Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

30

Time Required

                          30 minutes

Sections

8

  • Smart Plate
  • 4 steps
  • Top Cover
  • 2 steps
  • Blu-ray Disc Drive
  • 3 steps
  • Motherboard Assembly
  • 6 steps
  • AC Inlet
  • 3 steps
  • Rear Cover
  • 2 steps
  • Heat Sink
  • 8 steps
  • Heat Sink
  • 2 steps

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Smart Plate
  • Use the tip of a spudger to remove the black rubber screw cover from the side of the PS3.
  • The screw cover may be underneath a warranty sticker. This sticker will change appearance, and show “VOID” after it has been removed.

Use the tip of a spudger to remove the black rubber screw cover from the side of the PS3.

The screw cover may be underneath a warranty sticker. This sticker will change appearance, and show “VOID” after it has been removed.

1024

Step 2

  • Remove the single 8.5 mm T10 Security Torx screw from the smart plate.

Remove the single 8.5 mm T10 Security Torx screw from the smart plate.

Step 3

  • Pull the smart plate toward the hard drive bay, then lift it off the body of the PS3.

Pull the smart plate toward the hard drive bay, then lift it off the body of the PS3.

Step 4

  • Be sure to keep track of the small metal bracket loosely held in the top cover, if equipped.

Be sure to keep track of the small metal bracket loosely held in the top cover, if equipped.

Step 5

              Top Cover
  • Remove the following seven screws:
  • Six 52 mm Phillips screws
  • One 30 mm Phillips screw

Remove the following seven screws:

Six 52 mm Phillips screws

One 30 mm Phillips screw

Step 6

  • Lift the top cover from its rear edge and rotate it toward the front of the PS3.
  • Remove the top cover.
  • There is a plastic hook located in a hole on the top back right hand side corner. Carefully push the plastic hook a bit from the rear of the machine with a spudger to release the rear right of the casing.

Lift the top cover from its rear edge and rotate it toward the front of the PS3.

Remove the top cover.

There is a plastic hook located in a hole on the top back right hand side corner. Carefully push the plastic hook a bit from the rear of the machine with a spudger to release the rear right of the casing.

Step 7

              Blu-ray Disc Drive
  • Disconnect the Blu-ray power cable from the motherboard.
  • Pull the connector straight up and out of its socket.

Disconnect the Blu-ray power cable from the motherboard.

Pull the connector straight up and out of its socket.

Step 8

  • Lift the Blu-ray drive from the edge nearest the power supply and rotate it away from the chassis enough to access its ribbon cable.

Lift the Blu-ray drive from the edge nearest the power supply and rotate it away from the chassis enough to access its ribbon cable.

Step 9

  • Use your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the Blu-ray ribbon cable socket.
  • Be sure you are prying up on the retaining flap, not the socket itself.
  • Pull the ribbon cable out of its socket.
  • Remove the Blu-ray drive from the PS3.
  • If replacing the Blu-ray drive, transfer the power cable to your new drive.

Use your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the Blu-ray ribbon cable socket.

Be sure you are prying up on the retaining flap, not the socket itself.

Pull the ribbon cable out of its socket.

Remove the Blu-ray drive from the PS3.

If replacing the Blu-ray drive, transfer the power cable to your new drive.

Step 10

              Motherboard Assembly
  • Pull the control board ribbon cable straight up and out of its socket on the motherboard.

Pull the control board ribbon cable straight up and out of its socket on the motherboard.

Step 11

  • Remove the two 12 mm Phillips screws securing the control board to the lower case.
  • Remove the control board and its attached cable from the PS3.

Remove the two 12 mm Phillips screws securing the control board to the lower case.

Remove the control board and its attached cable from the PS3.

Step 12

  • Remove the following eight screws securing the motherboard assembly to the lower case:
  • Seven 12 mm Phillips screws (ph2)
  • One 30 mm Phillips screw

Remove the following eight screws securing the motherboard assembly to the lower case:

Seven 12 mm Phillips screws (ph2)

Step 13

  • Remove the control board bracket.

Remove the control board bracket.

Step 14

  • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the hard drive bay cover away from the lower case.
  • Remove the hard drive bay cover.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the hard drive bay cover away from the lower case.

Remove the hard drive bay cover.

Step 15

  • Lift the motherboard assembly out of the lower case.

Lift the motherboard assembly out of the lower case.

Step 16

              AC Inlet
  • Remove the 7.7 mm Phillips screw securing the ground strap to the chassis.

Remove the 7.7 mm Phillips screw securing the ground strap to the chassis.

Step 17

  • Pull the AC-In cables slightly away from the rear cover for clearance to access the AC-In connector.
  • While depressing its locking mechanism, pull the AC-In connector out of its socket on the power supply.

Pull the AC-In cables slightly away from the rear cover for clearance to access the AC-In connector.

While depressing its locking mechanism, pull the AC-In connector out of its socket on the power supply.

Step 18

  • Pull the AC inlet out from the bottom of the rear cover, minding any of its cables that may get caught.

Pull the AC inlet out from the bottom of the rear cover, minding any of its cables that may get caught.

Step 19

              Rear Cover
  • While lightly pulling the rear cover away from the logic board assembly, use the flat end of a spudger to release the clips along the top and bottom edges of the rear cover.

While lightly pulling the rear cover away from the logic board assembly, use the flat end of a spudger to release the clips along the top and bottom edges of the rear cover.

Step 20

  • Remove the rear cover from the logic board assembly.

Remove the rear cover from the logic board assembly.

Step 21

              Heat Sink
  • De-route the fan cables from the plastic finger molded into the heat sink.
  • Disconnect the fan from the motherboard.
  • Pull the connector straight up and out of its socket.

De-route the fan cables from the plastic finger molded into the heat sink.

Disconnect the fan from the motherboard.

Step 22

  • Remove the two 9 mm Phillips screws securing the memory card reader to the chassis.

Remove the two 9 mm Phillips screws securing the memory card reader to the chassis.

Step 23

  • Lift the memory card reader out of the PS3 enough to access its ribbon cable.
  • Flip up the retaining flap on the memory card reader ribbon cable socket.
  • Be sure you are prying up on the retaining flap, not the socket itself.
  • Pull the ribbon cable out of its socket and remove the memory card reader.

Lift the memory card reader out of the PS3 enough to access its ribbon cable.

Flip up the retaining flap on the memory card reader ribbon cable socket.

Pull the ribbon cable out of its socket and remove the memory card reader.

Step 24

  • Disconnect the DC-In cables from the front of the heat sink.
  • Pull the connector toward the front of the PS3.

Disconnect the DC-In cables from the front of the heat sink.

Pull the connector toward the front of the PS3.

Step 25

  • Remove the five 9 mm Phillips screws securing the power supply to the chassis.

Remove the five 9 mm Phillips screws securing the power supply to the chassis.

Step 26

  • Lift the power supply by its front edge to clear the two posts attached to the motherboard.
  • Remove the power supply.

Lift the power supply by its front edge to clear the two posts attached to the motherboard.

Remove the power supply.

Step 27

  • Remove the four 16.5 mm shouldered Phillips screws securing the heat sink to the motherboard.
  • Remove the two brackets held under the screws you just removed.

Remove the four 16.5 mm shouldered Phillips screws securing the heat sink to the motherboard.

Remove the two brackets held under the screws you just removed.

Step 28

  • Lift the motherboard assembly off the heat sink.
  • The heat sink may still be held in place by the thermal paste. If this is the case, gently pry the heat sink away from the motherboard housing. Make sure to not bend the copper piping on the heat sink.
  • Be sure to apply a new layer of thermal paste when reattaching the heat sink.
  • Never applied thermal paste before? Our thermal paste guide makes it easy.
  • If you’re following the YLOD repair guide, stay tuned for where to apply the replacement thermal paste.

Lift the motherboard assembly off the heat sink.

The heat sink may still be held in place by the thermal paste. If this is the case, gently pry the heat sink away from the motherboard housing. Make sure to not bend the copper piping on the heat sink.

Be sure to apply a new layer of thermal paste when reattaching the heat sink.

Never applied thermal paste before? Our thermal paste guide makes it easy.

If you’re following the YLOD repair guide, stay tuned for where to apply the replacement thermal paste.

Step 29

              Heat Sink
  • Remove the three 5.7 mm #0 Phillips screws securing the fan to the heat sink.

Remove the three 5.7 mm #0 Phillips screws securing the fan to the heat sink.

Step 30

  • Remove the fan from the heat sink, minding its cables that may get caught.

Remove the fan from the heat sink, minding its cables that may get caught.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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                                      with 6 other contributors 


                    Walter Galan

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G Y - Feb 15, 2012

Reply

Thank you for the help

bjornsenjosh99 - Mar 24, 2016

Reply

i make thermal compounds. just wondering do i need to use a grease that has silver or is an aluminum based grease good to use

Wing Leung Lin - May 21, 2018

Reply

Thanks a lot! It is very useful!

Shane Rennie - Jun 4, 2018

Reply

I know this is old but what thermal paste should I use today

Antrone Harris Jr - Jan 30, 2019

Reply

I recommend artic silver or MX-4 since I heard that it’s supposed to last up to 8 years. As long as you don’t have to disassemble the console again