Im having a info overload, help please.

[IluaLinerin]

As the title says, im being a little bit overloaded with the info regarding the current PS3 scene, im confused and i would like some help understanding some things about it.
I currently don't have a PS3, i've been looking for one because even if RPCS3 is advancing i would like to have a way to play natively PS3 games without a worry about performance or other possible errors.
So far my only experience with CFW has been with my 2DS and luma3ds+boot9strap thanks to the guide in 3dshacksguide.
I've read the post of "hackable PS3 models and information" and i can only take from it that ¿PS3 fat good and the rest is either hit or miss or oof?
that there are currently 2 ways of hacking the PS3 one is the HAN and the other is installing CFW?
The main reason im concerning about this is because there is a good bunch of games for the PS3 that i am not willing to pay 200$+ for a used copy "because its rare". Im more than willing to pay people for games, but i dont support the industry of "rare games premium prices", and there are the other games that are either inexistent in the used market or never got sold in my country so i would have to sell a kidney to import them.
So basically i just want to be able to load games (official and nonoffical), be able to watch movies and thats pretty much it, i would like it if i could install custom themes as i have in my 2DS, but thats not 100% needed.
So far i've been looking at every PS3 i could find nearby, i managed to find a barely used slim PS3 cech-3004A, everything is in literally new condition, the controller works and has all the boxes, cables, bags and documentation, this for 100€, plus the guy said he is willing to make a pack with his TV which im interested in too, all for 150€ (negotiable).
And i have the problem of power consumption, for what i know fat models can go as far as 320W, and thats a freakin lot, specially for my as i live in a off grid house, thats the main reason im aiming for a slim model.
I read that the best is basically being able to install the CFW permanently and call it a day, idk how that differs from the HAN method or if HAN is just a extra step to install permanent CFW, i don't know anything about HAN or the CFW on the PS3, i would like to avoid the route of hacks that i have to apply everytime i want to use the console.
I would like to know if i should get it or maybe i should look for another model, im not interested in backwards compatiblity as i already have a PS2 fat.

 

[Shallie]

I've read the post of "hackable PS3 models and information" and i can only take from it that ¿PS3 fat good and the rest is either hit or miss or oof?

Fat and early slim PS3s can have CFW installed no problem. Later slim models are a hit or miss, if they can be downgraded to 3.55 it's probably fine to CFW but I'm not too sure about that. Super slim models can't have CFW period. However, all PS3s can use PS3HEN.

So basically i just want to be able to load games (official and nonoffical), be able to watch movies and thats pretty much it, i would like it if i could install custom themes as i have in my 2DS, but thats not 100% needed.

I use PS3HEN on my PS3 basically for the same reasons you are. I only use homebrew to play non-legal games. (also PS3 supports custom themes out of the box, fun fact)

if HAN is just a extra step to install permanent CFW, i don't know anything about HAN or the CFW on the PS3, i would like to avoid the route of hacks that i have to apply everytime i want to use the console.

PS3HEN is just an non-permanent version of homebrew, the big difference between HEN and CFW is that once you install HEN, you need to enable it with a press of a button everytime you turn on your PS3.

Judging by the model number you given, the PS3 you are looking at is not able to run CFW. Coming from someone who also owns a non-CFW compatible slim PS3, using HEN is really not that big of a deal. It's a quick process and it's barely any work once it's installed.

 

[IluaLinerin]

Well, then, i will get that pack then, thanks for the help.

 

[darkgunsou86]

try to find a cech 210x ps3. it will have the die shrunk cell and rsx. it will also use tantalum capacitors instead of nec tokins for reliability. lastly cfw can be installed on them.
the smallest die shrunk rsx is available on the super slims but it's not worth getting a super slim as they are not able to use cfw. the savings in electricity wont be that much. a cfw ps3 is a much better experience to use.

 

[IluaLinerin]

try to find a cech 210x ps3. it will have the die shrunk cell and rsx. it will also use tantalum capacitors instead of nec tokins for reliability. lastly cfw can be installed on them.
the smallest die shrunk rsx is available on the super slims but it's not worth getting a super slim as they are not able to use cfw. the savings in electricity wont be that much. a cfw ps3 is a much better experience to use.

I tried to find one nearby, but everything i found was either 300x or above, and that was only the people that dared to answer, i ended up getting the one i commented, the guy accepted a good deal for the console, TV, some games and the controllers for the console and the tv, 150€ for everything, taking into account that the console feels brand new, no scratches, no squeaking on the fan, the 160gb HDD i will replace it anyway with a 256Gb ssd i have laying around. He said he barely used it, so far im gonna doubt it, but at the very least it doesnt seem like he is lying, the only things i noticed "wrong" are a missing rubber feet, and that the warranty sticker is so dry that its falling apart, not necesarly a sing that has been tempered, i had my PS2 drop the feet when without noticing i slided it around to put/remove it from the box, and here we have a really variable climate, so we can go from high humidity and low temp to low humidity and high temps frequently during the day, many stickers end up like that without one noticing, tomorrow i will open it anyway to replace the thermal paste and check the fan, which doesnt make any strange sound, but its more noticable than my FAT PS2.
I will do with this one now, if in the future i find a 210x i will consider offering an exchange or reselling this one, caps can be replaced so im not bothered by it, and even if i apreciate the ease of use of a full CFW, i will mostly end up buying the games on playasia or ebay/wallapop, mostly HD collections, some JRPG's and armored core games, because welp, there hasn't been any armored core since the PS3 and i already finished all the previous ones... The only reason i will bother with HFW or CFW is mainly for puntual games that im not even gonna bother buying either used or sealed because "oh, rare game, 500€+ price tag".
Im against piracy, but i hate scalpers even more, and for what i know the Playstation Store is still functional on the PS3, so maybe i will consider buying the games there.
If i don't find any 210X i will try to "steal" my brothers PS3, he doesnt use since he bought his PS4 and gaming PC, im pretty sure thats a 200X or a 2100X slim model, he bought it on release of the slim model after all.

 

[darkgunsou86]

you've got a good deal anyway. replacing the thermal paste is about the only thing you can do on the hardware side to improve its' reliability.
why don't you get a xbox 360 slim with RGH3 and a Wii U with tiramisu?
the xbox 360 is the same generation as the ps3 and have better looking graphics for multiplatform games of that period. just use the ps3 for exclusive ps3 games. you can play a lot of OG xbox games too with the latest 2018 hacked compatibility pack.
as for the Wii U, you can play almost all generations of nintendo games except for the Switch (even gamecube). it is a good collector's console now. It even uses very little electricity and can use retroarch (CrazyMAC pack). the graphics are better than ps3 and xbox 360 for the games it had.
with all 3 consoles, you can cover a lot of nice games to play.

 

[IluaLinerin]

you've got a good deal anyway. replacing the thermal paste is about the only thing you can do on the hardware side to improve its' reliability.
why don't you get a xbox 360 slim with RGH3 and a Wii U with tiramisu?
the xbox 360 is the same generation as the ps3 and have better looking graphics for multiplatform games of that period. just use the ps3 for exclusive ps3 games. you can play a lot of OG xbox games too with the latest 2018 hacked compatibility pack.
as for the Wii U, you can play almost all generations of nintendo games except for the Switch (even gamecube). it is a good collector's console now. It even uses very little electricity and can use retroarch (CrazyMAC pack). the graphics are better than ps3 and xbox 360 for the games it had.
with all 3 consoles, you can cover a lot of nice games to play.

I already had plans for a Wii U, but finding a 32Gb version in good condition (including functional WiiU gamepads) its difficult, and they fly once one comes out, besides right now im gonna save to finish my PC, got ducked by gpu prices, im gonna save for a 6900XT and forget about PC upgrades for the next ten years (outside of getting more storage, because my 500GB ssd+1TB HDD is getting filled by the minute), once i have that done im planning on getting a Wii U and a New 3DS to replace the normal 2DS i have, gotta play those monster hunter games on a bigger screen and i cant adapt entirely to the Citra emulator, in the future once prices come down im planning on getting a PS5 too, for PS5 and PS4 games.
I already have a switch but i got it just before they released the 2019 chip revision, so it was already patched, i hope someday we will be able to CFW all Switches.
One thing i realized is that the PS3 store is still functional, and many of the HD collections i was planning to get are cheaper there, some other games are cheaper too, like the Tales of games like xillia or graces F, 15 euros for really good rpg's its crazy, even if i don't go with a HFW i can still access a heck ton of really good games, my only question is why the *uck sony never brougth back "Modnation racers" on later consoles, it was the Mario Kart killer.

 

[darkgunsou86]

I already had plans for a Wii U, but finding a 32Gb version in good condition (including functional WiiU gamepads) its difficult, and they fly once one comes out, besides right now im gonna save to finish my PC, got ducked by gpu prices, im gonna save for a 6900XT and forget about PC upgrades for the next ten years (outside of getting more storage, because my 500GB ssd+1TB HDD is getting filled by the minute), once i have that done im planning on getting a Wii U and a New 3DS to replace the normal 2DS i have, gotta play those monster hunter games on a bigger screen and i cant adapt entirely to the Citra emulator, in the future once prices come down im planning on getting a PS5 too, for PS5 and PS4 games.
I already have a switch but i got it just before they released the 2019 chip revision, so it was already patched, i hope someday we will be able to CFW all Switches.
One thing i realized is that the PS3 store is still functional, and many of the HD collections i was planning to get are cheaper there, some other games are cheaper too, like the Tales of games like xillia or graces F, 15 euros for really good rpg's its crazy, even if i don't go with a HFW i can still access a heck ton of really good games, my only question is why the *uck sony never brougth back "Modnation racers" on later consoles, it was the Mario Kart killer.

you can get Wii U and new 3DS XL for a good price on yahoo auctions japan through a proxy. I use Buyee. Zenmarket is another good option as I'm told the invoice can be modified to a lower declared value. prices in YAJ are lower than other options like ebay. i got a backwards compatible PS3 CECHA00 for much cheaper than ebay USA.

 

[darkgunsou86]

the switch had a modchip that works on later models but nintendo sued the guy and the modchip stopped production. a clone is available now called hwfly but it's very expensive. but the short answer is all switch still can be modded including the oled model.

 

[IluaLinerin]

you can get Wii U and new 3DS XL for a good price on yahoo auctions japan through a proxy. I use Buyee. Zenmarket is another good option as I'm told the invoice can be modified to a lower declared value. prices in YAJ are lower than other options like ebay. i got a backwards compatible PS3 CECHA00 for much cheaper than ebay USA.

Thanks for the info!!, i will look into it later, for now i just want to "finish" the systems i have, gpu for the PC, an SSD for the PS3 and another one for the PS2.