So, I have a launch model 60GB PS3, it's running Rebug.

Lately, the fan has been becoming constantly loud, and since it was pretty old, I figured the thermal paste must be history, so I opened it up to replace it.

WOW, the thermal paste really was on it's last legs. The stuff had become a dry chalk-power-like substance. So I used Arcticlean and a microfiber cloth to remove all the paste, and applied a pea-sized ball of Arctic MX-4 to both the CPU and GPU. I tried to tighten the heatsink back on as evenly as I could, but I did make one small mistake at one point where I screwed some parts in the wrong order and had to loosen the screws on the heatsink to fit it back in right, not sure if that ruined it or not. (Or if I wasn't supposed to use Arcticlean OR if MX-4 is not a good one to use on the PS3).

Regardless, when all was said and done and I reconnected it, I noticed NO difference whatsoever.

It still kicks the fan into high often, loud enough to be heard during gameplay and actually be pretty distracting. Even when I am just idling in the menu without any game running it eventually happens.

It has been a few months but I haven't used my PS3 in those months, mainly because I am worried it will break if I do, and I just want to fix it already now.

I keep my PS3 vertical, and on the "bottom" of it's top-half, it's hot to the touch. Not "burn your hands" not, but not just a little warm either. Is that normal? (Said bottom part never seems to reassemble right either, either not sure if I missed a notch to put it in somewhere or if it broke, but one side seems to easily try to come off).

I installed Control Fan Utility 1.9.4, and played a few minutes of a graphics-intensive game, then booted it to see what it would tell me.

The CPU was listed at 74C, and was in yellow and blinking, it immediately turned my fan up higher when it booted until the CPU temperature became green and stopped blinking.

My CPU (RSX?) was listed as 69C and was green.

Are these temperatures normal? If so, why does the fan keep going so high when it didn't before, and why does the fan utility seem to think the CPU is too hot? If not, any idea if any of the materials I used to clean it or the grease I applied was no good? Or if having to lift the heatsink for a second could have ruined it?

I don't want this thing to overheat and break on me if I did something wrong with the thermal grease, it would be hard to find another good 60GB model that is hackable and transfer everything to it, especially my PSN games since due to it running CFW I can't connect to PSN anymore to activate them on a new system.

 

Pea-sized is way too much AFAIK. Some people say pea-sized, some people say grain of rice, but the only way to know you're applying the right amount is to apply it by hand with a credit card or similar making sure to get it all even. From watching my dad do that multiple times, I can say wih certainty that a pea-sized blob of thermal paste is way too much. You want enough to make proper contact, but too much will affect the thermal conductivity in a bad way, because the heat has to pass through more material, and the thermal paste is not as thermally conductive as metal (though Arctic Silver does contain metal, it's not all metal)
I don't own a PS3, but from what I've heard modern consoles tend to get hot, just not as bad as the 360. So it might be normal, but I haven't been there to feel how hot it's getting, so I don't know for sure.

 

get your system reballed ASAP! its old, which means the solder joint are old and being to ware out. dont get a reball done and youll be getting a visit rom the YLOD. and if anyone says to just do a reflow with liquid flux, ignore them because that will only prevent ylod for a little bit.

 

I am VERY nervous about removing the IHS, since one wrong move means a dead PS3, are there any places that can do it? ... without charging half the cost of the PS3 itself?

 

try put more pressure betwen cpu heatspreaders and coller.you have to prepare piece of hard paper and stick on plate with super glue.guy named nsc on youtube have many tutorials "how to".