Installing PlayStation 3 Slim Motherboard

Step 1 Top Cover

• Turn the PS3 over and lay it on its backside.
• Carefully peel the warranty sticker up off the lower case to reveal a hidden screw cover.
• To avoid activating the VOID that may come up, heat the sticker carefully to remove and replace it cleanly.
Step 2



• Use the flat end of a metal spudger to pry up the seven screw covers around the edge of the lower case.
Step 3
• Remove the seven 37 mm Phillips screws securing the top cover to the lower case.
Step 4
• Remove the four 13.3 mm T8 security Torx screws beneath the Blu-ray drive opening. (Some models may only have three screws)
Step 5
• Lift the top cover from its rear edge and rotate it toward the front of the PS3.
• Lift the top cover off the PS3.
Step 6 Power Supply
• Squeeze the AC inlet connector's locking mechanism and pull straight up to disconnect it from the power supply.
Step 7
• Pull the DC-Out cables straight up to lift their connector up and out of its socket on the power supply.
Step 8
• Remove the two 7.6 mm Phillips screws securing the power supply to the lower case.
Step 9
• Lift the power supply upward from its left edge as viewed from the front of the PS3.
Step 10
• Continue to lift the left edge of the power supply until it lifts off the two metal posts shown in the second picture.
• Remove the power supply from the PS3, minding any cables that may get caught.
Step 11 Blu-ray Disc Drive
• If present, remove the pieces of tape securing the cables to the body of the Blu-ray drive.
Step 12
• Use the flat end of a spudger or your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the Blu-ray ribbon cable socket.
• Be sure you are prying up on the movable retaining flap, not the socket itself.
Step 13
• Pull the Blu-ray ribbon cable straight up and out of its socket.
Step 14
• Pull the Blu-ray power cable straight up to lift its connector out of the socket on the Blu-ray drive.
Step 15
• Remove the single 9.5 mm Phillips screw securing the Blu-ray drive to the lower case.
Step 16
• Lift the Blu-ray drive slightly by its right edge to dislodge the control board from its housing.
• Remove the Blu-ray drive from the PS3.
• After you reinstall the Blu-ray drive, be sure the control board is firmly seated in the lower case before proceeding.
• If replacing the Blu-ray drive with a new drive, swap the circuit board from your old drive into the new drive.
Step 17 Motherboard Assembly
• Pull the AC-In cables upward to remove the AC inlet from the lower case.
Step 18
• Use the flat end of a spudger to pry both antenna connectors up from their sockets on the motherboard.
Step 19
• Pull the control board ribbon cable up and out of its socket on the motherboard.
• Remove the control board.
Step 20
• Turn the PS3 over and lay it on its backside.
• Use the flat edge of a metal spudger to pop up the small access door on the bottom cover near the front of the PS3.
• Remove the blue Phillips screw hidden under the access door.
Step 21
• Slide the hard drive bay cover toward the right side of the lower case, then pull it away from the front edge to remove it from the PS3.
Step 22
• Using its attached metal handle, pull the hard drive out of its bay.
Step 23
• Remove the following five screws securing the motherboard assembly to the lower case:
• Two silver 6 mm Phillips
• Three black 8 mm Phillips
Step 24
• Lift the motherboard assembly from its front edge and remove it from the lower case, minding the antenna cable still attached to the lower case.
• Be careful not to bend the metal antenna bodies as you lift the motherboard assembly.
Step 25 Top Shield Assembly
• Disconnect the DC-In and Blu-ray power cables from the motherboard.
• Pull the cables straight upward to lift the connectors up and out of their sockets on the motherboard.
Step 26
• Pull the fan cables straight up to lift the fan connector up and out of its socket on the motherboard.
Step 27
• Remove the following nine screws holding the motherboard assembly together:
• Four 14.8 mm shouldered Phillips
• Five 9.5 mm Phillips
Step 28
• Remove the two heat sink clamps from the bottom of the motherboard assembly.
Step 29
• If necessary, gently pry the motherboard off the top shield near the heat sink and its shroud.
Step 30
• Gently press the board away from the top shield assembly near the fan connector and the corner of the board near the wireless sockets.
Step 31
• Lift the top shield assembly off the motherboard from its front edge.
• Be careful not to damage the sockets as you rotate the top shield assembly away from the motherboard.
Step 32 Motherboard
• Carefully lift the motherboard off the bottom shield.
• Handle the motherboard by its edges.
Step 33
• While holding the plastic retainer down against the board, use the tip of a spudger to pry the PRAM battery out of its housing.
• Failure to hold the plastic retainer down during the prying process may result in it tearing off the motherboard.
• Before installing the heat sink onto the motherboard, it is essential to apply a new layer of thermal paste. This guide will show you how to do it.

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Andrew Bookholt

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