PS3 Overheating after re-paste (4.86 CFW)

N

neonka

Forum Noob
I had this PS3 Slim for one year and it was overheating ever since. I didn't have time nor the mood to disassemble it and do the usual stuff. I fixed it by taking the PS3 to the balcony where it was a nice and cool weather so the CPU wouldn't overheat but at in the summer it was just as bad.

Usually I had 65-70C in idle (XMB) on 70% fan usage, after five minutes of starting a game it went up to 85C and eventually just shut itself off.

I took apart the PS3 a couple of days ago and when I saw what was on the CPU and RSX I just laughed. It was literally one crumb of dried paste on it, no wonder it was overheating that much. I changed it, applied what seemed to me a good amount of thermal paste and started to reassemble. Pushed down the metal plate cover and screwed in the clamps or whatever they are.

After I turned it on to see if it works I watched the CPU go from 54C to 75C in 3 minutes in idle and I didn't even got to start a game since it turned itself off again when it reached 85C with 95% usage.

I genuinely have no idea what made it worse or what to do. I still have some leftover thermal paste so I can take it apart again if I need to but I didn't do it yet so I wouldn't waste it again.

Does anybody have any idea what should I do?

EDIT: The RSX is better in terms of temps, before it was 50-60C and now it usually sits around at 35-45C
 
Last edited:
It probably didn't go together perfectly and the heatsink is either not sitting on the chip correctly or there is not enough pressure on it, I would try take it apart and put it back together again.
 
DeViL303 said:
It probably didn't go together perfectly and the heatsink is either not sitting on the chip correctly or there is not enough pressure on it, I would try take it apart and put it back together again.
Click to expand...

that's what I'd assume as well. it would be the easiest thing to check. there should be thermal paste touching/on the bottom of the heatsink.

edit: what I mean, to avoid confusion, is that the heatsink should be so close to the chip that it's kinda touching it, so it will have some of the thermal paste on the bottom of it as it seals in with the chips.
 
Last edited:
ElGris said:
Try this :https://www.psx-place.com/threads/t...l-dissipation-without-removing-the-ihs.23066/

If that didn't help, you don't have any other way but delidding. And that's dangerous. Don't go crazy about it, or you'll kill it.

Btw, which is the exact model? Take a good pic from the CELL from above, and another one from the CELL's pcb. I wanna see that sandwich.
Click to expand...
It's an CECH-2004B. I'll try to take it apart today when I get home but if not I'll probably do it tomorrow.

Do I need to take off the paste again and re-paste it or just try to push the heatsink down harder?
 
you shouldn't have to repaste. just make sure you don't have paste on the motherboard, just the chips.

edit: also, make sure the entire chip is covered in thermal paste. you may have to redo some of it if the headsink smeared some of it off or something.
 
Okay, so it seems like I had all of the screwdrivers except the last one I needed since I left it at my friends house. I'll be going for it tomorrow. I hope y'all don't mind if I only update this tomorrow.
 
pinky said:
you shouldn't have to repaste. just make sure you don't have paste on the motherboard, just the chips.

edit: also, make sure the entire chip is covered in thermal paste. you may have to redo some of it if the headsink smeared some of it off or something.
Click to expand...

I couldn't get off the PCB which is thanks to the paste sticking it together (I guess?) so I just pressed it down harder and screwed it in harder. After I turned it on at 60% fan usage, starting from 40C went up much slowly up to 60C than the last time in the XMB (last time it was 1C every second).

Turned on Skate 3 and it was again up to 75C where I turned it off so I could post about it again. Also took out the Blu-Ray drive since I don't use CDs so the airflow could be better? Just a thought.

I'm afraid of pulling too hard on the PCB since the paste is fresh and is much harder to take it off not like with the dried on paste. Anybody has any other ideas?
 
sorry that it didn't work. I'm using my experience with the 360, which I've opened up many times. you might check if the fan is clogged. the 360 will overheat in about two minutes if you unplug the fan.
 
pinky said:
sorry that it didn't work. I'm using my experience with the 360, which I've opened up many times. you might check if the fan is clogged. the 360 will overheat in about two minutes if you unplug the fan.
Click to expand...
Oh this is really bumming. I know it's not the same through the internet and I really appreciate everybody trying to help. It's good that we have this helping community.

I'll try to do something about it, watch a couple of videos and eventually I'll maybe get to something to a fix. It's just doesn't get to me why would it still be overheating after fresh repaste:indecisiveness:. Worst case scenario #1 I'll try to take off the PCB with a little bit more force and repaste it again or #2 I'll just keep putting in on the balcony
 
Try the method I shared, that helped some people, you need to put a thick piece of rubber, that will make pressure on the CELL die from below (where the capacitors are) and make a little bit of contact between die and heatspreader. It's not the best option since you're forcing the CELL's pcb up, and this could create some bga fractures, and that's no bueno. But it's better than trying a delid if you didn't do any in your life.

With the right tool is possible even for begginers, but most of the people don't get it and end killing the console.
 
did you tighten those 4 screws properly.Here is a good test,If you can find an aircon let it blow cold air directly into the vents and put the ps3 through its paces .If it still overheating there is an internal error with alignment.Take it apart again and clean the paste off and put a little on again.
 
So
kronosx said:
did you tighten those 4 screws properly.Here is a good test,If you can find an aircon let it blow cold air directly into the vents and put the ps3 through its paces .If it still overheating there is an internal error with alignment.Take it apart again and clean the paste off and put a little on again.
Click to expand...
I reassembled it and took it out on the balcony. It's a nice 4C/40F temperature, wind blowing outside and right now as webMAN says the CPU is sitting at 39C with 40% fan usage in XMB.

I'm fairly confident if I started Skate 3 eg. it'll probably end up in the 50-55C range.
I don't know if it's any relevant to this case but I thought I'll share it.

This IS a solution but I think you can see where the problem lies. Cold is pouring in the room which sucks but I'm stuck with this unfortunately. If this is the only thing that will keep this thing from overheating haha

EDIT: Also, when I first brought the console it was already overheating. I contacted the guy and he said he took it to a service but they said that they couldn't do anything and told me to control the fan speed with webMAN
 
so you saying when you start up the ole ps3 its like being at the airport with no earmuffs on....lol.Like i said on reddit to another user when its time for electronic components to fail it is time ..heat dust and prolonged exposure is all part of age,either reball it or bake it and replace north and south bridge then you ok....lol this would fix your issue always.Sadly we dont do such things anymore unless its a ltm machine.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Back
Top