BC Overheating Issue

[Psychopathic]

Ok so i got a ps3 that says its overheating and shuts off to prevent damage. The fans speed up through all levels anx wants to shut off. The console doesnt seem to get hot. its on 3.55 so i would really like to revive it. any suggestions on what i should try first?

[No0bZiLLa]

do the IHS fix on it.

tool needed:
thermal compound (thermal epoxy too, but its optional)
a medium flat head screw driver
a thin peice of sheet metal about 1" x 6" (to protect the CHIP itself while removing the IHS)
thermal epoxy to put the IHS back on (you can also just use thermal compound, just be sure to carefully reassemble it.)
a new/sharp razor blade
a small card for spreading new thermal paste
a paper towel

disassemble the ps3 to the motherboard, and locate the RSX chip.
take the 1" x 6" thin sheet metal and put it between the chip and the IHS on the RSX.
now grab your flat head screw driver and stick it between the thin sheet metal and the IHS.
then gently pry and twist with the screw driver, you want to carefully manipulate the IHS off the chip.
once you got the IHS off, take a razor blade and remove all the old thermal epoxy from the 4 chips on each corner of the RSX.
then clean the thermal epoxy off the bottom of the IHS.
clean any thermal paste there too.

once you got as much as the thermal epoxy removed as you can get off there, take new thermal paste and your spreader and spread a nice coat (not to thick tho) of the thermal paste on the center of the RSX and the 4 chips on the corners (you can use thermal epoxy on the chips but dont use it on the center, use thermal paste on the center).

then take a paper towel and get the IHS and hold it with the paper towel. then take some thermal paste and spread on the heat sink side of the IHS. once you got a good coat on there put the IHS back on the RSX. then carefully reassemble the ps3.

your ps3 will run like brand new and i recommend anyone to do this if you've replaced your thermal paste and it did not change anything. i had a ps3 that would do the exact same thing your is doing. i took it apart (i did not have thermal epoxy so i use arctic silver 5 everywhere instead, so anyone else can too and it will be fine.) but anyways i took mine apart and did this, and the ps3 runs better than it did from the factory. i can play the most graphical intense games and my fans never come off "level 1".

you just need to be very careful removing the IHS from the RSX. also DO NOT USE thermal epoxy in the center of the RSX, if your gonna use thermal epoxy use it on the 4 chips on the corners of the RSX. Thermal paste will work fine as a substitute and you can use thermal paste everywhere i mentioned.

its way simpler than it sounds and i can do it in 20 mins flat. (complete disassembly, IHS fix, and then reassembly)

hope this helps.

[Psychopathic]

This is tonight's project. I will get back to you when completed. Thank You VERY much.

do the IHS fix on it.

tool needed:
thermal compound (thermal epoxy too, but its optional)
a medium flat head screw driver
a thin peice of sheet metal about 1" x 6" (to protect the CHIP itself while removing the IHS)
thermal epoxy to put the IHS back on (you can also just use thermal compound, just be sure to carefully reassemble it.)
a new/sharp razor blade
a small card for spreading new thermal paste
a paper towel

disassemble the ps3 to the motherboard, and locate the RSX chip.
take the 1" x 6" thin sheet metal and put it between the chip and the IHS on the RSX.
now grab your flat head screw driver and stick it between the thin sheet metal and the IHS.
then gently pry and twist with the screw driver, you want to carefully manipulate the IHS off the chip.
once you got the IHS off, take a razor blade and remove all the old thermal epoxy from the 4 chips on each corner of the RSX.
then clean the thermal epoxy off the bottom of the IHS.
clean any thermal paste there too.

once you got as much as the thermal epoxy removed as you can get off there, take new thermal paste and your spreader and spread a nice coat (not to thick tho) of the thermal paste on the center of the RSX and the 4 chips on the corners (you can use thermal epoxy on the chips but dont use it on the center, use thermal paste on the center).

then take a paper towel and get the IHS and hold it with the paper towel. then take some thermal paste and spread on the heat sink side of the IHS. once you got a good coat on there put the IHS back on the RSX. then carefully reassemble the ps3.

your ps3 will run like brand new and i recommend anyone to do this if you've replaced your thermal paste and it did not change anything. i had a ps3 that would do the exact same thing your is doing. i took it apart (i did not have thermal epoxy so i use arctic silver 5 everywhere instead, so anyone else can too and it will be fine.) but anyways i took mine apart and did this, and the ps3 runs better than it did from the factory. i can play the most graphical intense games and my fans never come off "level 1".

you just need to be very careful removing the IHS from the RSX. also DO NOT USE thermal epoxy in the center of the RSX, if your gonna use thermal epoxy use it on the 4 chips on the corners of the RSX. Thermal paste will work fine as a substitute and you can use thermal paste everywhere i mentioned.

its way simpler than it sounds and i can do it in 20 mins flat. (complete disassembly, IHS fix, and then reassembly)

hope this helps.

[No0bZiLLa]

use this as a guide to removal and cleaning.

you dont have to remove the RSX to do this either.
to me a sharp ass razor blade works better than a 5 in 1 like in the video, just be careful.







and remember, you dont have to use thermal epoxy, you can use thermal paste everywhere. this will make it easier to change the paste under the RSX in the future also.

[No0bZiLLa]

here is another video with the RSX on the mobo.

i wouldnt however just rip it off like he did, i would se finess till it poped off.



on a side note, if this dont fix it, then you prob need a reball, or either someone has reflown the mobo and killed the thermal sensors. if this is the case,it will send signals to syscon that it is constantly overheated, which will cause the fans to spin up quick and then cut the ps3 off usually with a warning. 8/10 times tho its just the thermal paste under the IHS that needs to be replaced. good luck

edit: actually i think the thermal sensors control the fans speeds, and also send signals to syscon for power off it max temp is reached.

here is a nice pdf explaining it.
http://www.onsemi.com/pub/Collateral/ADT7461-D.PDF

[No0bZiLLa]

any updates?

[core2kid]

Replace the paste under the CPU IHS, not just the RSX. It's a pain in the a$$ to get that heatspreadder off but it makes a world of difference. Did it on mine, went from level 4 in 10 mins of MW3 and occasional level 5 to level 3 after a 20 minutes and maxing out there. You'll feel the difference by the air coming out the back. It'll be much warmer than before.