PS3 Old PS3 bought, what are the recommended mods?

[Nator]

Is this de-lidding actually needed? Just got my old CECHP03 out of storage a few days ago but now I'm wondering if I'm not better off just putting it back in the box and emulating the few games that I wanna play that aren't available on any other console.
A de-lid sounds like a lot of work with a lot of risk as well.
I have opened the console up and cleaned out as much dust as I could and temps were hovering in the high 60s to low 70s after playing some Modnation Racers for an hour last night.
If using the thing is gonna kill it then it's going away again.

The fat models die because mainly the rsx of the fat versions is faulty and also the console heats up a lot. This is why we try to achieve maximum optimization by deliding and other stuffs to be able to make the console live and play.

 

[GuilloteTesla]

But is it a known thing? because i see that many people put liquid metal. As far as i'm concerned, the heatsink should be made of steel and shouldn't react, while the IHS should be plated, but if you take the plating off then the liquid metal will react.
To avoid this i was thinking after having done the delid, to put the heat sink directly in contact with the die and use liquid metal, do you think this is a good idea?

Yes, it is a known thing when liquid metal became an affordable heat transfer compound. Some allows of the liquid compound tend to react and degrade the aluminum (wether it is the die, the IHS or the heatsink) becuse there were not designed to be used with liquid metal. Remember that we are talking about an almost 20 years old console.

Regarding your idea of putting the die in direct contact with the heatsink, there is a thread here on the forums that discusses this approach. The problem here is to find a way to move the heatsink closer to the die, as there will be a huge gap where the IHS is supposed to be.

My best advice is to use a very good thermal paste (like Arctic Cooling MX-4 or MX-5). I have used MX-5 (which is a bit overkill for a PS3) and got no issues in the 5 years that I've got my used PS3.

 

[nikeymikey]

The fat models die because mainly the rsx of the fat versions is faulty and also the console heats up a lot. This is why we try to achieve maximum optimization by deliding and other stuffs to be able to make the console live and play.

PS3 is not worth the effort then, not for the handful of games that can't be played elsewhere. Back in the box it goes.
I don't know why I'm surprised, Sony products as a whole haven't had the bulletproof build quality they were once known for since the 90's. The PS3 will join the numerous dead PS2's I have stored away.
It's a shame because the console was a beast in its hay day and I had some great fun with it.

 

[GuilloteTesla]

PS3 is not worth the effort then, not for the handful of games that can't be played elsewhere. Back in the box it goes.
I don't know why I'm surprised, Sony products as a whole haven't had the bulletproof build quality they were once known for since the 90's. The PS3 will join the numerous dead PS2's I have stored away.
It's a shame because the console was a beast in its hay day and I had some great fun with it.

CECHP models were good regarding temps and longevity. If you had taken good care of your console, then it should be run very well. The best thing is to clean it from time to time (a couple of years is a good time frame) and check if the thermal paste is dry. Nothing more.

 

[nikeymikey]

I just got it out of storage a few days ago. The console has never been banged about or left powered on for excessive amounts of hours, the most I would play it for was prob 3 hours or so at a time.
I guess I'll see how it goes for a few days, keep an eye on the temps and see what happens. If it starts to get excessively hot then I'll pack it up again and put it away.

 

[Nator]

Yes, it is a known thing when liquid metal became an affordable heat transfer compound. Some allows of the liquid compound tend to react and degrade the aluminum (wether it is the die, the IHS or the heatsink) becuse there were not designed to be used with liquid metal. Remember that we are talking about an almost 20 years old console.

Regarding your idea of putting the die in direct contact with the heatsink, there is a thread here on the forums that discusses this approach. The problem here is to find a way to move the heatsink closer to the die, as there will be a huge gap where the IHS is supposed to be.

My best advice is to use a very good thermal paste (like Arctic Cooling MX-4 or MX-5). I have used MX-5 (which is a bit overkill for a PS3) and got no issues in the 5 years that I've got my used PS3.

Do you remember what the thread was called so i can find it?

 

[GuilloteTesla]

Do you remember what the thread was called so i can find it?

Here are some:

https://www.psx-place.com/threads/ps3-liquid-metal-under-ihs-normal-pc-cooler-directly-on-ihs.27746/

https://www.psx-place.com/threads/heatsink-mod.35715/

 

[spla]

I have done around 100 de-lids and I have learnt a lot along the way. Because I record all my de-lids I am able to look back on a delid that my cause the console some issues, here is what I have found so far.

(1) You can actually cause a BGA issue by the way you open the console. I noticed by analysing my recordings that evertime I found it difficult to separate the MB from the heatsink, the force required to separate them can actually pull at the CPU and GPU substrate and this can in turn case a multitude of errors. The solution I have found is to warm up the console before taking it apart, the best way to do this is to turn it on for about 20 minutes, when the CPU reaches 75 degrees turn it off and take the console apart. Also its best to pull at the fan/heatsink away from the MB, if you pull the MB away from the fan/heatsink its more likey to pull at the substrate.

(2) dont heat up the CPU before de-lid, i have recently found out that applying heat and the adding the required force needed to cut into the sealant can cause BGA issues. So even if the de-lid looks successful with no scratches, the heat combined with the force is enough to cause issues with the CPU substrate.

(3) Don't pull at the CPU when taking off the heat spreader, the sealant must be fully cut, any force pulling at the substance may be enough to cause BGA issues.

(4) And finally, and this maybe controversial, once the de-lid has been performed I would rest the MB on a hot plate and slowly heat the entire board to 160 degrees over a 15 minute period. Then let it cool down naturally untill the MB is cold. This helps to straighten the MB and can prevent BGA issues which may already may be on the horizon. In otherwords the console may already be on its way out and the substrate is hanging on by the skin of its teeth. This procedure can prevent the pending BGA issue, and as we all know, prevention is better than the cure.

In your experience have you ever attempted to de-lid a CECH-25xx console? It is recommended not to do so but just curious if you did and how it went.