PlayStation 3 Slim Teardown

Teardown

Teardown

Teardowns provide a look inside a device and should not be used as disassembly instructions.

A first look inside Sony's dramatically redesigned, cooler, sleeker PlayStation 3 Slim! Also check out our PS3 Slim teardown video on YouTube!

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Add Note Edit Step 1 — PlayStation 3 Slim Teardown  ¶ 

  • It's here! We got our dirty hands on a PS3 Slim a full day before it was set to arrive in the mail!

  • The box, just like the unit, is, well, slimmer.

  • Did you know you can post your own teardown on iFixit? Share what's inside your gadgets! Take apart an old cell phone, microwave, or toy robot.

    • Our free online editor makes it super-easy to publish step-by-step teardowns.

    • We host everything for free, and make it easy for you to have high-resolution photos, professional layout, and full-screen slideshows like ours!

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Add Note Edit Step 2  ¶ 

  • Along with the PS3 Slim you get:

    • Sixaxis DualShock 3 controller

    • RCA Cables

    • USB Cable

    • Power Cord

    • QuickStart Guide and Instruction Manual

    • Welcome to PS3 and PS Network Blu-ray Disc

    • One of those "Guide to Video Game Ratings" guides that nobody gives a [redacted] about.

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Add Note Edit Step 3  ¶ 

  • On the front left we have two USB ports, a hard drive indicator light, and a Wi-Fi indicator light.

  • Front right yields a slot-loading Blu-ray drive, power button, and eject button.

  • The back has a LAN connection, HDMI port, digital audio-out, multi-connector (RCA or component video) and a new type of power plug.

  • Owners of the current-gen PS3s will notice an absence of the rear manual power switch. All your powering needs are now served by the front power button.

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Add Note Edit Step 4  ¶ 

  • Now that we've dispensed with the pleasantries, let's get into the meat of the subject, so to speak.

  • We start with the hard drive first.

    • A blue Phillips screw is hidden beneath "the blue Phillips screw cover," as we call it. Remove this screw.

      • You can view this blue Phillips screw in all its glory if you'd like.

    • Next, remove the hard drive cover.

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Add Note Edit Step 5  ¶ 

  • The drive enclosure has a metal pull tab attached to it. Pull on it to release the drive from the bay.

  • The 120 GB Toshiba drive, in all its glory. We have a feeling that it's going to be super-easy to upgrade this drive to 500GB...

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Add Note Edit Step 6  ¶ 

  • Remove the three T8 security Torx screws on the underside of the PS3 slim.

  • What's that, you say? Security screws? Yes, that's right. These screws have a pin in the center of them that prevents an ordinary Torx screwdriver from working. These screwdrivers are widely available, just not quite as easy to come by as a normal Torx.

  • Sony did this to prevent people like us from taking it apart.

  • Those three T8 security Torx screws seem to be the only non-Phillips head fasteners on the entire device.

  • This seems a little spiteful-- hardware hacking is a fine American tradition. No worries, we'll make sure it's easy for you to get these screwdrivers.

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Add Note Edit Step 7  ¶ 

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Add Note Edit Step 8  ¶ 

  • Seven Phillips screws need to be removed from the bottom.

  • Interestingly enough, the rubber pad on the front-right corner of the PS3 has no screw hidden underneath it. Imagine our surprise when we removed it!

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