YLOD cooling mod solutions?

[wai]

I have the first gen CECHA01. Didn't do much heavy gaming, probably most hours played per week was like 6-7 hours....

but eventually about last year it died, yellow light. overheating GPU.. yea.. same old story.

Luckily I worked at a bestbuy/future shop warranty repair center in which we recieved warranty consoles such as 360 and PS3 to fix overheating GPU's. So having a "proper" BGA reflow done (NOT home-style youtube heatguns and ovens methods) was definitely a perk working there.

Whether or not I got it re-balled... most likely not. Probably just a reflow.

System lasted a good year until last night. Yellow light is back.

Anyways... I need a new cooling solution. How do the hackers/programmers cool PS3's during hacking sessions? After I get this fixed... hopefully still fixable.. I need to find a new cooling solution, ditch the internal fan most likely.

I've seen water cooling methods which seems cool. but anyone got any good ideas? I mean, I could probably just use computer cooling methods, but I'll need brackets that can fasten onto the motherboard properly...

[defyboy]

Cooling is not the issue. The stock cooling system is more than sufficient for the purpose of which it is intended. You'd be much better off investing that money in having it professionally reballed with good old fashion lead solder, a reflow is never more than a temporary solution at best, whether it be via heatgun or fancy ir station.

You have allready had it reflowed however, you may very well be out of luck on having the chip lifted successfully now.

I also think this may not be the correct forum for this discussion, this hardly pertains to any sort of Technical development.

[IllyriaIsBlue]

Defyboy, OP has already had it professionally reballed. What you've got to keep in mind is that the original factory solder joints cracked for a reason in the first place; overheating, which caused the motherboard to flex ever so slightly until the pressure accumulated into cracks causing dodgy connections. A console that YLODs/RRODs once is always going to be prone to another failure if the only measure you take is to restore it to factory conditions.

The best thing you can do is get it reballed again, and failing that, get it reflowed, then insert an aluminium shim (just a 0.8mm thick piece of aluminium cut to size) between the GPU/RSX and the heatsinks to try and help ensure that any future cracks don't necessarily cause a failed connection. It's not guaranteed, but it significantly increases the odd of the fix being permenant.

[MrBGA]

If you think a reball is a permanent solution your sadly mistaken. Extra cooling always helps and it doesnt take a genius to figure that out. Number one enemy of both the 360 and PS3 is in·ad·e·quate cooling..period

[Mistawes]

@ IllyriaIsBlue: Read it again, he had a reflow, not a reball..

Lead solder reball + crank up your fans and hope for the best.. Or invest in a Slim, although there have been reball's on 360 slims already. I personally think watercooling is a bit ott, but better safe than sorry!

I think the biggest difference is noticed by not placing the console on carpet, keeping it away from walls (about 2ft clearance behind it for exhausted air) and leaving it cool down gradually before turning the console off.

Just my 2c!

[SuPrezaWRX]

Isn't it the PowerSupply that runs too hot on the early PS3s, causing them to overheat and eventually YLOD?
Switching the old hot PSU out with a newer colder PSU might be the best precausion... imo.

[yellowcapri]

I think if it's overheated so much then there is no solution to return it back to factory, it will always fail again at some point.

If it was mine i would just have it reflowed again and carefully reassemble using good quality thermal paste and make sure everything is clean. Check fan operates correctly. Maybe get something like this to aid airflow and leave plenty space around the console.

Blue LED Laptop Notebook Cooling Cooler Pad Stand 1 Fan on eBay (end time 18-Mar-11 03:06:52 GMT)

[ars0n]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TcV7tJd4zQ&feature=related]YouTube - How to make your own PS3 Fan Mod[/ame]

[ars0n]

You are correct,kinda, once you get a RROD or YLOD your system is more prone to getting it again.

HOWEVER. - IF you provide adequate cooling to the system. It wont get hot enough to warp or the soldering to degrade..

I have had 2 RROD 360's and 2 ylod ps3's

I added an extra fan and bumped up the cooling on my xbox and havent had it rrod in over 2 years.

Same thing with my ylod ps3 after the fan mod.

[ars0n]

I can tell you right now that sony and microsoft designed these systems with these flaws in place. They may not have purposely implemented them. But, They knew this would happen. They also saw it as a huge profit.

A system that WILL break in under 3 years? MONEY MONEY MONEY. Microsoft got some shit for it they had to extend their warranty. You really think in all the years of Q+A testing they did, they never once had a xbox rrod on them? LAFFABLE.

Sony, well, they could give a shit less what you think or care about. 150 bucks just to LOOK at your Ps3 that IS going to break eventually??? MONEY MONEY MONEY. And who are the dumb asses that keep forking out the money for their "Awesome gaming experience?" Well, its probably the youngins. No adult in his right mind would invest and spend money on a device that WILL die on them. Kids however have an uncanny ability to get their parents to buy copious amounts of bullshit. 10 bucks for a Map addon, for a 60 dollar game? not to mention, you already pay 60 bucks for that internet connection? wow, so, im spending 130 bucks a month, so i can play 1 map pack, and 1 game on my ps3?? Laff. And whats sad is how many of the people out there support and fork out the money like its no problem. You spend 2x the amount on ONE console game, then you do a PC game. Why is that? Cause people are morons.

And how I started talking about this from cooling. I will never know..