Playstation 3 Slim Heat Sink Replacement Repair Guide

Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

Time Required

                          30 minutes - 1 hour

Sections

Top Cover
5 steps
Power Supply
5 steps
Blu-ray Disc Drive
6 steps
Motherboard Assembly
8 steps
Top Shield Assembly
7 steps
Heat Sink
4 steps

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Top Cover

Turn the PS3 over and lay it on its backside.
Carefully peel the warranty sticker up off the lower case to reveal a hidden screw cover.
To avoid activating the VOID that may come up, heat the sticker carefully to remove and replace it cleanly.

Turn the PS3 over and lay it on its backside.

Carefully peel the warranty sticker up off the lower case to reveal a hidden screw cover.

To avoid activating the VOID that may come up, heat the sticker carefully to remove and replace it cleanly.

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Step 2

Use the flat end of a metal spudger to pry up the seven screw covers around the edge of the lower case.

Use the flat end of a metal spudger to pry up the seven screw covers around the edge of the lower case.

Step 3

Remove the seven 37 mm Phillips screws securing the top cover to the lower case.

Remove the seven 37 mm Phillips screws securing the top cover to the lower case.

Step 4

Remove the four 13.3 mm T8 security Torx screws beneath the Blu-ray drive opening. (Some models may only have three screws)

Remove the four 13.3 mm T8 security Torx screws beneath the Blu-ray drive opening. (Some models may only have three screws)

Step 5

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

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

Lift the top cover off the PS3.

Step 6

              Power Supply

Squeeze the AC inlet connector’s locking mechanism and pull straight up to disconnect it from the power supply.

Squeeze the AC inlet connector’s locking mechanism and pull straight up to disconnect it from the power supply.

Step 7

Pull the DC-Out cables straight up to lift their connector up and out of its socket on the power supply.

Pull the DC-Out cables straight up to lift their connector up and out of its socket on the power supply.

Step 8

Remove the two 7.6 mm Phillips screws securing the power supply to the lower case.

Remove the two 7.6 mm Phillips screws securing the power supply to the lower case.

Step 9

Lift the power supply upward from its left edge as viewed from the front of the PS3.

Lift the power supply upward from its left edge as viewed from the front of the PS3.

Step 10

Continue to lift the left edge of the power supply until it lifts off the two metal posts shown in the second picture.
Remove the power supply from the PS3, minding any cables that may get caught.

Continue to lift the left edge of the power supply until it lifts off the two metal posts shown in the second picture.

Remove the power supply from the PS3, minding any cables that may get caught.

Step 11

              Blu-ray Disc Drive

If present, remove the pieces of tape securing the cables to the body of the Blu-ray drive.

If present, remove the pieces of tape securing the cables to the body of the Blu-ray drive.

Step 12

Use the flat end of a spudger or your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the Blu-ray ribbon cable socket.
Be sure you are prying up on the movable retaining flap, not the socket itself.

Use the flat end of a spudger or your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the Blu-ray ribbon cable socket.

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

Step 13

Pull the Blu-ray ribbon cable straight up and out of its socket.

Pull the Blu-ray ribbon cable straight up and out of its socket.

Step 14

Pull the Blu-ray power cable straight up to lift its connector out of the socket on the Blu-ray drive.

Pull the Blu-ray power cable straight up to lift its connector out of the socket on the Blu-ray drive.

Step 15

Remove the single 9.5 mm Phillips screw securing the Blu-ray drive to the lower case.

Remove the single 9.5 mm Phillips screw securing the Blu-ray drive to the lower case.

Step 16

Lift the Blu-ray drive slightly by its right edge to dislodge the control board from its housing.
Remove the Blu-ray drive from the PS3.
After you reinstall the Blu-ray drive, be sure the control board is firmly seated in the lower case before proceeding.
If replacing the Blu-ray drive with a new drive, swap the circuit board from your old drive into the new drive.

Lift the Blu-ray drive slightly by its right edge to dislodge the control board from its housing.

Remove the Blu-ray drive from the PS3.

After you reinstall the Blu-ray drive, be sure the control board is firmly seated in the lower case before proceeding.

If replacing the Blu-ray drive with a new drive, swap the circuit board from your old drive into the new drive.

Step 17

              Motherboard Assembly

Pull the AC-In cables upward to remove the AC inlet from the lower case.

Pull the AC-In cables upward to remove the AC inlet from the lower case.

Step 18

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry both antenna connectors up from their sockets on the motherboard.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry both antenna connectors up from their sockets on the motherboard.

Step 19

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

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

Remove the control board.

Step 20

Turn the PS3 over and lay it on its backside.
Use the flat edge of a metal spudger to pop up the small access door on the bottom cover near the front of the PS3.
Remove the blue Phillips screw hidden under the access door.

Use the flat edge of a metal spudger to pop up the small access door on the bottom cover near the front of the PS3.

Remove the blue Phillips screw hidden under the access door.

Step 21

Slide the hard drive bay cover toward the right side of the lower case, then pull it away from the front edge to remove it from the PS3.

Slide the hard drive bay cover toward the right side of the lower case, then pull it away from the front edge to remove it from the PS3.

Step 22

Using its attached metal handle, pull the hard drive out of its bay.

Using its attached metal handle, pull the hard drive out of its bay.

Step 23

Remove the following five screws securing the motherboard assembly to the lower case:
Two silver 6 mm Phillips
Three black 8 mm Phillips

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

Two silver 6 mm Phillips

Three black 8 mm Phillips

Step 24

Lift the motherboard assembly from its front edge and remove it from the lower case, minding the antenna cable still attached to the lower case.
Be careful not to bend the metal antenna bodies as you lift the motherboard assembly.

Lift the motherboard assembly from its front edge and remove it from the lower case, minding the antenna cable still attached to the lower case.

Be careful not to bend the metal antenna bodies as you lift the motherboard assembly.

Step 25

              Top Shield Assembly

Disconnect the DC-In and Blu-ray power cables from the motherboard.
Pull the cables straight upward to lift the connectors up and out of their sockets on the motherboard.

Disconnect the DC-In and Blu-ray power cables from the motherboard.

Pull the cables straight upward to lift the connectors up and out of their sockets on the motherboard.

Step 26

Pull the fan cables straight up to lift the fan connector up and out of its socket on the motherboard.

Pull the fan cables straight up to lift the fan connector up and out of its socket on the motherboard.

Step 27

Remove the following nine screws holding the motherboard assembly together:
Four 14.8 mm shouldered Phillips
Five 9.5 mm Phillips

Remove the following nine screws holding the motherboard assembly together:

Four 14.8 mm shouldered Phillips

Five 9.5 mm Phillips

Step 28

Remove the two heat sink clamps from the bottom of the motherboard assembly.

Remove the two heat sink clamps from the bottom of the motherboard assembly.

Step 29

If necessary, gently pry the motherboard off the top shield near the heat sink and its shroud.

If necessary, gently pry the motherboard off the top shield near the heat sink and its shroud.

Step 30

Gently press the board away from the top shield assembly near the fan connector and the corner of the board near the wireless sockets.

Gently press the board away from the top shield assembly near the fan connector and the corner of the board near the wireless sockets.

Step 31

Lift the top shield assembly off the motherboard from its front edge.
Be careful not to damage the sockets as you rotate the top shield assembly away from the motherboard.

Lift the top shield assembly off the motherboard from its front edge.

Be careful not to damage the sockets as you rotate the top shield assembly away from the motherboard.

Step 32

              Heat Sink

Remove the two 9.5 mm Phillips screws securing the fan to the heat sink.

Remove the two 9.5 mm Phillips screws securing the fan to the heat sink.

Step 33

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

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

Step 34

Remove the four 9.5 mm Phillips screws securing the heat sink to the top shield.

Remove the four 9.5 mm Phillips screws securing the heat sink to the top shield.

Step 35

Lift the top shield off the heat sink.
Before installing the heat sink onto the motherboard, it is essential to apply a new layer of thermal paste. This guide will show you how to do it.

Lift the top shield off the heat sink.

Before installing the heat sink onto the motherboard, it is essential to apply a new layer of thermal paste. This guide will show you how to do it.

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

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Author

                                      with 5 other contributors

                    Andrew Bookholt

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Anthony - Jul 25, 2018

Hey good day to you. Can the thermal paste be applied with this tutorial?

GunnZo - May 15, 2020

This is a great guide, I followed it to the letter and my PS3 is now quiet as a mouse. I highly recommend you follow this, and please take your time. There’s no rush! :)

k lewis - May 22, 2020

Thanks, can you extend this list by showing how thermal paste is properly applied? That is the predominate reason for my users who need to get to step 31 in your list.

Thanks

Junior Hinostroza - Oct 22, 2021

Thanks for this guide

Ricardo Oprandi - Jan 10, 2022

Hi, is the heatsink that makes contact with the cpu die aluminium? I think I might have repasted it with liquid metal… Thanks!

Introduction#

What you need#

Introduction

What you need