Hardware In the Market for a Hackable PS3...Help?

[AlphaMagnum]

So I'm in the market for a hackable PS3 and this guy seems to be a well-reviewed seller. The link is an example of one of his many listings, but I figured I'd do some research before pulling the trigger.

Does it look legit? The price seems a little high for what is essentially a refurbished 2007 PS3.

How long do you figure it might last?

It seems to me like getting a 120GB CECH-2500A would be a better solution, since every single 120GB 2500 PS3 is capable of being downgraded, which is not true for some of the 160/320GB models.

How would the lifespan of a 2500 PS3 compare to the eBay listing I linked? At this point I'm tempted to go all out and find someone willing to do a full reball/cooling/fan installation on one of the newer models, but finding a trustworthy seller willing to do all that is easier said than done.

Any help you could provide would be sincerely appreciated.

Cheers!

 

[Xexyz]

So I'm in the market for a hackable PS3 and this guy seems to be a well-reviewed seller. The link is an example of one of his many listings, but I figured I'd do some research before pulling the trigger.

Does it look legit? The price seems a little high for what is essentially a refurbished 2007 PS3.

How long do you figure it might last?

It seems to me like getting a 120GB CECH-2500A would be a better solution, since every single 120GB 2500 PS3 is capable of being downgraded, which is not true for some of the 160/320GB models.

How would the lifespan of a 2500 PS3 compare to the eBay listing I linked? At this point I'm tempted to go all out and find someone willing to do a full reball/cooling/fan installation on one of the newer models, but finding a trustworthy seller willing to do all that is easier said than done.

Any help you could provide would be sincerely appreciated.

Cheers!

I would get the eBay ps3 because all the upgrades and the 3.55 FW! You know like SD and memory card, ps2, 4 usb ports and more!!!

 

[Devin]

I wouldn't touch a Phat PS3 unless I was forced to. (That one is insanely expensive.) I'd get a 120GB 2500A PS3 and get it downgraded. Slims are quiet, use less electricity, and are less likely to get the YLoD. A Slim would outlast a Phat in most cases.

 

[Xexyz]

I wouldn't touch a Phat PS3 unless I was forced to. (That one is insanely expensive.) I'd get a 120GB 2500A PS3 and get it downgraded. Slims are quiet, use less electricity, and are less likely to get the YLoD. A Slim would outlast a Phat in most cases.

Yeah you're right about slims lasting longer. If the slim is cheaper I would easily pick that up.

 

[trumpet-205]

People should get PS3 Phat only when they need SACD, or the ability to play PS2 retail discs. Frankly it is better to play PS2 games on PS2 than PS3.

 

[AlphaMagnum]

Thanks for the recommendations. I'll definitely turn my attention to getting a PS3 Slim. I have a few new questions, though:

Which model is best? The 2501A? Or one of the 2000/2100 models?
How long would you expect it to last? I'm hoping for at least 3 years if I can swing it.
Are there any mods/procedures you'd recommend to increase its longevity? E.g a new fan, some other cooling mod, reballing the CELL/RSX, etc

 

[AlphaMagnum]

I hate to double-post, but I have a seller willing to sell me a CECH-2001A 120GB PS3 with a controller and one or two games for $140. Should I jump on it? Or wait to see if any of the other local sellers have a 2500-series model?

I can get a CECH-2501B (says September 2010 on the console) with a controller and a move controller for $220.

Looks like I'll need to pay for a downgrading service regardless of which console I buy, unless I get exceptionally lucky with one of the folks on Kijiji. Is $80 a reasonable premium to get a 2500-series console over one of the CECH-2000 models?

 

[trumpet-205]

I hate to double-post, but I have a seller willing to sell me a CECH-2001A 120GB PS3 with a controller and one or two games for $140. Should I jump on it? Or wait to see if any of the other local sellers have a 2500-series model?

I can get a CECH-2501B (says September 2010 on the console) with a controller and a move controller for $220.

Looks like I'll need to pay for a downgrading service regardless of which console I buy, unless I get exceptionally lucky with one of the folks on Kijiji. Is $80 a reasonable premium to get a 2500-series console over one of the CECH-2000 models?

If 2001A is in excellent condition, I would get that. $80 is plenty enough to pay one to downgrade your console.

Pay some attentions to the cosmetic, it can tell you whether the owner handles it with care or not.

 

[AlphaMagnum]

Thanks for the advice!

I'm actually located in Canada and am finding it difficult to get in touch with a reliable downgrading service here, so there was a possibility that I'd have to send it to the USA. An American moderator on another site has offered to obtain a CECH-2501A/B console and install a CFW on it before shipping the finished project my way, for $215+shipping. It's definitely preferable to the 2501B I mentioned earlier, but will likely turn out more expensive overall than getting the 2001A and having it downgraded. I'm guessing the total expenditure will be ~$240 for the 2500 vs maybe $220 for the 2001A, since I'll either have to drive a few hours to get it to a reliable service, or have it shipped and sent back to me.

This is a tough choice! And 6-7 out of the 9 Kijiji listings still haven't responded to my email, which means I'll likely have many more choices in the next week. Perhaps sitting on the decision for a bit is the best option at this point?

 

[trumpet-205]

Hmm... the cheapest way to ship from US to Canada is to use Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate box, which costs $41 flat rate. I don't think you can get any cheaper than that when shipping something like PS3.

 

[AlphaMagnum]

Hmm... the cheapest way to ship from US to Canada is to use Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate box, which costs $41 flat rate. I don't think you can get any cheaper than that when shipping something like PS3.

Ouch. Looks like it'll be $255 for the 2501 console, then. What are the meaningful differences between a 2500 and 2000 series console? Does the 65nm RSX in the 2000-series overheat much more frequently? Would a 2500 last significantly (at least 20%) longer?

 

[trumpet-205]

Ouch. Looks like it'll be $255 for the 2501 console, then. What are the meaningful differences between a 2500 and 2000 series console? Does the 65nm RSX in the 2000-series overheat much more frequently? Would a 2500 last significantly (at least 20%) longer?

20000 series does produce more heat due to 65 nm, although as long as thermal paste is applied correctly this should not be a problem.

The problem with PS3 getting YLOD is because back in PS3 FAT Sony did not do a good job of soldering CELL and RSX chip on to the board. These chips runs hot and combined that with poor soldering (and very hot ZSSR5391A PSU on some FAT) will cause the solders to crack, thereby causing YLOD.

Sony improved soldering significantly on Slim and onward, chance of system dying because of heat is significantly lower.

 

[AlphaMagnum]

Hm. That's food for thought. So I can expect the same lifespan no matter which console I choose, so long as they're in good condition to begin with?

 

[AlphaMagnum]

I think I just won the lottery.

Just found a seller willing to sell me a BNIB PS3, model CECH-2501A with a date code of October 2010, for $200 cash. Just wanted to post here to confirm that this thing will come with an OFW of 3.40 or 3.50 as the charts on ps3devwiki indicate, so I don't go and buy a console that I won't be able to get rid of.