Problem & Solution
Applications fail to launch, console cannot be updated
Check the Blu-ray drive and Bluetooth + WiFi module.
PS3 freezes upon startup, XMB stutters, games/applications freeze, loading times are longer than usual
Check/test the hard drive’s health; replace it if damaged. The PS3 uses a standard SATA hard drive, which can be checked by connecting it to a computer and using software such as GSmartControl. (Note that many USB to SATA adapters do not support checking SMART data, so if possible, it’s best to connect the hard drive directly to the computer’s internal SATA port.)
Loud fan noise or overheating
Replace the thermal paste and clean any dirt or impurities on the console (especially the fan) that may affect airflow.
Remove the CELL/BE and/or RSX, as the original thermal paste may deteriorate or degrade over time between the chip and IHS.
Place a hard eraser under the CELL/BE and RSX.
RLOD (Red Light of Death)
Check the CoreOS file for corruption; re-flash the flash memory chip if necessary.
YLOD (Yellow Light of Death) / Visual Artifacts (color deterioration and/or lines appearing on the screen after a few minutes) can be caused by a variety of issues:
RSX issues, particularly bulges connecting the GPU and the substrate (most common in 90nm RSX versions, but some 65nm versions may also be affected)
Broken solder balls between the RSX and the motherboard
Broken NEC/Tokin capacitors
It is strongly recommended to obtain the accurate error code from Syscon before attempting any specific repairs. Note that bad solder balls and bad bumps often present similar errors, but the only way to fix this is by replacing the RSX. If you are replacing the RSX, it is recommended to consider replacing it with a newer 40nm RSX, as it is less likely to experience the problems common to 90nm and some 65nm RSX versions. This is similar to what Sony does with a small number of officially refurbished consoles.
Diagnosing Yellow Light of Death (YLOD)
All fat PS3s can experience the Yellow Light of Death. Unfortunately, YLOD doesn’t reveal much information, except that a fault occurred during the hardware initialization phase. This could mean anything from a faulty GPU to a faulty capacitor supplying power to the southbridge. To pinpoint exactly at which stage it failed, you’ll need to solder a UART interface to the system controller (i.e., the NEC/Tokin capacitors).
If Syscon primarily displays a power-down code, replace the NEC/Tokin capacitors. Even with a hot air station, these are difficult to remove easily. They’ll likely break into pieces. Many guides suggest using tantalum caps at an angle. In my experience, using 330uF capacitors from the MacBook motherboard 820-2850 is a good option. These capacitors have a second ground near the positive terminal. This allows you to solder four lines per NEC/Tokin without either angled or exposing more ground. Also note that if replacing all four NEC/Tokins of this model, you’ll need to jumper them from the positive end to the other because of internal bridging in the NEC/Tokins.
If using 470uF for 0E128 NEC/Tokins, use four per NEC/Tokin
If using 330uF for 0E108 NEC/Tokins, use four per NEC/Tokin
