How easy is it to replace a PS3 BR Drive?

[noiseredux]

Curious how easy the procedure is to replace an original fat PS3's Blu-Ray drive? And how easy and cheap is it to find replacement drives?

[SuperAnthony64]

I am not 100 percent sure but i was talking to this guy who repairs consoles and he said " If you are gonna replace the BR drive make sure the board on the BR drive is compatiable with the PS3 you re putting it in." He said some have to be flashed to work with the PS3. Dont know how correct that is.

If he is wrong its the easiest thing in the world. Open the ps3 up and swap out the drive. I tried fixing my ylod (wish I knew about heat paste at the time) and I had to take off the drive. Very easy but you void any warrenty when you open it of course.

They seem to be going for under a hundred dollars on ebay.

[SuperAnthony64]

If you get the console for a cheap price and the warrnty sticker isnt messed with I think sony will fix it for under hundred bucks. Got my second ps3 fixed for a hundred dolars. That was almost a year ago so it might be a little cheaper. MIGHT lol