So, I finally got some free time from my stupid busy schedule and thought I would post this. It's not really a "mod" per-se but I figure it might be helpful for someone who might have a PS3 import that went poo poo in there collection. On a difficultly scale I'd say doing this is a 3 out of 10. Just be sure to get the proper equipment before hand. (6 side hex screw, some cotton cloths, q-tips, rubbing alcohol to clean up, and really good screw driver)
So what I have is a Yakuza PS3 that I used personally probably for 3 years or so. It overheated with the 3 red light error and when I reluctantly opened it up (warranty seal was still in tact
) I realized this console was pretty much on it's way out.Here's a pic of the burnt Thermal paste
Thing is I didn't want to sell this console for parts as a) I'd get next to nothing for it, after paying nearly $900 for it and b) finding another one of these consoles is very difficult.
The next logical thing to do would be the get it repaired. But I find PS3 repair shady at best. Reflowing... is really is a temporary fix IMO and there is no place local to me that could do a proper Reball.
So, I decided to gut it out, and to put U.S internals in it. I know some of you are thinking, well that's expensive isn't it. Well after calculating it, the cost of Reballing after shipping would be about the same price as my method, however in the end I got a extra controller, AV cable, HDMI, power cable, as well as a spare black PS3 shell. The cost of Re-balling is approximately $100. I bought a mint condition CECHL01 Model PS3 with everything included for $170 (market price for a used console) I sold the non-working NTSC-J motherboard from the Yakuza PS3 for $20 on ebay, as well as the NTSC-J Blu-ray for $50. So I'm in $100 in this repair plus the labor.
Now, I'm not going to do a DIY on how to disassemble a PS3 and put it back together because there are so many great DIY's posted on the internet. Instead I was going to dispel some myths about Japan consoles from what I've gathered over the years. Hopefully it will help some of you guys out who might be interested in importing a console for yourself. I also wanted to put my 2 cents in for swapping internals if your imported console does happen to break, verses using other repair methods.
Myth 1: Need to step down converter to run a PS3 in the U.S.
False... now I know this has been debunked a million times, but people still are concerned. PS3 is plug in play. Here's the power supply directly in a fat japan model CECHL01 PS3. I've opened probably 100 fat PS3's of every single model range. They all have the range of U.S outlet specifications. It's plug and play. (120v, 60Hz)
Myth 2: NTSC-J shells won't fit NTSC-U.S internals, so you can't buy a colored Japan PS3 and put U.S internals in it.
I surprisingly found this myth out as I was parting out a white PS3. A potential customer was trying to tell me there's no way I could swap a U.S internals into a Japan shell... Challenge accepted.
I've played around with a lot of Fat PS3's from CECHA (PS2 Backwards) to the rarer CECHK models (I've only found this one from Spiderman 3 Bundles).
I will say this most of the fat models cannot be swapped unless it's an exact matching model number. I.e CECHA shell will swap with CECHA internals. I thought possibly CECHH and CECHL might be interchangeable, but the HDD cases were different. (one plugs from the side the other plugs in from the back) I thought CECHK models might work with other fat models, but it's rear plate has the A/V and HDMI in different places verses the other models. So to be safe. If you want a colored PS3 swap, you need to get the same model number as the U.S counterpart.
(Picture of black U.S console, and the back plate of my Yakuza console. Matching CECHL01 model numbers.)
Also, just a FYI, there is no such thing as a OEM colored PS3 for backwards compatible models. Sony did not introduce colors other than black until after CECHE. So if you buy a colored PS3 backwards compatible it has either been painted or the shell has been modified to fit CECHA, CECHB, or CECHE internals.
Myth 3: Made in Japan consoles are better than Made in China consoles.
That's actually not a myth
It's true. I've opened a lot of Made in Japan fat models and Made in Japan models. The Japan ones have far superior build quality. The biggest difference I can tell is the application of the thermal paste. China models tend to have monster globs poorly put on. (This is just my opinion, I don't have any basis of date to prove this. Just my observation)This is from a virgin opened CECHL01 model I was swapping into my Yakuza
I don't have a picture of the Japan one, but thermal paste on all the ones I've opened up is much better. No over flow on the edges like this one and I think they used a different paste as well as I have had far fewer dry ones from the Japan models I've opened.
I don't know how Sony determined how they were going to allocate models to China and Japan, but I do know many early models were made in Japan (CECHA) I also noticed Limited edition models tend to be made in Japan as well.
So now to the build... well. I got this far
Only Power Plug, backplate, and fan are in.
Opened up the U.S PS3 console for the swap and realized the thermal paste is all dry. Disappointing, it was a mint condition console used mainly as a blu-ray player for one of my friends dads (who bought it new). So off to the store tomorrow to by some thermal paste and finish up the build.
Day 2:
Cleaned off the old crappy tooth paste of a Thermal Paste Sony used, and put on Artic Silver 5.
Put everything into the White Yakuza Shell.
Ta Da! All done. Just got to let the new thermal Paste cure.
For those curious in the differences between Japan and U.S internals. Using U.S internals I gain U.S DVD and U.S PS1 capabilities which in the Japan internals was region locked to Japan only. The only other thing different is X and O buttons switch. In Japan O is accept and X is Decline. In the U.S it's the opposite for some reason.
