So i have an original 60Gb PS3 and paid top dollars for it when it came out. The older PS3s unfortunately can't keep up with todays games and have been YLODing left and right. I took apart my PS3 and actually examined the airflow. (I've reflowed it 5+ times, I am a pro at taking it apart xD). There is an absurd amount of restriction in the fat PS3s airflow. Seeing as i don't want to go buy a new PS3 (I already paid for one, why should I pay for another?). I decided to mod it myself.
Unfortunately i didn't have the right tools to do what I wanted too and I kind of failed. The mod works great but doesn't look good.
The bottom of the PS3 is where the fan gets it's air from and the space between the hardware and the case is about 1-2 CM. not a lot of room for airflow. What I decided to do was make a hole in the bottom of the case so that the PS3 can get direct airflow. on top of that, I added a fan to push more air into it. What happened is that the plastic was too brittle and not having a drill meant i had to make weak points and gradually get rid of plastic. the brittleness of the plastic made it snap under little pressure and not follow weakened points. Thankfully it wasn't too bad of a break.
I also got a fan and converted it into a usb fan. (a little wiring required). USB supplies 5v whereas a 3-4 pin connector will supply 12v so the fan runs at half efficiency. it's not a big deal as it's only there to direct air towards the main PS3 fan.
As you can see in the pictures, the case is a little broken but this works surprisingly well. The PS3 doesn't get anywhere near as hot as it used too. Hopefully it will now survive.
