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If you have a Phat, Sell it. A warning from Refurb land.

20K views 150 replies 67 participants last post by  blklightning 
#1 ·
Well, looks like I waited too long for a slim deal, as my 60GB Phat refurbished unit just kicked the bucket with the dreaded YLOD. My long term worries came true, once again.


I bought my original 60GB on launch day, and it worked steadfast until June of 2009. I heard of others getting the YLOD, but mine finally failed too. $150 and three weeks later (mid July) Sony mailed me a refurbished Phat, and so the clock started ticking again. My first one died a little over 2 years from purchase. Almost to the month my second died two years later.


If you currently have one, I'd strongly recommend you sell it, or trade it in for a slim. I'm no longer convinced that the heat / solder issues are a minority problem within the scope of electronic failure rates. Yours will eventually go too. Be warned.


Not sure where I'm going from here. I've read about reballing the RSX, but I'm hesitant because it seems hard to find a reputable servicer, there's no guarantee it'll work (or be fixed correctly or competently), and it seems a reball might also only be a temp fix.


I will reflow it for the time being to make a backup, deactivate it and grab my save files that weren't updated this week.


I'm not too keen on giving Sony cash anytime soon. $700 at launch and $150 for a refurb isn't chump change. They can go to hell if they think I'll pay $100 to get a refurb slim.


Maybe I'll wait for a U3 bundle, or something worthwhile. Either way, Sony Customer Service is going to get an earful.
 
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#130 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by blklightning /forum/post/21292380


i would never sell something that i thought would fail at any time. there is no integrity in that whatsoever. i'll go ahead and keep mine and replace it if/when the time comes.

Nothing wrong with selling it in that state as long as you are completely clear and upfront with the buyer about the situation.
 
#132 ·
That's when that "It only does everything" tag line they use for the PS3 really bugs me. Does it do "less" of "everything" now or was the original doing "more" than "everything", given all the functionality that has slowly been stripped out of the hardware over time? (all those new built-in apps that are in there now have about zero use to me...streaming Netflix seems like a pretty hokey way to kill time unless you are lucky enough to be flying on fiberoptic broadband...and then whaddyagot?...really crappy looking digital video?) Maybe if the originals were built to last they could claim it still does everything, but as such, the new ones aren't nearly as miraculous over what they can do compared to their early brethren which are all but lost out of attrition. The shine has really worn off of what the ps3 was proclaimed to be at one time.
 
#133 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by N8DOGG /forum/post/21272307


I've got 2 launch 60 fattys still going strong! Never had even a hickup with either one.

Same here.


I've left both on for days at a time - not one hiccup since launch night. I've upgraded both HDDs too, even though I'm not sure that would make a difference ?


But anyways.....



 
#134 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by THE_FORCE /forum/post/21406939


Same here.


I've left both on for days at a time - not one hiccup since launch night. I've upgraded both HDDs too, even though I'm not sure that would make a difference ?

May yours last forever. I'd hoped I'd outlived the curse.


Got my game out. Not too hard, although required prying open the sheet metal housing of the BD drive to get into it.
 
#136 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by GSDTrainer /forum/post/21424324


LOL There are screws you can take out to get inside the BR drive. No prying required.

Plus you could have sold the BD drive / broken PS3 for $80 on ebay...


Hopefully you didn't really "pry it apart". First step was to try the clean mode trick, as sometimes it'll pop out the BD on a YLOD unit. Second was just to take the PS3 apart, disassemble the BD drive, and put it all back together.
 
#137 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by GSDTrainer /forum/post/21424324


LOL There are screws you can take out to get inside the BR drive. No prying required.

Got a pictorial reference? There didn't seem to be an obvious method to me.


Clean mode trick did not work.


I removed the three screws at the bottom front of the drive, and bent the sheet metal housing of the top up enough to remove the magnetic disc hub, pop the disc out, and put everything back together. No reason it wouldn't work as well as before I got into it, I didn't mangle anything.


Not likely to sell it, but if I did, I'd tell any prospective buyer exactly what I had done to it. May try and repair it well enough to use as an SACD ripper.
 
#139 ·
well I didn't heed anyone's warning, my refurb ps3 YLOD on friday. 120 hrs of dark souls gone.....I'm going to try the hairdryer trick I guess so I can hopefully boot it back up and back it up to external HDD until I can get a new slim, not even gonna mess with sending this in to get fixed, obviously they dont do a very good job. It has been right around 11 months since my original PS3 YLOD and I sent it in and got this turd back. And honestly I have 120 hrs on dark souls and MABYE another 30 hrs of watching movies...so in total no more than 150 hrs in the last 11 months and its done...BS I say
 
#140 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by maximuslcd  /t/1353745/if-you-have-a-phat-sell-it-a-warning-from-refurb-land/120#post_22120393


well I didn't heed anyone's warning, my refurb ps3 YLOD on friday. 120 hrs of dark souls gone.....I'm going to try the hairdryer trick I guess so I can hopefully boot it back up and back it up to external HDD until I can get a new slim, not even gonna mess with sending this in to get fixed, obviously they dont do a very good job. It has been right around 11 months since my original PS3 YLOD and I sent it in and got this turd back. And honestly I have 120 hrs on dark souls and MABYE another 30 hrs of watching movies...so in total no more than 150 hrs in the last 11 months and its done...BS I say

Don't forget, Dark Souls is one if the games you can't just back up. You have to either be PS+ member and back it up to the cloud or you have to you the transfer utility to go from your old console to the new one.
 
#141 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by xceebeex  /t/1353745/if-you-have-a-phat-sell-it-a-warning-from-refurb-land/120#post_22120446


Don't forget, Dark Souls is one if the games you can't just back up. You have to either be PS+ member and back it up to the cloud or you have to you the transfer utility to go from your old console to the new one.

So I cant back it up? I can only transfer? please explain as this may change my options
 
#142 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by maximuslcd  /t/1353745/if-you-have-a-phat-sell-it-a-warning-from-refurb-land/120#post_22120649


So I cant back it up? I can only transfer? please explain as this may change my options

Yup you can only transfer, but even that is iffy from what I've read. Backups will not backup copy protected games saves. Transfers will... sometimes transfer.


Honestly, it's worth the 3 month sub to backup your DkS save IMO, especially with the DLC coming out later this year. Do the hairdryer fix, get PS+, and save that **** to the cloud!


Then trade that lemon into GS. They might give you $50 for a trade in on a new slim...
 
#143 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by TyrantII  /t/1353745/if-you-have-a-phat-sell-it-a-warning-from-refurb-land/120#post_22121026



Honestly, it's worth the 3 month sub to backup your DkS save IMO, especially with the DLC coming out later this year. ..

THIS!!! The peace of mind I have cause my Game Saves are backed up is SO worth the money! Love it!
 
#144 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by TyrantII  /t/1353745/if-you-have-a-phat-sell-it-a-warning-from-refurb-land/120#post_22121026


Yup you can only transfer, but even that is iffy from what I've read. Backups will not backup copy protected games saves. Transfers will... sometimes transfer.

Honestly, it's worth the 3 month sub to backup your DkS save IMO, especially with the DLC coming out later this year. Do the hairdryer fix, get PS+, and save that **** to the cloud!

Then trade that lemon into GS. They might give you $50 for a trade in on a new slim...

great, I guess I have no choice...can I back up everything to the cloud? or should I just back up the DS info and the rest to external HDD?
 
#147 ·
 http://www.dansdata.com/io130.htm


Dan, one of the most knowledgable people you'll find on the interwebs, a couple of days ago went over exactly why early 360s and PS3s went to hell so easily. Most of the time you'll hear from the uneducated that the lead-free solder breaks connection after so many heat cycles. Really though, the problem is that unalloyed tin grows whiskers over time, bridging connections just enough to screw things up. "Reflowing", as noobs like to pretend they are doing when they fix their PS3/360 by baking it, melts the super thin whiskers without breaking the original, still good connection.


I have no help for your current problems, guys. Just dropping off some knowledge since he did such a good job explaining.
 
#148 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by TyrantII  /t/1353745/if-you-have-a-phat-sell-it-a-warning-from-refurb-land/120#post_22121026


Yup you can only transfer, but even that is iffy from what I've read. Backups will not backup copy protected games saves. Transfers will... sometimes transfer.

Honestly, it's worth the 3 month sub to backup your DkS save IMO, especially with the DLC coming out later this year. Do the hairdryer fix, get PS+, and save that **** to the cloud!

Then trade that lemon into GS. They might give you $50 for a trade in on a new slim...

I'd say if you can get the PS3 running long enough to get a PS+ subscription and back up to the cloud, I'd suggest buying an extended warranty on PS+ on your unit, then take advantage of the warranty when the unit fails.
 
#149 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by jayoldschool  /t/1353745/if-you-have-a-phat-sell-it-a-warning-from-refurb-land/120#post_22122889


My YLOD 60GB that I reflowed lasted long enough to transfer (thank god) to a new slim. Then, it made it ten minutes into a BluRay before YLODing itself again. What should I do with it? Should I bother reflowing? Keep the heat gun on longer? Sell it for parts? Sell the individual parts?

I just had my YLOD 60GB serviced by Sony a couple weeks ago and was offered a 160GB slim for $99+tax.

I thought it was a good option, although being able to purchase a warranty on a new slim is also nice.


Maybe an option for you?


This new (refurbed) one makes a humming sound though, anyone else hear this with their slim?
 
#150 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by darklordjames  /t/1353745/if-you-have-a-phat-sell-it-a-warning-from-refurb-land/120#post_22123708

http://www.dansdata.com/io130.htm

Dan, one of the most knowledgable people you'll find on the interwebs, a couple of days ago went over exactly why early 360s and PS3s went to hell so easily. Most of the time you'll hear from the uneducated that the lead-free solder breaks connection after so many heat cycles. Really though, the problem is that unalloyed tin grows whiskers over time, bridging connections just enough to screw things up. "Reflowing", as noobs like to pretend they are doing when they fix their PS3/360 by baking it, melts the super thin whiskers without breaking the original, still good connection.

I have no help for your current problems, guys. Just dropping off some knowledge since he did such a good job explaining.

While I don't doubt that's part of it, heat also has to be part of it. I have a laptop that put's out 80-90C when gaming, and my old phat used to put out much more hot air to the touch. 90C+ for hours at a time id not good any way you cut it.


Slims have been around for a while now and there doesn't seem to be the same number of YLOD issues with them. I guess only time will tell.
 
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