PS3 fan speed problem...

Joebob · 20 Feb 2010 at 07:42

Mark A said:
If you are going to be putting in spacers then you will need to use thermal paste on each side. I'd be worried about them sliding out of place over time.

Could you not use thermal pads instead?

Didin't think of that. You mean something like this?

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=TH-001-CL&groupid=701&catid=57&subcat=27

Shame OC don't seem to have the game console sized ones!!! Incidentally, I'm using a citrus based cleaning solution on the CPU/GPU etc before applying the AS5 but it feels quite oily - I wonder if this effects anything?

Mark A · 20 Feb 2010 at 08:01

Joebob said:
Didin't think of that. You mean something like this?

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=TH-001-CL&groupid=701&catid=57&subcat=27

Shame OC don't seem to have the game console sized ones!!! Incidentally, I'm using a citrus based cleaning solution on the CPU/GPU etc before applying the AS5 but it feels quite oily - I wonder if this effects anything?

That sounds like it could be just what you're after. Ive not used it myself but it sounds good from the description. Might be worth waiting for someone who has used it to confirm if it works or not before purchasing though.

Regarding the citrus cleaner, I doubt that will be affecting your temps tbh. I also use a citrus cleaner (Akasa TIM cleaner) and Ive never had any problems. I did actually follow up with some 99.8% ISO propanol alcohol the last time i refit my heat sink and it didn't affect the temps at all.

Joebob · 20 Feb 2010 at 08:06

Mark A said:
That sounds like it could be just what you're after. Ive not used it myself but it sounds good from the description. Might be worth waiting for someone who has used it to confirm if it works or not before purchasing though.

Regarding the citrus cleaner, I doubt that will be affecting your temps tbh. I also use a citrus cleaner (Akasa TIM cleaner) and Ive never had any problems. I did actually follow up with some 99.8% ISO propanol alcohol the last time i refit my heat sink and it didn't affect the temps at all.

Cool. Think it's the same cleaner I'm using tbh.

Been looking everywhere online and it seems nowhere does the game console sized pads

I want the next PS3 strip down to be the last so I'm gonna take my time and research heavily before I do anything.

Sareth · 26 Feb 2010 at 11:04

Hmm, mine ylod'd again, on opening it up the contact between the heatsinks and heatspreaders its absolutely awful on mine as well, it's no wonder they put so much paste in there in the first place, it's to bridge the huge gap !

Mark A · 26 Feb 2010 at 11:13

Would it be possible to lap the heatsink? Might be a better solution if it really is that bad.

Sareth · 26 Feb 2010 at 11:47

It's hard to describe but if you have seen the heatsink and fan assembly in person it's understandable how it might not work, one heatsink is on an arm of heatpipes so has some movement in one axis but the other is firmly attached to the rest of the assembly so I think there's only so far you can bring the heatspreader and heatsink together with the backplate before the restriction of the heatsinks attachment to the rest of the board will stop you or damage the board if you keep going.

Sareth · 27 Feb 2010 at 12:34

Dammit. Resurrected 60gb unit and got slim yesterday, did data transfer, went in Asda this morning and they are doing 250gb slims with Uncharted 2 for £240.

Gah.

Not worth effort of doing the data transfer the other way then doing it all over again though.

Joebob · 28 Feb 2010 at 20:27

I'm still waiting on the copper flashing I bought off the bay (over a week now) then I'm going to have one final attempt at repair... wether it works or not though I have decided to get a slim and transfer my data - I'm on my last activation of console so I really don't want it to YLOD on me as I would have to start everything all over again

Sareth · 28 Feb 2010 at 20:32

Joebob said:
I'm still waiting on the copper flashing I bought off the bay (over a week now) then I'm going to have one final attempt at repair... wether it works or not though I have decided to get a slim and transfer my data - I'm on my last activation of console so I really don't want it to YLOD on me as I would have to start everything all over again

Woah, no deactivations ?

Joebob · 28 Feb 2010 at 20:38

Sareth said:
Woah, no deactivations ?

not really - I was on my third PS3 by the time I realised you had to deactivate them

I sold my 20GB Jap import and my 40GB without deactivating so I'm buggered - the other two are being used by my bro and a friend so I Guess I could get one of them to deactivate but would rather not!

Joebob · 1 Mar 2010 at 20:16

right... got the copper in the post and I have cut out squares and popped em on. Now when I boot it up it goes into fan overload almost instantly, beeps and shuts down!!!

I think the copper is too thick (about 1/2mm). I'm round my mates who is a stone mason and he has some gold leaf. Am i right in thinking that gold is a great heat conductor?

Reaching the end of my tether with this now so I really just want the ****er sorted!!!

Strife212 · 1 Mar 2010 at 20:29

When I hold my hand over the side of the console the air being blown out is actually quite cool though

Well that's bad, it means the heat is trapped inside.

Mark A · 1 Mar 2010 at 22:46

Joebob said:
right... got the copper in the post and I have cut out squares and popped em on. Now when I boot it up it goes into fan overload almost instantly, beeps and shuts down!!!

Did you apply the thermal compound to each side of the copper? Unless that copper spacer and the heat sink are perfectly flat, it wont be making 100% contact.

If it was me I'd flatten the copper on my diamond stone and then apply some MX-2 thermal compound to both sides. I'm not sure how effective this would be though, I think some sort of thermal pad would be a better solution.

Joebob · 2 Mar 2010 at 07:49

Finally got it sorted. It's still a bit noisy but it's a lot quieter than it was and it's finally blowing out some hot air

After much tinkering last night we discovered that the heatsinks were definately not making proper contact with the chips. Took a fair amount of fiddling to get it to sit properly but we got there in the end - guess it was just an awkward one.

Joebob · 2 Mar 2010 at 07:50

Mark A said:
Did you apply the thermal compound to each side of the copper? Unless that copper spacer and the heat sink are perfectly flat, it wont be making 100% contact.

If it was me I'd flatten the copper on my diamond stone and then apply some MX-2 thermal compound to both sides. I'm not sure how effective this would be though, I think some sort of thermal pad would be a better solution.

Yeah we did - both sides. Got the copper as flat as we could but when we took it back apart the copper was almost completely clean so it wasn't making a decent contact with the thermal paste on the top or the bottom :confused: