So I turns out I have an launch PS3 model CECHA01 from 2006 and it still works. It survived dust, time, flights, xray machines... you name it but I am afraid that after 14 years I might lose it. Value wise I'd say it is worth at least $500 to me, after all it has very special features so investing a little bit to keep it going might be worth it. We all know the PS3 will eventually fry itself and get YLOD. Fat models, specially the original ones with big dyes and inefficient PSUs are more prone to failure. At the moment, I can play on it for 5+ hours without it turning off, I've never seen a temperature error and the worst is a lightly loud fan when playing and hairdryer warm air blowing out the top since I keep it vertical.
At start, the air blowing out is cool and temps are 45C CPU and 38C RSX(GPU), they slowly climb a degree at a time while on the menu, in like 5 minutes of not doing anything, I am up to 60C CPU and 50C RSX, air blowing out is no longer cool, it feels neutral. This is all in a 71F controlled room. After loading a NFS game and doing a couple of 5 minute races, I am looking at 74C CPU and 58C RSX, air is a bit warm. If I were to play for 3+ hours, I'd be getting heat vent temp air and probably 85-90 CPU and 80ish RSX and I find that unacceptable for such a wonderful little computer.
The goal is to keep the PS3 alive and cool under load even if I have to cannibalize it a bit or spend my entire 1650 Super budget on it.
iFixit tear down of PS3 for reference: https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/PlayStation+3+Teardown/1260
ATX PSU Mod: https://quade.co/2017/ps3-pc-power-supply/
Banana Connectors https://www.ebay.com/itm/4-AMASS-XT...590955?hash=item58dd38856b:g:WW8AAOSwM4xXbnRK
The plan is to open it up and do as follows:
Clean all the dust from the inside
This is free, should have all the tools necessary, possible R&D cost (see below) to avoid breaking something.
Replace the 15 blade fan with a 19 blade version [Fan upgrade]
I might already have a 19 blade fan, my PS3 might be Japanese before they moved production to China, can't seem to find new/clean 19 blade fans, see lots of 15-17 on Ebay so unless I can find and need, won't spend $15-20 upgrading it. I'll just clean it and keep the original that probably has way less wear than anything on ebay.
Replace the 14 year old Factory thermal compound with MX-4 thermal compound on the CPU and RSX [Thermal upgrade]
This seems to be the best upgrade I can do to control temps but also the most risky upgrade as there is a risk of cracking the dyes when wiping or taking it apart. I am considering blowing $30-50 dollars on a broken PS3 on ebay to practice on. Problem is that most of those have probably already been taken apart so I won't get the same resistance when removing the motherboard from the metal plates. If I get a unit that hasn't been messed with and has the same guts, I can use the guts of the other system to finish the case mod. Spending close to $100 at Gamestop on a working PS3 just to possibly kill it is a hard sale but then again, my PS3 is irreplaceable to me so it might be worth it and I could flip it and get some money back, i really don't know on this part and would appreciate suggestions. While I am at it, I will replace all the thermal pads with new high performance thermal pads. The pads I can get for about $15 and cut to size, the MX-4 would set me back another $10.
Replace the 14 year old 66.5% efficient Factory 380W PSU with an external ATX 90 Plus Bronze 450W PSU [External PSU mod][ATX PSU mod]
The only thing just as bad as 14 year old thermal paste is a 14 year old PSU that is probably creating as much heat as the CPU creates under load. It's location behind the CPU and RSX doesn't help things. I won't just take it out of the PS3 casing, I will replace it entirely with a Corsair CX450M ($57). I should be able to follow the linked PSU mod with my knowledge and skills. I'll pick up what skills I don't have as I go. Before I throw out the original PSU (380W), I'll cannibalizing it for the cable connector. I plan to use the linked Banana plugs on the PSU prongs instead of soldering directly to them to make the mod removable and safer. I would buy $10 of shrink tubing and if I can't borrow a heat gun, I'd have to buy one off Amazon for $25 which is a shame but I want to do things properly, without electrical tape. Add $20 for a soldering kit and a little extra if I want real solder and not what is included.
Here is where I start to throw money at the problem
Replace the 600GB HDD with a 500GB SATA Evo 860 or similar SSD [Storage upgrade]
That hard drive is at least 9 years old and after spending so much time in that oven, it should be close to dead. It's gotten it's fair share of disk usage over the years so I think it is fair to replace it with an SSD. Even if I lose some capacity, the speed boost is definitely welcome. With games, it would be mostly reads, not so many writes besides game installs. I can get a 500gb 860 Evo for $80 or pony up $107 for 1TB 860 QVO if they are as good as the EVOs. It should run cooler than the HDD, I can also get a SATA/power combo extension cable ($10) and take the SSD out of the HDD cage completely. Keep it somewhere cool.
Jam the PS3 into a mid ATX PC case [Case mod]
I already have PC towers behind my TVs (Monitors) and you must keep the PS3 in open space to keep it from frying itself so one more PC case won't hurt if it can keep it cooler than inside the original shell. The motherboard must be assembled with both metal plates as they allow me to install the heat sink, radiator and fan. The plates also function as thermal masses that absorb heat from the ICs through the thermal pads they are in contact with it, I need the bluray drive so for better or for worse, I am stuck with everything besides the PSU. The PS3 Fat 60GB has the most hardware, it is also the heaviest at 11 lbs. Even removing the PSU weight, it might be too much to comfortably hang after I drill my own mounting holes. The fan would also be in the back so it can't go flush with the case wall. It needs to rest on the bottom and it must stand on it's own. My solution is to cut everything besides the bottom 1-2 inches of the outer shell, just high enough so I can screw it on and stand it on this section of black casing. The back black cover would be gone exposing the metal fins and the only black casing left would be in the front where the power button is and the base so it can stand on it's own. The part that has the USB ports must be cut for maximum airflow. My go to case for years was the Corsair Spec-02 but it appears it has been discontinued. I can drive two hours to microcenter and get the Spec-02 Redshift for $68 but since the PSU would be on the bottom, I can't really sit the PS3 in there. I need a case that fits ATX size motherboards (PS3 is 12.8 x 11.5 inches) with a PSU shroud or top-mounted PSU so the PSU is not on the way, lots of air filters for intakes and exhausts, preferably exhausts at the top of the case for fans, preferably meshed front with room for 2 fans instead of pretty but relatively useless glass front panels, it must have 2 5-inch expansion bays since it looks like I need at least a fan controller for the 6-8 fans and a USB hub that I can pass through the internal USB ports individually for easy access. I can turn on the PSU with this PC remote starter thing I bought a few years ago, I'll just leave it on the 24 pin cable and use the remote. The controllers can turn on the actual system and they can also turn it off, I do need to go into the case for the bluray drive so metal sides instead of glass would be preferable. After I stand the PS3 inside the case, I will drill holes on the case wall and anchor to the main metal plate holes using 40-60mm standoffs and screws. Just to keep the PS3 from tipping over, the spare system would help for this part. So far the lead belongs to the Corsair 88R ($60). It might fit the PS3 on top of the PSU and HDD cage but it might be too short especially with top mounted fans and with only one bay so I would have to use an internal fan controller. I like the airflow of it though: https://puu.sh/F6T6O.png
https://www.corsair.com/us/en/Categories/Products/Cases/Carbide-Series™-88R-MicroATX-Mid-Tower-Case/p/CC-9011086-WW
Ideally I want to try to find a case that is similar to the Spec 02 in features: Large enough to fit PS3 (ATX compatible) but mid-case instead of full-case, mesh front, top, bottom, lots of fans, 2 expansion bays
https://www.corsair.com/us/en/Categories/Products/Cases/Carbide-Series™-SPEC-02-Red-LED-Mid-Tower-Gaming-Case/p/CC-9011051-WW
I almost want to go grab another Spec 02, remove the HDD Cage and stick the PS3 right in front of two strong filtered intake fans with the PSU behind it, the PSU would be isolated and exhaust out the back. I just can't find comparable cases. Newegg had some nice designs with shrouds and 2 bays for less than $40 but off the reviews, the quality just isn't there. I don't want to spend $150-200 on a PC case for this either but around $75-85 seems appropriate. Just by standing the PS3 next to my PC's Spec-02 I can see that I can only use the top 5inch bay and I would need to control the fans internally.
Right now I would to hear suggestions/advice in regards to the mod/upgrades.
I need to decide if I want to spend $30-50 on a broken parts PS3 that might or might not help me.
Buy a "working" one from Gamestop, try not to break it, probe it and flip it instead of a parts system.
Any suggestions on cases that work for the project and beat the 2 hr away microcenter in-store only Spec 02
I need to decide if it is worth to try and link the case fan speed to the CPU temperature so it's automatic like on modern computers with PWM fans. Modders usually don't attempt this since it seems the Fan only kicks up after the CPU overheats but I should be able to tweak it to max out earlier. The tricky part here is turning the voltage given off by the PS3, range of 3.3V to 0.6V where 3.3V is 100% speed and 0.6V is the minimum to keep the PS3 from easybaking itself. I would have to turn the voltage gradient into equivalent duty cycles and connect the resulting PWM control signal into something like a DEEPCOOL FH-10 by using a 555 Timer IC in Astable mode.
Once I get through the planning stage, I can order everything I need and get to work. I'll add pictures as I go. I don't want to take the PS3 apart until I have everything because I want to be able to use it. In the meantime, I'll open up my DS3 and try to figure out why it is inputting random actions when turned on, my DS4 doesn't let me use the PS button yet which is kind of annoying.
At start, the air blowing out is cool and temps are 45C CPU and 38C RSX(GPU), they slowly climb a degree at a time while on the menu, in like 5 minutes of not doing anything, I am up to 60C CPU and 50C RSX, air blowing out is no longer cool, it feels neutral. This is all in a 71F controlled room. After loading a NFS game and doing a couple of 5 minute races, I am looking at 74C CPU and 58C RSX, air is a bit warm. If I were to play for 3+ hours, I'd be getting heat vent temp air and probably 85-90 CPU and 80ish RSX and I find that unacceptable for such a wonderful little computer.
The goal is to keep the PS3 alive and cool under load even if I have to cannibalize it a bit or spend my entire 1650 Super budget on it.
iFixit tear down of PS3 for reference: https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/PlayStation+3+Teardown/1260
ATX PSU Mod: https://quade.co/2017/ps3-pc-power-supply/
Banana Connectors https://www.ebay.com/itm/4-AMASS-XT...590955?hash=item58dd38856b:g:WW8AAOSwM4xXbnRK
The plan is to open it up and do as follows:
Clean all the dust from the inside
This is free, should have all the tools necessary, possible R&D cost (see below) to avoid breaking something.
Replace the 15 blade fan with a 19 blade version [Fan upgrade]
I might already have a 19 blade fan, my PS3 might be Japanese before they moved production to China, can't seem to find new/clean 19 blade fans, see lots of 15-17 on Ebay so unless I can find and need, won't spend $15-20 upgrading it. I'll just clean it and keep the original that probably has way less wear than anything on ebay.
Replace the 14 year old Factory thermal compound with MX-4 thermal compound on the CPU and RSX [Thermal upgrade]
This seems to be the best upgrade I can do to control temps but also the most risky upgrade as there is a risk of cracking the dyes when wiping or taking it apart. I am considering blowing $30-50 dollars on a broken PS3 on ebay to practice on. Problem is that most of those have probably already been taken apart so I won't get the same resistance when removing the motherboard from the metal plates. If I get a unit that hasn't been messed with and has the same guts, I can use the guts of the other system to finish the case mod. Spending close to $100 at Gamestop on a working PS3 just to possibly kill it is a hard sale but then again, my PS3 is irreplaceable to me so it might be worth it and I could flip it and get some money back, i really don't know on this part and would appreciate suggestions. While I am at it, I will replace all the thermal pads with new high performance thermal pads. The pads I can get for about $15 and cut to size, the MX-4 would set me back another $10.
Replace the 14 year old 66.5% efficient Factory 380W PSU with an external ATX 90 Plus Bronze 450W PSU [External PSU mod][ATX PSU mod]
The only thing just as bad as 14 year old thermal paste is a 14 year old PSU that is probably creating as much heat as the CPU creates under load. It's location behind the CPU and RSX doesn't help things. I won't just take it out of the PS3 casing, I will replace it entirely with a Corsair CX450M ($57). I should be able to follow the linked PSU mod with my knowledge and skills. I'll pick up what skills I don't have as I go. Before I throw out the original PSU (380W), I'll cannibalizing it for the cable connector. I plan to use the linked Banana plugs on the PSU prongs instead of soldering directly to them to make the mod removable and safer. I would buy $10 of shrink tubing and if I can't borrow a heat gun, I'd have to buy one off Amazon for $25 which is a shame but I want to do things properly, without electrical tape. Add $20 for a soldering kit and a little extra if I want real solder and not what is included.
Here is where I start to throw money at the problem
Replace the 600GB HDD with a 500GB SATA Evo 860 or similar SSD [Storage upgrade]
That hard drive is at least 9 years old and after spending so much time in that oven, it should be close to dead. It's gotten it's fair share of disk usage over the years so I think it is fair to replace it with an SSD. Even if I lose some capacity, the speed boost is definitely welcome. With games, it would be mostly reads, not so many writes besides game installs. I can get a 500gb 860 Evo for $80 or pony up $107 for 1TB 860 QVO if they are as good as the EVOs. It should run cooler than the HDD, I can also get a SATA/power combo extension cable ($10) and take the SSD out of the HDD cage completely. Keep it somewhere cool.
Jam the PS3 into a mid ATX PC case [Case mod]
I already have PC towers behind my TVs (Monitors) and you must keep the PS3 in open space to keep it from frying itself so one more PC case won't hurt if it can keep it cooler than inside the original shell. The motherboard must be assembled with both metal plates as they allow me to install the heat sink, radiator and fan. The plates also function as thermal masses that absorb heat from the ICs through the thermal pads they are in contact with it, I need the bluray drive so for better or for worse, I am stuck with everything besides the PSU. The PS3 Fat 60GB has the most hardware, it is also the heaviest at 11 lbs. Even removing the PSU weight, it might be too much to comfortably hang after I drill my own mounting holes. The fan would also be in the back so it can't go flush with the case wall. It needs to rest on the bottom and it must stand on it's own. My solution is to cut everything besides the bottom 1-2 inches of the outer shell, just high enough so I can screw it on and stand it on this section of black casing. The back black cover would be gone exposing the metal fins and the only black casing left would be in the front where the power button is and the base so it can stand on it's own. The part that has the USB ports must be cut for maximum airflow. My go to case for years was the Corsair Spec-02 but it appears it has been discontinued. I can drive two hours to microcenter and get the Spec-02 Redshift for $68 but since the PSU would be on the bottom, I can't really sit the PS3 in there. I need a case that fits ATX size motherboards (PS3 is 12.8 x 11.5 inches) with a PSU shroud or top-mounted PSU so the PSU is not on the way, lots of air filters for intakes and exhausts, preferably exhausts at the top of the case for fans, preferably meshed front with room for 2 fans instead of pretty but relatively useless glass front panels, it must have 2 5-inch expansion bays since it looks like I need at least a fan controller for the 6-8 fans and a USB hub that I can pass through the internal USB ports individually for easy access. I can turn on the PSU with this PC remote starter thing I bought a few years ago, I'll just leave it on the 24 pin cable and use the remote. The controllers can turn on the actual system and they can also turn it off, I do need to go into the case for the bluray drive so metal sides instead of glass would be preferable. After I stand the PS3 inside the case, I will drill holes on the case wall and anchor to the main metal plate holes using 40-60mm standoffs and screws. Just to keep the PS3 from tipping over, the spare system would help for this part. So far the lead belongs to the Corsair 88R ($60). It might fit the PS3 on top of the PSU and HDD cage but it might be too short especially with top mounted fans and with only one bay so I would have to use an internal fan controller. I like the airflow of it though: https://puu.sh/F6T6O.png
https://www.corsair.com/us/en/Categories/Products/Cases/Carbide-Series™-88R-MicroATX-Mid-Tower-Case/p/CC-9011086-WW
Ideally I want to try to find a case that is similar to the Spec 02 in features: Large enough to fit PS3 (ATX compatible) but mid-case instead of full-case, mesh front, top, bottom, lots of fans, 2 expansion bays
https://www.corsair.com/us/en/Categories/Products/Cases/Carbide-Series™-SPEC-02-Red-LED-Mid-Tower-Gaming-Case/p/CC-9011051-WW
I almost want to go grab another Spec 02, remove the HDD Cage and stick the PS3 right in front of two strong filtered intake fans with the PSU behind it, the PSU would be isolated and exhaust out the back. I just can't find comparable cases. Newegg had some nice designs with shrouds and 2 bays for less than $40 but off the reviews, the quality just isn't there. I don't want to spend $150-200 on a PC case for this either but around $75-85 seems appropriate. Just by standing the PS3 next to my PC's Spec-02 I can see that I can only use the top 5inch bay and I would need to control the fans internally.
Right now I would to hear suggestions/advice in regards to the mod/upgrades.
I need to decide if I want to spend $30-50 on a broken parts PS3 that might or might not help me.
Buy a "working" one from Gamestop, try not to break it, probe it and flip it instead of a parts system.
Any suggestions on cases that work for the project and beat the 2 hr away microcenter in-store only Spec 02
I need to decide if it is worth to try and link the case fan speed to the CPU temperature so it's automatic like on modern computers with PWM fans. Modders usually don't attempt this since it seems the Fan only kicks up after the CPU overheats but I should be able to tweak it to max out earlier. The tricky part here is turning the voltage given off by the PS3, range of 3.3V to 0.6V where 3.3V is 100% speed and 0.6V is the minimum to keep the PS3 from easybaking itself. I would have to turn the voltage gradient into equivalent duty cycles and connect the resulting PWM control signal into something like a DEEPCOOL FH-10 by using a 555 Timer IC in Astable mode.
Once I get through the planning stage, I can order everything I need and get to work. I'll add pictures as I go. I don't want to take the PS3 apart until I have everything because I want to be able to use it. In the meantime, I'll open up my DS3 and try to figure out why it is inputting random actions when turned on, my DS4 doesn't let me use the PS button yet which is kind of annoying.
