a new one (fan is super quiet, showing that the heat transfer is working perfectly) and 5 months later I had to repeat the process and it fixed the problem again. So, this solution may have to be an ongoing task through the years, I suggest doing it 3 times a year like I plan on doing. All you need is a couple screwdrivers, thermal paste (preferably something with silver or more expensive, Arctic Silver is good), and a heat gun (usually made for stripping paint) that gets to at least 650F. The processors in this MB are soldered in...
Okay, assuming you are good with handling hardware and get the PS3 bare down to its motherboard, you should see the huge *** fans mounted to the 2 processors, 1 says GPX and the other CELL I think.
1- You need to take off the fan carefully
2- Clean all the dust you can possible see, CAREFULLY
3- Use acetone or some other 99% alcohol compound to clean the old thermal paste off the back of the processors and the mounts of the fan.
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This part is important
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4- Look for the 2 black chips that are almost touching each processor above (or below depending on the direction the board is) and pay attention to their location to the chips for when the board is upside down.
5- Place your motherboard on a flat, heat resistant surface and set up to where nothing will touch it for 30 minutes.
6- Using the heat gun, heat the processors for 25 seconds a piece (less time the hotter the gun) using a circular pattern as not to have the heat focused in 1 spot. Then do the same for the 4 black chips.
7- Let the motherboard cool for 30 minutes. You will hear popping noises, this is the solder hardening back up after being set further in its socket. DO NOT TOUCH MOTHERBOARD. It is hot and any outside pressure or contact could snap it. Just let it sit there.
Whats happening is your are resetting any connection damage that might have occurred from the processors getting hot and not cooling properly. This also corrects any minor misalignment of the processor and its seat.
8- Flip the motherboard over and repeat steps 6 and 7.
9- Now apply a thin layer of the thermal paste on the back of each processor. Just enough so you that appears like you can see through it. Not literally but to the point that you think you can make out a letter on the processor.
10- Mount the fan back on carefully and clean up all excess thermal compound that may have been squeezed out the sides.
That should do it. Put the PS3 back together, leave the final screws unscrewed, hold your breath, pray to your deity and turn it on.
Like I said earlier, this happened to me I. I did this fix, failed because I didn't heat the processors long enough. Increased my heating time by 15 seconds each processor, and then my PS3 ran faster, smoother, and quiter for about 5 months before I had to do this fix again because my girlfriend doesn't like to turn my PS3 off (have to shorten auto shutoff to 1 hour now *sigh*). But fixed for a second time with same results.
Good luck gents. This solution does work, but you must also know that it may void the chance of Sony fixing this for you for 150. I paid $7 (US) for the thermal compound and $25 for the heat gun. And the PS3 are $300
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