I bought 3 PS3s for $50... how bad could it be?

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▶Features the following videos
"Sony's Embarrassing E3 2006 Press Conference" - donovansan
• Sony's Embarrassing E3...
"PSA - Your Original Xbox may be ROTTING AWAY right now..." - MattKC
• PSA: Your Original Xbo...
"How to easily delid PS3 CPU and GPU" - Sampsonay
• Delidding 90nm PS3 CPU...

[@melody_florum]

20:14 I’d like to imagine someone in the far future buying this system as a broken system and trying to restore it only to discover cursed capacitors and eraser in the cpu

[@theocgaming9433]

"Was it like this from the factory?!?"

[@afizsouji]

"people in the old days are wild. they use erasers as thermal pads"

[@JeskidoYT]

@@afizsouji these days we use two droplets of thermal uranium

[@randallbro6749]

I'd call them an idiot because it's still stupid to this day.

[@whynotanyting]

This is what I imagine for every single repair.

[@rogercheetoofficial]

i swear, Matt's one of perhaps 4 people i've seen who can make frustrating technical and hardware issues feel like an entertaining journey

[@Beaut_Beau]

I bet the other 20 hours he spent on this but didn't film is him swearing in frustration lol

[@Cipher2k4wastaken]

ikrr

[@lucyinchat]

At least one of those three others is the guy who covered the history of the PS3s.

[@OnnieKoski]

So true! I love these videos.

[@stephanieiwaniuk6088]

Michael MJD is another one. Highly recommend his channel!

[@fahisaurus]

You were a brave man to tackle that PS3 without gloves.

[@arjdroid]

Plus, they're probably stolen

[@darkchevalier]

@@arjdroid without probably lol

[@fahisaurus]

@@arjdroid Likely not. My local classifieds site has many as-is fat PS3 models in the $10-30 range. Even a working fat console with two controllers and games lists for ~$100. It's not exactly a high value item worth stealing. Two had actual defects, and that good working one may have a software problem the owner was unaware of and assumed to be hardware.

[@parsipax6337]

it does not happen in humid areas of the world. I live in a humid area and never seen a repair guy wearing antistatic braces, gloves or anything, it just never happens.

[@fahisaurus]

@@parsipax6337 it’s less about antistatic, more about handling a PS3 with a bunch of dead cockroaches inside.

[@StevenSenile]

Huge respect for disassembling it all without gloves. I would've disgust myself every moment 💀

[@soundspark]

I'm sure he washed his hands really well after.

[@creativecraving]

I wanted to wear gloves just watching it!

[@eebydeebyz]

@@creativecravingme eating rn:

[@eebydeebyz]

@@creativecravingI bit off more than I could chew and couldn’t eat anymore 😭😭😭

[@Ultima_Atulos_Maxim]

I've watched a lot of board and console repair videos, but never in my life have I seen someone solder capacitors to a *bent paperclip* and then solder that to the pads. It's amazing that that worked. You're a madman. Big fan!

[@Theunicorn2012]

l've watched a lot of board and console repair videos, but never in my life have l seen someone solder capacitors to a bent paperclip and then solder that to the pads. It's amazing that that worked. You're a madman. Big fan!

[@MeatbagTTV]

I've watched a lot of board and console repair videos, but never in my life have I seen someone solder capacitors to a bent paperclip and then solder that to the pads. It's amazing that that worked. *You're a madman.* Big fan!

[@KSupes]

I've watched a lot of board and console repair videos, but never in my life have I seen someone solder capacitors to a bent paperclip and then solder that to the pads. It's amazing that that worked. You're a madman. Big fan!

[@skinnyjeans404]

I've watched a lot of board and console repair videos, but never in my life have I seen someone solder capacitors to a bent paperclip and then solder that to the pads. It's amazing that that worked. You're a madman. Big fan!

[@Bockanator]

I was verbally screaming "PUT GLOVES ON!" as you where cleaning it

[@smallbutdeadly931]

A pack of disposable medical-grade nitrile gloves is always useful for these sorts of things

[@flamingscar5263]

same

[@s8wc3]

And do it outside...

[@andersenpeters]

Just came here to say the same thing, do you want us to send you gloves?!

[@jek__]

Eh, the skin is fine. It's not like it's biologically dangerous, just gross. Those thin medical gloves have a tendency to tear easily when even slightly brushing up against the kind of sharp hard metal angles you find inside computers

[@gamesbyomar]

One thing I've learned taking these apart is that Sony had many different variations of the PS3. The outside may look the same, but insides could be totally different and not interchangeable.

[@robonator2945]

"we may look the same on the outside, but model B's are totally inferior consoles, and we need a final solution to deal with them" - Playdolf

[@Kiyuja]

I had a lot of bugs on my machine over the last years of developing but getting such a first hand experience with fixing bug issues is kinda eye opening. I'm hella envious

[@Briskeeen]

Those PS3s were 100% stolen. Probably years ago, but stolen nonetheless

[@michaelboyle1805]

Yup exactly

[@bubgamingandvlogs3870]

probably

[@cappiecappie770]

i was literally thinking this, dodgy neighbourhood and only for 50??

[@akumanusia269]

So???

[@MDigitalProductions]

I'm glad that Matt actually shows us the passage of time, by not trimming his beard, it puts into perspective of the struggle of starting a project and getting to it when you can.

[@theskullemoji]

What do you call a fish wearing a bowtie? Sofishticated.🤣

[@MDigitalProductions]

@@theskullemoji just seeing this, and you made me laugh 😂

[@Theunicorn2012]

l'm glad that Matt actually shows us the passage of time, by not trimming his beard, it puts into perspective of the struggle of starting a project and getting to it when you can,

[@General12th]

l'm glad that Matt actually shows us the passage of time, by not trimming his beard, it puts into perspective of the struggle of starting a project and getting to it when you can,

[@ImperfectChaos0]

A little note about using the Dualshock 4 on a PS3. You actually CAN use them wirelessly, all you need to do is scroll to settings on the XMB, Select Accessories -> Bluetooth Devices -> Start searching and hold both the share and PS buttons on the controller. Rumble and the PS button still won't function but other than that it's still perfectly usable for a good selection of the consoles library!

[@MrMarr]

This also works with the switch pro controller

[@beardalaxy]

Oddly enough, they don't seem to work with Goldeneye 007. Every other game works but that one and it's the only PS3 game I still want to play xD

[@tooprood]

@@beardalaxy Gran turismo doesnt work either :(

[@qwertykeyboard5901]

But how do you exit from the game?

[@global8198]

@@qwertykeyboard5901 for me i keep a ps3 controller around just to turn my system off and navigate menus

[@CLEVERCATMAN]

Eraser mod can actually cause the cpu die to crack so I wouldn't recommend it

[@costelinha1867]

To be fair, that ps3 was already on the brink of death, and he had 2 other functioning ps3's to spare, so I think it's ok.

[@NSHG]

While I agree as well - that last PS3 he worked on was literally the definition of a zombie PS3. Roaches in and out, bad caps, overheating RSX, and corrosion enough that I'm surprised it would even turn on. I mean I've had my fair share of nasty units but that thing is just atrocious.

[@Yama69420]

Fun fact:if you hold the ps button and the share button on a ps4 controller for 5 seconds it starts to blink and if you go the Bluetooth settings on the ps3 it will state the ps4 controller as a “wireless controller” and if you press it you can use the controller wirelessly.

[@ghostything]

The PS3s with the Emotion Engine board (yes the PS2 compatibility was hardware emulation!) are easy to spot. They're the very earliest models, and they have four USB ports instead of two, and you can lift up the black bit to the left of the disc drive and there's a load of card readers under it, SD, CF etc. If I recall, the silver disc slot surround is chromed on those too.

[@Muhluri]

intresting. I always wondered why certain video game manuals showed that opening with all the card readers and yet my own PS3 didn't have those

[@Muscleduck]

yup, the chrome trim is the easiest way to know. They also had a 60 GB HDD, but that could have been replaced since.

[@giltyascharged]

@@Muscleduck yeap i still have mine. its the first model i believe. I got it like a month after the ps3 released

[@Matt92Machine]

Unless you got the 20 GB model that didn't have the card readers.

[@phoenixyt124]

@@Matt92Machine imagine having a 20GB PS3 lol

[@beardedwolf628]

In this video: Matt buys very clearly stolen PS3s

[@dizzydaisy909]

why are they very clearly stolen?

[@michaelboyle1805]

​@@dizzydaisy909why else would a random guy living in a sketchy neighbourhood have 3 fat PS3s for sale?

[@KITT.007]

The instant nostalgia I got from that ps3 intro screen, some good and chaotic memories are stored in there

[@Josh.Davidson]

By the way, the NEC/TOKINs don't fail that often. Always check SYSCON logs. Also - the wire you used to bridge the 2 sides is far too thin - it will heat up excessively and may burn. This has happened to people who have done the NEC/TOKIN replacement before and can be very dangerous. You need to use a much thicker wire. Usually what happens is people go heatgunning the board to remove the NEC/TOKINs which temporarily "revives" the GPU on the board. Most systems where people replace the NEC/TOKINs end up failing again later as they were never the cause of the issue originally.

[@viniciusvidotto7536]

Didn't you saw the error code 1002 point out a bad VDD for the RSX? That's not a BGA problem, if it was, it would appear as 3034, 4402 or 4411. The Nec/Tokins were the problem on that unit, reported by Syscon and confirmed by swapping them. Heat would temporarily fix something in the case of BGA related problems.

[@Josh.Davidson]

Completely aware of this and I agree completely. The reason I mentioned it was simply to refute in the video where it is stated about the NEC issues being "common".

[@ZephyrCubic]

@@viniciusvidotto7536 You can't necessarily say any of this in absolutes. The caps were *a* problem, and may have been killed by a different problem, which could be anything from an intermittent power supply failure to, at absolute worst, cracking of solder beads under the GPU (which turns out to be not that uncommon on these systems, unfortunately). Again, I agree that the capacitors had indeed apparently failed, but given the age of the machine, a failure at this point in time is possibly below the life expectancy of that part, very possibly indicating a related but separate fault that caused this failure, and at the very least, the possibility of more than one point of failure, even if intermittent, should not be ignored. Please excuse any bluntness in my tone, I simply want to avoid people being misinformed and permanently damaging their irreplaceable devices in a misguided attempt at repair.

[@jtchoi2003]

@Brooke M. I figured the caps died from the uh, bugs and gunk that Matt cleaned out. All that disgusting stuff made -it- them run too hot, and then they got KO'ed.

[@jtchoi2003]

Oh hey Octal! I didn't realize it was you at first 😅

[@dracopliskin]

currently suffering with covid at 4AM thank you for the upload matt 🙏

[@LegendaryNuggets]

Currently suffering without covid here at 3:20 am

[@gdcalamity]

Currently suffering without covid here at 9:22am

[@lizzieaoi7140]

Not COVID but kinda sick, at 6:00 AM

[@costi2596]

How

[@EpicLPer]

Aaay, Corona-Buddies

[@xiii9354]

I would really like to see an update on the fixed PS3 in the future at some point after some use. The TOKIN caps have gotten a bad rep but it has been proven that they are not the primary cause of graphics related YLOD as other commenters pointed out. However in almost all cases that had any sort of a GPU related error, replacing them causes the console to temporarily revive and start working. Either you got really lucky with the machine and it was one of the few that had bad caps, or it's only a matter of time until it dies again.

[@DeadlyHellhound]

You’re probably referring to specifically the Ps3 models that contained a 90nm RSX GPU which that would apply. However, later fat ps3 models contained 65nm RSX Gpus which did not have such and issue, and replacing capacitors would fix them(generally, still read syscon errors before doing anything to your system)

[@xiii9354]

@@DeadlyHellhound Well I don't think Matt specified what version the PS3s in the video were aside from not being backwards compatible with PS2, and I'm not sure if he meant that they are not the first models ever released with hardware level backwards compatibility, or if he meant they don't have the software level either. Keep in mind that what I do know about the issue I learned from RIP Felix and his extensive look into the subject, but if I remember correctly the 65nm ones can still have this issue, it's just less common. As for the capacitors, the amount of times they have been actually the cause of the YLOD was rather low, but changing them revived the console in question for a while in almost all cases because of the heat involved. As I said in the original comment it's possible that Matt just got very lucky and it was a matter of the caps giving in, but I think an update in the future would be a good idea no matter what.

[@DeadlyHellhound]

@@xiii9354 judging by the insides and the thick heatsinks included with this system, im going to guess that it is a P01 model (second to last fat ps3 revision). The first non-ps2 compatible ps3s were the G models, and those models had a vastly different chassis inside but also had 90nm GPUs so theyre often found with dead GPUs. H models came soon after and had a similar chassis as pretty much all the later fat models shared at that point, although H, J, and K models had separate wifi/BT boards from the motherboard but still had the same form factor. H models also were the last 90nm models so you’ll find those junked as well. The only concerning models with 65nm GPUs would be the the first PS3s that came immediately after the H models, which were the J and K models. Even so, I rarely encounter any J or K models with faulty GPUs (even my K model ps3 I had since it released in late 2008 still works perfectly fine with original caps and everything) Keep in mind, RIP-Felixs video is based off mostly theories with a good amount of evidence to back up those theories. He never puts everything off as a fact simply because he hasn’t gathered THAT much information to really set everything in stone just yet (theres still a lot of development and experimenting regarding PS3s, this info is still relatively newish). So while I would agree that J and K ps3s with 65nm GPUs could be a concern since those models released immediately after the H models with faulty 90nm GPUs, there still just isnt enough proof that 65nm GPUs should be of any real issue over 40nm GPUs. There just isnt enough logged information to back up these claims (more people rather go for the 40nm gpus clearly since they are technically better GPUs anyway. But thats not to say that 65nm GPUs arent also a viable option)

[@xiii9354]

@@DeadlyHellhound That's genuinely a very informative comment, thank you. I think I'm just rather cynical of the cap replacements, I got 2 fats for a similar price as Matt, both with YLOD. I went into it thinking that there is a fairly easy fix now (didn't remember it was the caps, only that I saw a video about it) but after doing some research and seeing that video from Felix it was like being punched in the gut. One of them might have some sort of HDD related issue judging by the fact that it doesn't flash the HDD LED while the other does, so not all hope is lost. Still, knowing that it's a design fault even if this issue can be fixed, the RSX will be a ticking time bomb. The two I got were a C and a G model, the C being the one with no HDD light.

[@draconic5129]

I mean we could say he got lucky but he did check the error code before doing the replacement error code suggested that it was the capacitors, the problem with replacing the capacitors is that most people don't check the error codes before replacing them and just assume that it'll work. It might still die later, although if it does we're probably not going to get a video from him because he's definitely not skilled enough at replacing the RSX.

[@VeLvEtGuNs]

I do this same shit, I buy useless outdated electronics and spend money on parts (usually more than the total value of said unit) and fix them. Nothing beats that satisfaction though.

[@noahcalland8316]

1:15, this was nodded to in a tv show called Person of Interest. In later seasons, they run an entire AI off a handful of PS3's banded together as a super computer.

[@noahcalland8316]

(This is a dumbed down explanation of events to avoid major spoilers)

[@CasualGamerDude]

I used to have a ps3 but It got stolen a while back, Love your vids man! You just inject such wonder and creativity into your videos!

[@julius4858]

How does a hole console get stolen lol

[@polipod2074]

@@julius4858 Probably burglars came in his house and stole it

[@Aremisalive]

@@polipod2074 Then sell it in a sketchy neighborhood in a lot of 3 for $50.

[@GenerationZ313]

@@julius4858 I saw an animated video by Man in a Motel where he admitted to stealing the PlayStation of his friend's neighbour because the neighbour left there house unlocked.

[@bitterlemonboy]

Oh, sorry about that. I'll leave it back where I stole it tomorrow.

[@SammyCola]

RIP Felix did a great video diving deep into the Yellow Light of Death, including covering the NEC/TOKIN caps issues (which isn't always the issue).

[@curllum]

Finding bug remains inside devices in MattKC’s videos is getting increasingly common

[@Thebigskullman]

Man, I watched a 2hr documentary on the PS3’s YLOD issues, and even though it all ended with “the capacitors are *a* fix but not *the* fix… the CPU ultimately needs to be reballed too” climax of the documentary, your quick fix procedure really made me reconsider my plan. The plan after the documentary was to keep my fat PS3 stored away for a bit until the community comes up with some mass-produceable, refined fix years down the line. But I’m really tempted to try the paperclip capacitor mod just so I have a working PS3 in the meantime. Tl;dr, phenomenal video and love your work!

[@Kevaca]

The RSX is *not* the cpu, it's the gpu That's what having the problem, but it's also not *just* thr balls, but the underfill too

[@dizzydaisy909]

did you end up doing this?

[@jansenart0]

0:55 "Long story short, I am in receipt of stolen goods."

[@FarmYardGaming]

Matt, I've been binge-watching your content, and your obsession with capacitors has been helpful context for my Physics revision, so thanks!

[@no-ld3hz]

More tips for the soldering! Usually 200-300 degrees at medium to max air flow. If you're putting down or picking up a component up with tweezers, don't go all the way down to the board, go 50% of the components width down with the tweezers, keeps it from flying off when you go to put it down. Kapton tape keeps stuff on while being heated. Happy Hacking!

[@nikkiofthevalley]

Kapton tape, not Capton tape.

[@no-ld3hz]

@@nikkiofthevalley ye my bad, shoulda called it polyimide tape as Kapton is a trademarked/brand name.

[@PrincePoetic17]

"Imagine how I must feel with 3 PS3s. I think you'll find that I'm enjoying it 3 times as much." I can't tell if this video is a reference, or not, but if it is, good job, Matt.

[@123456789sha]

ahh de memories 😂

[@yadabub]

My second fat PS/2 came with a single dead roach in the HD bay. Other than a bit of fluff, it was otherwise entirely clean. This video makes me feel even luckier today, than I felt back then.

[@kovy6447]

0:17 PS3, that costs 69 dollars

[@donwald3436]

0:28 There's also a non-zero chance that one of them wasn't stolen.

[@FliesLikeABrick]

I love the videos showing how accessible this kind of repair is, especially when the risks are low. It is a great motivation to people to try and fix/improve/mod all kinds of things that otherwise would enter the waste stream

[@phoenixyt124]

iPhones are a great indication of why right to repair is so unfathomably important.

[@Le_Grand_Rigatoni]

9:09 Please Matt, don't run fans underwater, that's going to rince the bearing oil away !

[@Luigi_bros4321]

Makes sense, the fan needs to spin smoothly and not get destroyed

[@-aexc-]

if i was operating on that ps3 i would be wearing gloves, a mask and using a low power vacuum cleared to get the biggest chunks

[@nanmario8757]

1:00 "For the most part they're in pretty decent condition"

[@awii.neocities]

I swear, matt always releases his videos exactly when I'm on my phone, even when I live on the other side of the world. Either way, awesome video! I have an idea that you could buy a bunch of old MacBooks and try to fix them and see if they still hold up today

[@Phils3r]

very good job Matt. I'm pretty impressed by your fixing effort. Btw you can pair your PS4 controllers after a specific firmware update on the PS3. At some point it got support for PS4 controllers wirelessly.

[@BK2Modder]

Always cool to follow your project journey's and see how similar your thought process can be! Would be interested to see if the capacitor fix lasts for this console in a few months and it's not actually an RSX bump issue, so hope you can give an update on that later.

[@costelinha1867]

I love how Billy just casually made a dramatic reanactment of the first computer bug ever documented, where a bug got inside a computer, died there, and it caused issues.

[@FadeSlayer2]

You actually can do ps4 controller wireless with no adapters but you still don’t get ps button functionality. I believe you can do a ps5 controller aswell

[@stevethepocket]

If Loading Ready Run has taught me anything, it's that three is a good number of PS3s to have.

[@canuckinsk]

Gloves make cleaning less disgusting.

[@Cyphco]

I might have tried using some Thermal pads to put a little more distance between the CPU and Heatsink, some are probably efficient enough

[@davidgagnon2665]

FYI: if you buy a used console from a doggy place there is a pretty good chance there will be roaches or other insects as consoles are usually hot and these insects enjoy warm spots. Roach eggs can hatch after something ridiculous like 6 months or more so even leaving it outside won't be enough. If you suspect there are roaches, the best thing to do is to leave the console in the freezer for a few days and then thoroughly clean the console. It's a nightmare so don't do it unless you really want a good deal. Also, getting roaches in your apartment is the absolute worst thing you can imagine.

[@pedrao_az9800]

Bro, U have open my mind. I have one PS3 Fat here, I took it to a technical assistance, but in not long time before it's came with the black scren. He had the Ylod, they fixed it, but usinig it for a little time he started with artefact (very sad). I noticed the temperature before the black screen came, the CPU and RSX took about 70ºC (158Fº). Maybe the problem can be the cold system, or my chip of HDMI ou AV. The board you used are really good, it's tell everything that was wrong in the PS3. Thanks man, u don't now how I'm glad to know these features.

[@notyourbusiness4169]

20:30 DO NOT DO THIS.

[@Silverty]

correction: you can fully use a ps4 controller on ps3 wireless - on your ps3 hold share and PS to enable pairing, head over to bluetooth settings on ps3, scan and it'll find the controllers as "wireless controller", select it and it'll be connected with full functionality minus PS button yes you can pair multiple controllers in the same fashion

[@thedausthed]

This video brings back memories of the time I once fixed my cousin's overheating PS3 by opening it up and removing a dead gecko.

[@kirodrache]

Hey Matt, thanks for showing us your PS3 revival process! You should defenitely consider delidding though because that thermal paste under the chips head spreader is only worsening the temperatures, even to the point where it won't even make a proper connection to transfer the heat. We have only delid two PS3's so far, the backwards compatible ones even, but we felt much safer doing that than ewmoving the Tokins (well we also didn't have a boot problem but I guess for the long run it would be safer to replace them sooner than later) I hope this will get a follow up video with the mods or even with a delidding video! If you need any infos, tipps and tricks for the delidding process let me know, I have found some good sources where people show and describe how they did it and what thermal paste and pads they used to replace the old ones

[@carlosdgutierrez6570]

Research how the US Army used many PS3 to build a supercomputer cluster and do the same with the ones that you bought, you could get some sick parallel processing power if you get enough of those and hook up then in parallel.

[@watchingdanny]

I would have moved that cleaning to a remote location FAR away from where I live. You might have viable eggs in there falling out and hatching. Also, no gloves? 😱

[@romeoramirez69420]

3:14 did you know that you can also make the PS4 controller wireless by holding the share button and the PS button together and go to the bluetooth settings and add the PS4 controller to make it wireless.

[@MegaManNeo]

You clearly deserve respect for fixing those PS3 consoles. I couldn't do such things which is why I'd probably have to throw away mine once it goes YLoD or something.

[@shawnunder7]

There are many others that repair PS3 consoles the actual proper way by reading the syscon codes and determining the ACTUAL errror instead of swapping out tokins and puttin a spacer between the Cell. This was not the way.

[@Pixtrix_]

@@shawnunder7 i mean he did read the syscon error codes thats how he came to the conclusion to try swapping the capacitors

[@TypicalNerds]

3:18 You can pair the bluetooth for a PS4 controller to a PS3 and it will work, you'll just need another controller connected to open up the bluetooth settings on the ps3 and hit connect (once your controller is in pairing mode).

[@bramvandenbroeck5060]

Another youtuber dived into this Tokin capacitor problem, and he worked out that these caps are very reliable, as heat is bad for capacitors, they are well above spec, they don't fail in the ps3, it's also a symptom, not a cause, it might work for a while, but those Tokin's are not it! It is the RSX chip itself! "But he replaced these caps and it worked?!" Yes, it works, but what happened is, he heated up the area very close to the GPU, as the gpu is made by TSMC, you know, the manufacturer that also makes nvidia gpu dies, they used a kind of bonding to attach the die to the package, and it is that bondage that fails, and if you heat the area long enough, this bond gets liquid enough to remake contact with the package, it's like the nvidia 8000 series of laptop chips, the most infamous was the 2007 - 2008 macbook pro models, they fail as well because of the bonding used by, you guessed it, TSMC. To remove the Tokins, you need a lot of heat, and since the board soaks up enormous amounts of heat thanks to the groundplate, you heat up the RSX chip, solder melts at 320 degrees celcius, and since that bond material gets liquid enough to 'rebond' the die to the package only requires 175 degrees celcius, it's more than enough to "fix" the gpu. The caps are just a placebo effect unfortunately. Once the damage to the bonding material has been done, there is no way to fix it, you can only patch it up, and yeah, it works, but nobody knows for how long. It can last 1 day, 1 week, 1 month or even a year, but eventually, it will fail again, and you think it's those caps because they aren't an exact replacement, you will change 'em out again, but you might come to the conclusion that the RSX still doesn't work after a fresh set of caps. You are borrowing time, the real fix is to replace the RSX with a newer revision, there is a way to install the RSX from a slim or super slim into these old ps3 consoles, with mods and firmwares offcourse, since these original RSX chips are 90nm, the slim uses 65nm (only later revisions of the slim don't have failing RSX chips, the earlier models do use 65nm dies, but yes, they are bonded with the same failing "glue") and the super slim uses 45nm dies. Every phat PS3 will eventually fail, yes, all of 'em, but, now you know how to fix 'em properly, it's not those Tokin caps as i stated before, they run well below their rated spec and temps, those caps are rated for 105 degrees celcius, and since they are away from the gpu, they don't fail. In Toshiba laptops from around that era (something the Tokin problem gets associated with, these Tokin caps in those affected laptops are right underneath the gpu, yes, dead center on the other side of the board, that's why they fail, they get way to hot, but not in the PS3 phat. I hope your understanding of this problem is resolved now, i don't know how to describe it otherwise. As an example, to "fix" such an affected gpu, i took the motherboard out of my macbook pro 2008, who died just randomly, i putted it in an oven for about 7 minutes at 220 degrees celcius without replacing anything, and when i reassembled this macbook pro, it worked! The laptop came back to live, because i created a zombie, i resurrected a dead chip :p I found the video, it's called: "A ps3 story: The yellow light of dead" by RIP Felix

[@rijaja]

I don't know how aware you are of the dangers of opening up a power supply (for anything, not just a PS3) but regardless, you should _always_ tell people not to do it unless they know what they're doing. Power supplies are deadly even when they're unplugged, and you have a large audience

[@mattb8075]

Congrats on the inventive and well done fix. Only time will tell how long it will last, but you gave the console a new lease on life for the time being.

[@bobthered313]

The paperclip idea for those capacitors was quite a good idea. I feel that Nostalgia Critic said it best in his Surf Ninjas review. "GEEEEENIUUUUS!!"

[@circjit]

you can connect the PS4 controller via bluetooth going to accessory settings on the PS3 and putting the controller on pairing mode, by pressing PS+options or PS+share and pair the controller with the PS3.

[@caphowdy666]

I still have my PS3 (would like to say original but I had it swapped by Sony when it YLOD) and it is one of the original European models with software emulation for the PS2. It actually works but when I put it into standby it does the flashing red light thing you usually get after the YLOD. I don't actually use it anymore and it's currently sitting with my PS4 pro in a corner of my room. It had been repaired a couple of times for YLOD but really not sure if it is worth the effort (and cost) of getting it looked at. Funnily enough, the main reason I would get it going again is because Hogs of war is on it (coincidentally that's the game you have in your description) which was never available here in the UK and I managed to snag it from the US store with a little account trickery.

[@AhmazinSKM]

I still have my BC PS3. I usually sell the previous console to subsidize the cost of the newest one, but when Sony announced the PS4 wouldn’t be BC, it was a no brained to keep mine.

[@Mitchfaberskateboarding]

that was incredible to watch! everything you overcame to fix it amazing! well done.

[@David-gr8rh]

Excellent mods, well done. Can we see you do a small 5x PS3 super cluster or run mining

[@SirAmicVarze]

As soon as I saw the cockroaches I would've just burned the PS3 and the house down.

[@dnakatomiuk]

15 years ago it feels like the launch day was only yesterday when I see my PS3 I have the Slim model but I loved the chunky version.

[@CriTiiKaLREAP3R]

That satisfaction and feel of success of you fixing it is so real

[@sukunasthugshaker]

0:36 that reminds me of when my dad went to pick up a Xbox 360 in a dodgy apartment complex and he got chased

[@Pepsifan04]

There's around 80W going trough those wires, you need to beef them up considerably

[@generalrubbish9513]

"click the Join button to watch sponsor-free" Arrow keys: "Am I a joke to you?"

[@DietDrPp2]

Lol in honor of this video, it inspired me to pick one up myself! Grabbed mine for 10$ - with 3.50$ shipping it’s a FAT model CECHH101 with YLOD, came back to pick up some tips, hopefully I can find the serial connection so I can find some error codes. And get to the root of the issue/issues my ps3 could potentially have! Thanks for documenting your experience as I probably would have never considered picking up one of these of these older model ps3’s for repair.

[@lonreed9743]

I picked up a phat PS3 for cheap on eBay back in 2012. Unfortunately it’s stuck in “demo” mode so I can’t go online but I can still play all PS1, PS2, and PS3 games.

[@horsestickmpg8400]

Matt those are bed bugs in that PS3 you took apart I'd take all three consoles apart just to make sure you get all of the bugs out of them, those buggers can live dormant for a long af time and come back and infest your house really quick if not taken care of.. best of luck.

[@ianhaylock7409]

They're too big for bed bugs.

[@BlueEyedVibeChecker]

That was real out of the box thinking with the paperclips, I would've just threw a small sheet of copper on the CPU heatsink for extra thermal resistance and distance.

[@CaptainBlackBread]

The ones with the chrome finish and multiple storage options have backwards compatibility with the PS2 games.

[@JustinBailey91]

Unless I'm misremembering you can connect a PS4 controller wirelessly by holding down the Playstation button and the share button on the controller until the lightbar flashes and then adding it through the bluetooth settings menu on PS3.

[@diogo24m]

@MattKC Use a hair dryer on the sticker to remove it, the heat melts the glue

[@goddamnit]

15:48 bro grew a whole ass beard, his satisfaction and relief in that moment must have been immeasurable

[@coccoborg]

I'm very curious to know if the tiny wires used in place of the tokin bridges are still intact... Those are high current connections! (Tens of amps when under load!) You'd better use wide conductors

[@PestLover]

you got balls for opening the bug one. im petrified of bugs so I would pass out or throw up if bug legs spat at me.

[@DommoDommo]

You can literally see a jump from 14 minutes to 15 minutes of beard growth LOL. Must have been a couple of restless nights at that point hahaha.

[@jm036]

Those bodge wires on the caps are WAAAAAY TOO THIN and will literally catch fire.

[@zinggy1k.]

The memories i grew up with a ps3 that boot up sound gave me so nostalgia

[@jillsandwich1998]

You can just see a lot of time has passed from Matt's beard being longer on 15:48 compared to 15:03

[@jakthebomb]

I have de-roached 2 PS4 Pros with live ones in them. It was a nightmare. But was doing it for a poor friend. Loads of Contact Cleaner and soaking the shells in anti-bacterial soap helps.

[@AuranDerg]

few months ago i got 2 broken super slims from a thrift shop for 15 dollars total, and i swapped parts and got one working one

[@ibapreppie]

Should have left each one running for longer than 30 seconds to see if the fan ramps up.

[@anthony7564]

Dude I cannot believe you were able to pull this off, what a video!

[@JDM89HONDACRXSi]

The only models that (Officially) have backwards compatibility are CECH-A01(20GB), CECH-B01 (40 & 60GB) and CECH-E01 (80GB). The A01 & B01 Models are Hardware based Backwards Compatibility (PS2 Emotion Engine CPU) and the E01 is Software Emulated (No PS2 Emotion Engine Emulation CPU) Any of these models are sought after however the A01 & B01 are the most sought after because of having an actual PS2 Emotion Engine CPU on the motherboard. The E01 Emulates games using a virtual Emotion Engine.

[@UpsideDownCak3]

This channel is too good, grateful for the automatic translation

[@derpmoe]

Bug remains blasting out of a PS3 is some horror movie shit and I love it

[@beardedretroguy6428]

Man, I'd love to have gotten 2 working PS3s for only $50. I'd get multiple copies of Gran Turismo 5 or 6 and do triple-screen racing. You need a PS3 to render each screen, but you can do 3 screens or even 5 screens. Then you just need a wheel and pedals - like I have. And an ethernet LAN to link them all together.

[@skittlebug05]

I didn't realize backwards compatibility was rare and thought all PS3s came with it as I had one as a child

[@handlecantbelongerthan30leters]

The way he said “IVE EATEN HERE!” Just made me want to watch kitchen nightmares

[@suspiciousteletubby7964]

the second i heard "sketchy neighborhood" i assumed at least one would be contaminated with roaches.

[@FinalBossOfCanada]

me who knows you can use PS4 controllers wirelessly over Bluetooth: My power, it’s overflowing!

[@BonelessMoose]

Bro brought a new meaning to the term "bugging out"

[@ilikegames2234]

The bug one if you didn't know, you can blow out most of dust or other stuff in the fans by unplugging the console, holding the disc eject button, and plugging it back in.

[@lotkf1]

You can tell on first glance they aren't the reverse compatible one unless it's the 80gb model that ran partial emulation.

[@CrocoDylianVT]

3:21 it can be wireless actually, but you still need another controller for that, go onto bluetooth settings, pair device and put the DS4 in pair mode, it will connect with not much problem and work wireless also the easiest way to spot a backwards compatible one is looking at the USB ports, if it has 4 you're a lucky winner cause those are the ones