this post was submitted on 20 Oct 2025
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I love both my eBook reader (that 505 won't die) and my PS3 (which could really use a reflow).
How difficult would you say reflowing one of the OG 60GB models is?
If you need to swap the RSX out, you'll have no chance with a hot air station. You will need an infrared rework station. Reflowing the RSX is only a short-term solution, because the underfill of the chip itself has a defect. All 90nm RSX chips are bad.
There are people putting a 65nm (or 40nm) chip from the later models into the FAT PS3's. This is called the "Frankenstein mod" and some repair shops in the US are providing that service. If you want to have a FAT lady that will last forever, I'd say this is the best solution.
I was really lucky, because I got my model going by swapping out the Tokin capacitors (but I'm aware this probably won't last when the RSX finally gives up). The FAT PS3 board is very thick and sucks away a lot of the heat. I needed to put the board on the preheater and then used hotair combined with that to remove the caps.
Eventually I'll get around to fixing it, right now it will power up find and then will cut out after a few minutes... Or at least that's what it was doing last time I messed with it so it's just been unplugged and back in the box for nearly a decade now.
Thanks for all the info, definitely let's me know not to just toss it in an oven (that was the original plan, then I shelved it).