PlayStation 3 Super Slim Teardown

Geschrieben von: Brett Hartt
Veröffentlicht: 02/10/12
  • Kommentare: 75

PlayStation 3 Super Slim Teardown

Veröffentlicht: 02/10/12

Teardown

Einleitung

Nearly six years after the release of the original PlayStation 3, Sony released the third iteration of the third iteration of PlayStation console, the PlayStation 3 Super Slim. It is undeniably slim, but is it really super? Only a teardown of iFixit proportions can tell. Join us as we explore the internal hardware of a redesigned fan favorite.

Dig these killer teardowns? Follow us @iFixit to keep up to date with all kinds of teardown news.

Hey, your old PS3 giving you some YLOD sass? Use iFixit's kit to keep it out of the landfill!

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    • Primed and ready to bare all and prove its worth, the PlayStation 3 Super Slim packs a lot of power in a super compact form factor. Notable specs include:

    • HD 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p, and 480i output

    • LPCM 7.1ch surround sound, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-HD, AAC

    • Cell Broadband Engine™

    • RSX® GPU

    • 256MB XDR Main RAM and 256MB GDDR3 VRAM

    • Available with 12 (flash memory), 250, or 500 GB (upgradable!) internal storage

    Beware of step 8! Failing to remove the torx screws on the side of the console first will result in broken bezels!

    Name -

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    • Not that we're complaining, but we had to get our PlayStation 3 Super Slim in a bundle. It seems that after countless adventures, Nathan Drake finally found a treasure worthy of praise.

    • What exactly is included in this bundle? Glad you asked:

    • 250 GB PlayStation 3 Super Slim System

    • DualShock 3 Wireless Controller

    • AV Composite Cable (sadly no HDMI cable is included in this bundle)

    • AC Power Cord

    • USB Cable (required for charging the DualShock controller)

    • Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Game of the Year Edition) + Dust 514 (Downloadable content included)

    Beware of step 8! Failing to remove the torx screws on the side of the console first will result in broken bezels!

    Name -

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    • We wanted to see how the PS3 Super Slim stacks up to the standard slim model, the console it replaces.

    • Call us silly, but our test gave us the results we were expecting. The Super Slim might have gotten a bigger name, but it shed some serious size.

    • Though the backsides of both consoles look similar, they give us a lot of insight into some of the revisions made for the Super Slim.

    • For starters, the cooling vents are considerably smaller, which most likely means that the fan itself is smaller and has less heat to deal with.

    • Secondly, the port layout is shifted ever-so-slightly, answering a question we get a lot about motherboard compatibility: No, you cannot swap Slim and Super Slim motherboards.

    Beware of step 8! Failing to remove the torx screws on the side of the console first will result in broken bezels!

    Name -

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    • Perhaps the biggest change in the new model—and biggest gripe from consumers—is the switch to a manual top-loading disc drive.

    • The door is thin, cheap-feeling plastic, and means this PS3 now requires overhead clearance to change the disc. No more cramming the PS3 into a short shelf.

    • We suspect that ditching the tray was necessary to cut both costs and size in the Super Slim. It's a design choice that has been met with a lot of criticism, though, reminding us of another recent size-conscious change.

    • In addition to the immediate benefit to Sony's margins, lowering production costs also future-proofs the PS3. When the Playstation 4 is finally released, it's almost a certainty that the PlayStation 3 Super Slim will still be sold alongside the new console, but at a much lower price point.

    Beware of step 8! Failing to remove the torx screws on the side of the console first will result in broken bezels!

    Name -

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    • The bottom section of the Super Slim looks similar to its predecessor, with the exception of a missing Wi-Fi indicator light.

    • Fear not, the lack of a Wi-Fi indicator light does not actually mean that the Super Slim is lacking Wi-Fi.

    • Still present on the front of the Super Slim are two USB 2.0 ports, a hard drive indicator light, and a plethora of supported logos—including the typical Blu-ray Disc logo.

    Beware of step 8! Failing to remove the torx screws on the side of the console first will result in broken bezels!

    Name -

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    • The PS3 Super Slim's hard drive bay cover pops right off and reveals a bright blue Phillips screw.

    • After removing said screw, the Hitachi TravelStar Z5K320 2.5" SATA II 3.0Gbps 250 GB 5400 RPM hard drive comes right out.

    • In case you weren't keeping track, that's a single Phillips and no more than 5 or 10 minutes for a hard drive swap.

    • Perhaps the coolest thing about the PlayStation's hard drive is that Sony allows you to upgrade your console with any 2.5" laptop hard drive. No fancy firmware, no wacky enclosures—just you, your console, and as much storage as you can cram in there.

    The cover SLIDES off to the rear! NOT pop off. Do not pull on it or you will break some tabs

    Todd Dickens -

    Wow, I wish I would have looked at the comments BEFORE I attempted this!

    Thanks for the warning Todd. Looks like all the tabs on the back half of mine are now shored off. I’ve been coming here to ifixit.com for years and this is the only walk-through that i’ve come across that does a CRAP job of telling where the actual screws are or where the tabs are. Poorly done.

    CharmPeddler -

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    • Small rubber feet hide three of the outer case's screws and provide the PlayStation 3 Super Slim with some grip.

    • We don't think that these feet are much of a nuisance; they are easy to remove, add function, and clean up the look of the console.

    • Blocking access to the fourth screw, a wild Warranty Void sticker appears! And, it's gone.

    • We think that stickers like this are bogus, and we think you should, as well.

    There is only 4 screws and nothing under the two pads on the long left side

    Peter Johansson -

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    • A plastic opening tool makes quick work of the outer bezels.

    • Located underneath the front outer bezel, we find the ever-tempting laser warning sticker.

    • Removing the bezels also provides access to the screws we need to remove to get inside the Super Slim.

    On my unit, there's a T8 security screw holding the front bezel in place on one corner.

    Jarod King -

    There are two secure torx screws securing the case at the dvd/bdrom drive; they are visible by opening the dvd/bdrom sliding cover.

    Popek Enterprises -

    How do I fix the piece next to the laser radiation warning?

    james -

    Yep, more tabs broken for me.

    Wow, I wish I would have looked at the comments BEFORE I attempted this!

    I’ve been coming here to ifixit.com for years and this is the only walk-through that i’ve come across that does a CRAP job of telling where the actual screws are or where the tabs are. Poorly done.

    CharmPeddler -

    Two Screws on the side next to the hard disc holder. One is a security I think T8 but don’t have

    .

    Mark Crain -

    Definitely poorly written instructions that strides more along a hip selling point than an actual step by step tear down.

    Billy McFerron -

    I followed these instructions and now I have two bezels with three broken tabs on each one. I am SO ANGRY with iFixit right now for destroying my PS3. I also had a torx screw holding down one of the bezels and now that’s broken too. It has been SIX YEARS, Why haven’t these instructions been updated, iFixit?!? There are also two torx screws down by the hard drive and 5 screws that were under the bezels. How do you fail to miss instructing us to remove eight screws? The bezels don’t pop off. They slide off. They slide to the side and then come off. Following your instructions DESTROYS them!

    hidinhim777 -

    Guys, as stated in the banner at the top of the page, this is NOT a repair guide and should not be used as instructions. There’s a link right there to detailed step-by-step instructions if you need them.

    Jeff Suovanen -

    ^ Correct, this is not a repair guide. It is a teardown. And following along with this teardown will lead to you NEEDING detailed step-by-step instruction.

    Name -

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    • And here we go! What wonders and surprises will we find inside the PS3 Super Slim? The only way to find out is by moving the top cover out of the way.

    • It looks like internal plastic casing covers almost every component.

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    • After removing the top cover, we continue our exploration by removing the manual top-loading disc tray.

    • Say what you will about the tray-free disc loader in the Super Slim, but it's definitely a repair-friendly design.

    • The laser lens is labeled as KEM-850 PHA 0672 23020A.

    • We read some conflicting reports about the noise level from the PS3 Super Slim's disc drive and were sure to include a look at Sony's noise reduction efforts:

    • We found the drive is mounted on super soft rubber bumpers and surrounded by a noise-reducing plastic tray, which should dampen vibrations.

    • However, this won't do much to muffle sounds coming straight off the drive through the thin, plastic tray door.

    Hey I'm looking for the switch right there on his thumb does anyone know what it's called or where to get it

    chris c -

    Hi, i have a ps3 super slim CECH-4201C and it stopped playing any disk i put in it. So i wanna change it but my lens is a single lens and all the ones i can find is double, will it still work for mine? Also where can i get a single lens and which is better. The console is 500gb came with "The last of us". Thanks. Hope to hear from you soon.

    temidayoabayomizannu -

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    • The power supply module is easily removed from the rear side of the case.

    • Despite the clean layout of components, the power supply's internals are very difficult to get at, as its internal case is held together by four screws and several tough plastic clips.

    • In a similar fashion to the PS3 Slim, the power supply is designed for inputs ranging from 100V to 240V AC, making it usable across the globe.

    • It seems the overall power consumption has been lowered as well. While the PS3 Slim was rated at 12 V and 18 A DC, the Super Slim is rated at 12 V and 13 A DC.

    Is the CECH 4001B bivolt too? Its sign just say 120V and i'm in Brasil so I have 220 V..... very afraid to fry my PS3 :o

    Daniel -

    Did you got your answer? Or did you try it on 220v?

    N Manoilov -

    Hello guys

    I bought a ps3 super slim (UC2 Cech-4001C GA), it's 120v,1.5A and 190 W,

    Can i use it in germany with out power converter?In germany 220V and 50Hz

    Amir hossein Ahmadi -

    Hello Guys

    I bought a ps3 super slim 500gig god of war bundle(UC2 Cech-4001C GA) in the box just write 120V,1.5A and 190 W.

    Can i use it with out power converter in the Germany? in the Germany 220 V and 50Hz

    Amir hossein Ahmadi -

    Does anyone know if you can use a laptop power cord such as a 125V 7A?

    Tk Garcia -

    More broken tabs. It would have been VERY helpful to note where the actual locking tabs ARE AT. This thing was so darn hard to get apart.

    CharmPeddler -

    As stated at the top of the page this is not a repair guide. There is a service manual section for the PS3 Super Slim for actual repairs, this is just taking it apart to see what’s inside.

    Mathieu Rohaly -

    I can’t reply to Mathieu, so here I am. That’s EXACTLY what we are here to do. I’m trying to completely disassemble it so that I can clean it out. I’m not repairing anything but need to know where all that is in order to get it apart. where else are we supposed to go?

    Ember -

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    • The motherboard/fan assembly is dispatched from the lower case as we continue our quest.

    • We were a bit miffed to find that the entire motherboard assembly must be removed to access the fan or heat sinks, but it does make for a very compact and solid design.

    • On the front of the fan assembly, we find the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth antennas.

    • Engraved on the antennas we find the logo for TE Connectivity. According to TE Connectivity, their "antenna designs have been applied to a wide range of wireless products including…revolutionary gaming consoles."

    Can I ask which one is the Bluetooth and witch one is the wifi I want to add an external ariel to mine want to make sure I solder to the right wire Ie white or black wire is bluetooth Thanks in advance

    Shane Winter -

    It is the white wire that is the Wlan It is written on the motherboard so you cant go wrong

    Shane Winter -

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    • Under door number two…the motherboard!

    • After a few tense moments, we were finally able to lift the metal frame off the motherboard.

    • A quick inspection reveals adequate thermal paste on the GPU, but a less-than-perfect job on the CPU.

    • Room for improvement for happy hackers?

    The "CPU" that you are referring to is actually a metal cover that acts like a heatsink. It has thermal paste between it and the actual cpu, as well as thermal paste on top of it. If you decide to pry it off, you will need to buy a heatsink glue/epoxy product to glue it back over the cpu.

    Watcher Watchmen -

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    • Turning the motherboard 45 degrees gives us a look at some of the major players behind the PlayStation 3 Super Slim's processing power:

    • Cell Broadband Engine CXD2996BGB

    • Hynix H5RS5223DFA 512 Megabits GDDR3 VRAM (times four chips = 256 MB)

    • Sony CXM4027R MultiAV driver

    • Panasonic MN8647091 HDMI transmitter

    • Elpida X1032BBBG-3C-F 1 Gb (on two chips for 256 MB total) XDR DRAM

    The nubers on this step dnt make sense(LEss ram on total than in one chip?)

    masterx246 -

    Mega"bit" 8 bits = 1 byte. Raw chips are labeled in megabits, systems and memory sticks go by megabytes.

    b4ui8fastfood -

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    • Some of the more…Cartesian ICs on the top of the motherboard:

    • Sony RSX CXD530 "Reality Synthesizer"

    • Marvell Avastar 88W8781 SoC WLAN/Bluetooth chip

    • Sony CXD9963GB I/O bridge controller

    • Macronix MX29GL128FLT2I flash storage

    • Sony CXD5132R SATA/PATA Blu-ray drive controller

    • Integrated PCB Wi-Fi antenna

    It appears that there's no more NEC caps, and the RSX no longer have an IHS too.

    Is the ac jack soldered to the PSU PCB?If yes, it would be harder to replace if you break it.

    One more request:Can you remove the cover of the Cell?

    Honam1021 -

    i have short electric under the hard disk connector (122932N)

    that make my ps3 super slim not power on (it is light red then when press power button light green then turn of (fan also turn on and turn off, same light )

    ALI ABDALHAMID -

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    • A few minor acts on the flip-side:

    • SW3-302 SCEI 1220EM42E

    • BD7761EFV 227 T25

    • Intersil ISL6332 MDRZ H223BCC

    • IDT 4227ANLG 1149L

    • Texas Instruments TPS53123 Dual Synchronous Step-Down Controller

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    • The Super Slim loses its cool as we remove the squirrel cage fan and two heatsinks.

    • The Super Slim has definitely dropped some size and weight in the fan since the Slim.

    • For this (final?) iteration of the PS3, Sony has leveraged new technology to make the same console smaller, lighter, and quieter, rather than significantly improving performance.

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    • PS3 Super Slim Repairability: 7 out of 10 (10 is easiest to repair)

    • The hard drive is easy to access, repair, and upgrade.

    • The tray-free disc loader is modular, making it easy to replace.

    • Standard tools, except a T8 Security bit.

    • There is a pesky, but mostly harmless "Warranty Void" sticker.

    • Power supply is held behind lots of clips; however, we don't expect many internal repairs to the power supply.

    • The entire motherboard assembly must be removed to access the fan or heat sinks.

    • Sliding disc tray door feels janky, and may break after repeated use.

    The design of the gpu heatsink reminded me about the original Xbox 360 cpu heatsink

    Honam1021 -

    does it go bad too

    JOE -

    The lasers are the first to go on most Sony equipment. Just look on eBay for all the "won't read discs" faulty ones, there's loads

    SuperJames -

    As stated above- The main issue with my past 2 PS3's has been the Blu-ray drive going out after about 1500 hours of gaming, a few thousand hours of Netflix and listening to music. Console repair place down the street from me wanted $70.00 to fix it same day and give a 120 day warranty. Glad I read this and can probably do it myself next time there is an issue! :-)

    undeadking -

Tinte & Feder

Brett Hartt

Mitglied seit: 13/04/10

125814 Reputation

37 Kommentare

You write:

> The tray-free disc loader is modular, making it easy to replace.

Are you sure? My best guess would be that the drive assembly is matched against the motherboard so you cannot switch the unit. At least that has been the usual Sony DRM policy. The custom "SW3-302 SCEI 1220EM42E" could well be doing the DRM stuff on the motherboard side, but you didn't disassemble the bluray unit, so it's hard to tell..

You write:

> Power supply is held behind lots of clips; however, we don't expect many internal repairs to the power supply.

With two capacitors (on the left of your picture) right next to the heat sink of two diodes I'd expect a fair amount of capacitor replacing coming in about two years from now..

denmike -

The tray free loader is modular, and there's no DRM on the mechanism as you wrongly state. The control logic with encryption is built into the motherboard on these, so the whole optical deck including laser can be swapped out and replaced.

The bad thing is, typical Sony style is if the BluRay logic actually goes bad the whole mainboard has got to be replaced unless you know someone who's professional at re-balling (not reflowing) and can replace the circuitry and dump the encryption keys.

SuperJames -

Never seen the V-Ram on the substrate before - won't that make GPU replacement pretty expensive?

Daniel -

They used this design since the original PS3

This is how the original 90nm GPU looks like after removing the IHS

http://www.ps3hax.net/wp-content/uploads...

Honam1021 -

I thougt the super slim ps3 super cheaper for sony to make. I am not talking about rubbish bluray top loading. Look at the logic board PCB. Full of smd rat $#$*. Compare that with original ps3 slim logic board. Thanks to proadlizer, the PCB is super clean without rat @!#*

samabaikbone -

I hate the way sony keeps decreasing the size and efficency of the fans and heatsinks every time they revise it and only concentrate on making it quieter.

Example the original 60gb's had 19 blade fans with massive heatpipe heatsinks, then the 40gb's with the crappy non heatpipe heatinks and a 15 blade fan, if they had kept the original HS they probably wouldn't fail so quickly.

danguy2009 -

The RSX Chip is based on G70 Chip in turn based on the NV47[6] (GeForce 7800 GTX) but with only 8 ROPs activated[7] and 128 Bit memory interface. This serie serie of gpu had issues with the substrate, which caused solder balls to break from it. This is the reason of the YLOD. Nvidia produced bad chips in the G70, G79, G80, G86, G84 GPU Series. Just to recall the bad Geforce 8600gt-m in the 2007-2008 Macbook pro's story.

Eric Bert -

Maybe I'm stupid, but where do you need the torx driver? Nothing in the article mentioned torx other than the needed tools section.

firstname lastname -

can this unit be converted to run on 12v only ?

rob -

buy an invertor

King -

The one part I mised in this teardown is the meganism for the top-loader, how does it show half of its inside with the touch of a button?

werner B -

The unit turns on (light stays green) only to turn off seconds later. Anyone else have this problem and could possibly point me in the right direction. Thanks@!

Patrick Beebe -

I've got the same problem. No fix IO can find. I replaced the PSU and still no go. I'm lost.

Mason Goodknight -

im afraid the way i seen it, it most likely had gone kaput from overheating, making it not complete the whole bootup cycle. in short we simply ran out of luck unless you knew someone who could board it up to life again.

Doc Manny -

I have a ps3 the disc not working where your fix AT my name bj and my number is 225 284 6686 and how much it cost to fox it ps3 super slim 12gb

dinah -

Do all the super slim use the same blue ray disk driver like in step 10?

temidayoabayomizannu -

Is it easy to fix the hdmi port for super slim 250gb?

Eighty4 -

Is it easy to remove the hdmi port and replace with a new one on a super slim ps3 250gb?

Eighty4 -

I have a kinda destroyed super slim ps3, the disc reader side is mostly destroyed. Step smashed it up and just curious how much itd cost to fix it, most of it is all good just it didn't turn on fully just light up and shut off, and things pretty bent and wont close, i have lotssss of saved things that i dont wanna lose. Is there any way to retrieve it out or can it be fixed, any advise where to ask? Willing to pay as long as its not past the amount it cost.

jovani -

I was taking my slim apart when all the gears fell out. Is there a diagram or something I can see to use a reference in putting them back together correctly?

Angela Aldeman -

I bought a PS3 console model number CECH-4001C in the States and was using it in Europe without problems with a voltage converter. A few days ago the converter started heating up and it almost burned the flat down. I want to know if I can use the console without the converter, since I do not want to throw away a good 500GB PS3. Thank you!

grega.ferenc -

You can not use it without a converter. Check the bottom of your console for voltage rating, you will see that it's 100V-120V. Some units have a voltage rating of 100-240V, those could be used, but yours needs a converter. Or buy an internal power supply which is european and replace it.

exitus0924 -

Is it easy to remove the hdmi port and replace with a new one on a super slim ps3 250gb?

http://17oxen.com/best-external-hard-dri...

Quotes pleasure -

i took apart my ps3 super slim and put it back together and now it has no power whatsoever no red light or anything

pastorjon.m -

Did you replace the I/O switch and connect the ribbon

David Dimond -

I have a PS3 CECH-4001B I was wondering if it's working with 220v some people says yes some of them says No so I'm confused

Moncef -

do i can change the motherboard

shams asfor -

My super slim will spin it and then make three clicking sounds then do it two more time.what shall I do about it?

Kenyetter baker -

any chance of repairing Wifi/Bluetooth (Marvell Avastar 88W8781 SoC WLAN/Bluetooth chip) without replacing MotherBoard ??

Manpreet Singh -

really 13 steps because 1 2 3 4 are not teardown info

weaverzachary55 -

I’m missing many screws mentioned, also, the two side pieces can’t be slapped off without unscrewing a couple of security torx screws on the side where the HDD was. Maybe this is not on every iteration but it’s important.

Dukefazon -

good guide but incomplete, you forgot to include removal of some screws which may cause frustration or worst damage the casing

Game Flix -

Gee thanks guide writer, in step 8 a plastic opening tool makes quick work of the outer bezels, if you want to snap them off! Maybe try mentioning those Torx security screws that need removing before you break the bezels instead of writing a spotty, vague fluff piece about all the components.

Name -

Yes I found out that too late

David Dimond -

Please help me for my PS 3 super slimcause REBalland many technision just trick is' not specializedi see haven't tools and every thingis' not experience,,my best regard,help me

harypamungkas24 -

Doesn't show how to get the fan off the metal casing, I found that there are two plastic pins going through the case and onto the base of the fan

David Dimond -

I’m not sure folks will see this down here, but the hard drive cover doesn’t “pop right off” as it says in the instructions. It slides to the right and comes out naturally. I followed the instructions and popped it off and broke several clips that hold it in place— don’t be like me and follow the guide here!

Anthony Gilmartin -