PS3 - Buying secondhand?

Malt_Vinegar

Malt_Vinegar

Malt_Vinegar

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Console noob here, looking to buy a PS3 for GT5 and blueray capabilities. I have seen some cheap units going on ebay, but not sure if I going to hit any pitfalls with the unit specs.

What do I need to be looking for in terms of console specification?

Are the units different in HDD size only?
 
I wouldn't touch fleabay for a console/pc gear, Wait till one comes up in M&M.
 
fact - I've ALWAYS got my consoles 2nd hand.

The xbox I got back in the days actually was pin locked. Even MS could not unlock this but someone on a forum knew a unique code to unlock all features

so do get a 2nd hand if it works out cheaper. check out gumtree
 
psd99 said:
fact - I've ALWAYS got my consoles 2nd hand.

The xbox I got back in the days actually was pin locked. Even MS could not unlock this but someone on a forum knew a unique code to unlock all features

so do get a 2nd hand if it works out cheaper. check out gumtree
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Just because it worked out for you doesn't mean it will work out for everyone. I personally don't think it's worth the risk taking a punt on a second hand 360 or PS3 unless it is still in warranty. The OP might as well just save up and buy one new or one which is still in warranty. You may get lucky if you buy cheaply, but if you don't get lucky then you'll end up with a bill that will probably end up roughly the same or a little short of a new console in the first place. Say you bought an ancient PS3 second hand for £100 and it goes **** up within a month of you owning it, the repair costs £100 for example and then you may as well have just bought a new one in the beginning.

The only ones the OP wants to be looking at buying now are the slims, it's way too risky to splash out on a phat even if it is at bargain price as there's way too much risk that something will go wrong with it, Blu Ray Drive for example and that's if you're lucky.
 
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K1LLSW1TCH said:
Just because it worked out for you doesn't mean it will work out for everyone. I personally don't think it's worth the risk taking a punt on a second hand 360 or PS3 unless it is still in warranty. The OP might as well just save up and buy one new or one which is still in warranty. You may get lucky if you buy cheaply, but if you don't get lucky then you'll end up with a bill that will probably end up roughly the same or a little short of a new console in the first place. Say you bought an ancient PS3 second hand for £100 and it goes **** up within a month of you owning it, the repair costs £100 for example and then you may as well have just bought a new one in the beginning.

The only ones the OP wants to be looking at buying now are the slims, it's way too risky to splash out on a phat even if it is at bargain price as there's way too much risk that something will go wrong with it, Blu Ray Drive for example and that's if you're lucky.
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of course - it is important that if you do buy 2nd hand the console is in warranty I never meant to condone any thing else.

up to you op!
 
Malt_Vinegar said:
I have seen some cheap units going on ebay, but not sure if I going to hit any pitfalls with the unit specs.
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How cheap are we talking here? A local supermarket were doing 160GB slims with Fifa 11 and Medal of Honor for £225 recently. They'd have to be sub-£100 to consider something off gumtree or ebay IMO
 
sean said:
How cheap are we talking here? A local supermarket were doing 160GB slims with Fifa 11 and Medal of Honor for £225 recently. They'd have to be sub-£100 to consider something off gumtree or ebay IMO
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Even then I wouldn't, coming from Gumtree it's probably nicked. :p
 
I don't own a console but I fix them all the time! Even if it had the YLOD then you can fix it very easily. The oven trick has worked 100% of the time for all the ones I have done!
 
Gundog48 said:
I don't own a console but I fix them all the time! Even if it had the YLOD then you can fix it very easily. The oven trick has worked 100% of the time for all the ones I have done!
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But only for a period of time, it's a temporary fix at best and I'd still stick with my original opinion that the OP is better off saving the money for a new console.

:)
 
I thought most of the problems were dry joints, and it just meant you needed to add some flux, and re-heat??

If a blu-ray/hdd goes, thats fairly simple to replace yes? Im not shy with a screwdriver/soldering iron...
 
Malt_Vinegar said:
I thought most of the problems were dry joints, and it just meant you needed to add some flux, and re-heat??

If a blu-ray/hdd goes, thats fairly simple to replace yes? Im not shy with a screwdriver/soldering iron...
Click to expand...

It's your choice. There's not much difference between all models of the PS3. The fat PS3's will have a mixture of 65nm and 90nm gpu's and cpu's, the slim models have a mixture of 65, 45 and 40. The only difference apart from that is the hard drive size and the backward compatibility in regards to PS2 games. The 60GB ones which offer the backward compatibility won't be a bargain though unless they're knackered so you can probably rule those out.

The other slight differences are only between the fat models and they will have varying amounts of USB ports and the earlier models have a card reader on the front, that's about it, they will all do the same thing and play the same games apart from the 60GB model which has PS2 backward compatibility. I'm only talking about EU models, I'm not sure which NTSC models have PS2 game playing ability, I think it's just the 60GB and the 20GB.

It will be a risk buying a much older one, but if you are happy to take that risk and potentially have to make several repairs, with no guarantee that the fault will be fixable then that's your call.

:)
 
you can buy the fat one from certain game stores, they will come with 12month warranty. if you are looking at fleebay, buy of a private seller. i'd personally buy one with a nakkered drive and change the laser(as long as its the laser and not the bluray boars as then the whole ps3 has had it)
 
psd99 said:
fact - I've ALWAYS got my consoles 2nd hand.

The xbox I got back in the days actually was pin locked. Even MS could not unlock this but someone on a forum knew a unique code to unlock all features

so do get a 2nd hand if it works out cheaper. check out gumtree
Click to expand...

My rule of thumb is the other way round, always buy console brand new but the games 2nd hand
 
If you want a cheap PS3 try looking at some game shops. They sometimes have Pre-Owned models and will come with some sort of warranty. 60GB PS3 fro £169.

Andi.
 
I got my phat off ebay about 3 years ago, died on me recently, but as ppl say its a bit hit of miss, could be refurbished consolse or consoles that ppl have fixed which from what ive read dont last long only a few months before they need re done.

I rarely use the flea now, and dont touch anything that says no returns.
 
robgmun said:
My rule of thumb is the other way round, always buy console brand new but the games 2nd hand
Click to expand...

lol cor blimey you lot are like old women!

guess you have to have the knowledge and expertise about what to look for fault wise in a console - yep I've got that then lol
 
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