Best/ cheapest way to get YLOD fixed?

OneOfThem Stumbled

I'm sure some peeps here have faced the dreaded YLOD.

I know that it is possible to dismantle the ps3 and fix it oneself - but it looks pretty onerous and pone to failure (not least the fact that it's recommended that you buy a heat-gun for the process).

Anybody have experience of getting one of those companies that purport to fix consoles? (Sony will do it for around €150 afaik - but for that price I might as well buy a ps3 slim) :pac:

Or am I wasting my time? Is it too expensive to fix ylod, and are fixes prone to fall apart again? Should I say goodbye to the files stored on the hard-disk and save up for a new console?

Myrddin

OneOfThem Stumbled wrote: »

I'm sure some peeps here have faced the dreaded YLOD.

I know that it is possible to dismantle the ps3 and fix it oneself - but it looks pretty onerous and pone to failure (not least the fact that it's recommended that you buy a heat-gun for the process).

Anybody have experience of getting one of those companies that purport to fix consoles? (Sony will do it for around €150 afaik - but for that price I might as well buy a ps3 slim) :pac:

Or am I wasting my time? Is it too expensive to fix ylod, and are fixes prone to fall apart again? Should I say goodbye to the files stored on the hard-disk and save up for a new console?

The general rule of thumb is simply a replacement. It's less hassle, you get a brand new machine*, & a nice comfy warranty period.

Reflowing, which is the heat gun method you mentioned might work for an hour, a week, or a month. It's simply heating up the solder joins so that they flow & fuse together again. The problem still exists in that its the same shoddy solder, so its almost guaranteed to fail again at some stage.

Reballing, is the recommended fix, if you choose the fix route. If done properly, this is seen as a permanent fix as the old solder is removed, everything cleaned nicely & proper high grade solder is put in its place. This is not a simple job, & requires specialised equiptment that is costly. Therefore its better to use someone who has a good knowledge & reputation for fixing the problem. They usually come with a substantial warranty to, at least from the reputable chaps anyway.

*Brand new machines however, apparently still have that same low quality solder being used in them. It's not as apparent in slims though, as they're more efficient & don't have as much probability in ylod'ing due to heat.

Again, the headache free option is to replace. But there are posters here who have gone through two or more PS3's too.