Just bought a used 40GB PS3 Fat that was professionally cleaned, CPU/GPU re-pasted, bluray laser cleaned, disc drive gears re-lubricated, and the body polished to remove scuffs and minor scratches for only $75. It looks and runs like a brand new PS3 and games look great on my little 24 inch 720p TV. In fact Killzone 2 is still beautiful even by 2024 standards so long as its connected to an appropriate display (don't connect the PS3 to a 4k TV, it looks bad). I know my specific model doesn't feature backwards compatibility, but I have a PS2 Fat in excellent condition connected to a flat screen CRT via S-video cable for my PS2/PS1 gaming needs, looks amazing, the PS2 definitely still feels like a powerhouse when played on CRT, games just look so good. I mean, afterall these years it's still hard to believe that a game like MGS2 looks as good as it does on the PS2. Of course I have a PS5 connected to a 65 inch OLED and it looks gorgeous, but the PS1,PS2 and PS3 definitely still look great in their own right when connected to period appropriate displays.
That piano finish really is sensitive. Looks great when it's new but scuffs and scratches really easily. I bet the previous owner put that puppy in storage and just packed some other stuff on it. Oh well, it IS an older Console and it is still working. Nicely done!
It's nice to hear that you're listening to feedback, always nice to see people open to new ideas. I also hope that the feedback that you're receiving is nice, because sometimes, some feedbacks hurt more than help.
Thank you for your kind comment. I agree. Feedback is so helpful. And at times can be very discouraging. But most of what I have received is both kindly stated and genuinely constructive.
To truly remove all scratches, you need to go the full car detailing route. Buff, polish, then add a anti-scratch sealent. A buddy of mine who does car detailing did it for my backwards compatible PS3, for a price of $180.
@TheProtagonist_777 Honestly, it was worth it. Especially the sealant part, my PS3 is practically scratch proof. $180 for a perfect PS3 for at least a decade is worth it.
@@TheProtagonist_777 It's worth it, I wish I had a perfect backwards compatible ps3, it was my dream console since I was 14 (I'm almost 31) I had a 160gb slim model some years later, but always wanted to get my hands on a 60gb original.
I second that method. I did the same thing with my backwards compatible PS3. It came out looking new. It takes some skill and lots of practice to develop proper technique.
Man I really love all ur videos. You do it very understandable in each of them and make it easy for ppl like me who never opened up a console. I did everything step by step for my childhood ps2 and it was awesome! Soon I will do my ps3 watching that video! Later on my ps4 pro and my Wii. You are my number 1 go to channel! Much love brother, stay healthy 🤝
Got to say that I've been enjoying watching you give some consoles some much needed love and making them look great. Seeing you do this is giving me some confidence to go and try to do a cleanup on some of my older consoles. It'll be great to give them some love. Also, I like how you show what screwdriver bit you use on all the various screws. That's some handy info. When the time comes, I can add your videos in addition to an iFixit guide for some reference.
Real well. Ps2 just needed some cleaning. Modded it with an ssd I had laying around. Ps1 just needed a new disc drive. Got them both for around 30 bucks shipped. Spent 10 on the new disc drive.
So, one thing about using IPA on the heat sink, that was only just oxidation you were removing and that is a good thing. I have seen TronicsFix do a number of consoles and he doesn't spread thermal paste because the heat sinks do a good enough job spreading as it is and having not enough or too much is not good for the console which means that having the perfect amount means no mess and a cool console.
I think you could try something like micro-mesh sanding pads. If you check out some pen turning videos, you'll see them in action. When turning plastics on a lathe, I sand from 150 grit to 12000 grit and it brings the plastic up to a perfect shine. Basically anything can be brought to a shine, just depends how deep you have to go to smooth that layer. Also on that clear gameboy, I've been looking into restoring plastics and something to test is dunking the plastic into boiling water. It is supposed to help clear the yellowing and maybe help remove staining. Anyway, some new experiments maybe. :) All the best.
I wonder if a buffing disc would work on the remaining scratches. I tried to get scatches out of a dust cover for a recordplayer and it stayed slightly hazy up until i got a buffing disc for my drill. not the ideal method, but all haziness went away. Cleaning consoles, so they look presentable again, is very satisfying. Thank You! :D
One thing you might be able to try is using polywatch to remove those scratches. I have never tried that myself and am not sure if that would cause issues for a console, but on a watch crystal it works real well. Overall though great vids!
I love this video, and I notice that you often show the screwdriver and the bit you're using, may I suggest throwing in a console map of the size bits in the description of the video or at the end of the video that you had to use on certain parts :) that would be very helpful, other than that I love your videos and yes magic eraser can definitely damage or scuff items its basically micro sandpaper
You should also avoid glass cleaner on plastic... Most glass cleaner has ammonia in it, which does create microscratches like your melamine sponge (magic eraser). Make sure to get an "electronics" glass cleaner.
Hopefully this is not the 1 trillionth time this was recommended but for that scratch doctor stuff try a buffing pad with a drill. Just dab it on at first all over then run the drill at medium speed until it runs somewhat clear. Wipe off and then repeat. Make sure to do it outside and dont wear nice close maybe even wear a work apron. It does a Really nice job. Sure wish some chinese company would make replacement shells or something. Stupid console manufacturers that use glossy plastic.
I have one of these but it got the yellow light of death (YLoD) and I have no idea where to get it fixed or even if it can be fixed. I've heard that they can't be fixed when they get the YLoD, but again, I don't know if this is true or not?
i had a question for some odd Reason when i use my HDMI PORT ON MY PS4 my Tv Reads it but my PS3 wont show the signal any reason as to why the port from the outside looks clean and normal
Scratch Doctor is total trash. You should try a few passes with the Novus heavy and then fine scratch remover. They work by hand and even better with a power polish (i.e. with a Ryobi Detail Polisher which is amazing for this kind of work and very inexpensive as well). That will restore the finish close to 100%.
It makes you wonder why so many manufacturers still use glossy finishes so often. They get messed up basically the second you take the device of ouf the box.
Honestly...it is the appeal and money. Much like birds, we like shiny things. The shinier the object, the more likely we are to buy it because it draws our attention more so than matte surfaces.
![Top 40 Best PS1 Hidden Gems [You Must Play]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/S6HNmstzIrI/mqdefault.jpg)
![Top 40 Best PS1 Hidden Gems [You Must Play]](/img/tr.png)
Love that you are being careful with what you use on the console to not damage it! Great job on the cleaning
Just bought a used 40GB PS3 Fat that was professionally cleaned, CPU/GPU re-pasted, bluray laser cleaned, disc drive gears re-lubricated, and the body polished to remove scuffs and minor scratches for only $75. It looks and runs like a brand new PS3 and games look great on my little 24 inch 720p TV. In fact Killzone 2 is still beautiful even by 2024 standards so long as its connected to an appropriate display (don't connect the PS3 to a 4k TV, it looks bad).
I know my specific model doesn't feature backwards compatibility, but I have a PS2 Fat in excellent condition connected to a flat screen CRT via S-video cable for my PS2/PS1 gaming needs, looks amazing, the PS2 definitely still feels like a powerhouse when played on CRT, games just look so good. I mean, afterall these years it's still hard to believe that a game like MGS2 looks as good as it does on the PS2.
Of course I have a PS5 connected to a 65 inch OLED and it looks gorgeous, but the PS1,PS2 and PS3 definitely still look great in their own right when connected to period appropriate displays.
That piano finish really is sensitive. Looks great when it's new but scuffs and scratches really easily. I bet the previous owner put that puppy in storage and just packed some other stuff on it. Oh well, it IS an older Console and it is still working. Nicely done!
It's nice to hear that you're listening to feedback, always nice to see people open to new ideas. I also hope that the feedback that you're receiving is nice, because sometimes, some feedbacks hurt more than help.
Thank you for your kind comment. I agree. Feedback is so helpful. And at times can be very discouraging. But most of what I have received is both kindly stated and genuinely constructive.
To truly remove all scratches, you need to go the full car detailing route. Buff, polish, then add a anti-scratch sealent. A buddy of mine who does car detailing did it for my backwards compatible PS3, for a price of $180.
$180? That's crazy expensive.
@TheProtagonist_777 Honestly, it was worth it. Especially the sealant part, my PS3 is practically scratch proof. $180 for a perfect PS3 for at least a decade is worth it.
@@TheProtagonist_777 It's worth it, I wish I had a perfect backwards compatible ps3, it was my dream console since I was 14 (I'm almost 31) I had a 160gb slim model some years later, but always wanted to get my hands on a 60gb original.
I second that method. I did the same thing with my backwards compatible PS3. It came out looking new. It takes some skill and lots of practice to develop proper technique.
@@matute93I am about to refurbish one and make it as perfect as possible if you wanna buy it after
Older thermal paste can sometimes etch the aluminum heat sinks. That may be the cause of the staining you mentioned
Interesting. I’ll have to look into that. I do like the idea that I wasn’t the one who caused it 😂
Impressive how you remember how to put it back together 😊
That’s one of the advantages of recording yourself 😅
Love to watch how you clean these consoles. They look so much better than before and they actually work.
Man I really love all ur videos. You do it very understandable in each of them and make it easy for ppl like me who never opened up a console. I did everything step by step for my childhood ps2 and it was awesome!
Soon I will do my ps3 watching that video!
Later on my ps4 pro and my Wii.
You are my number 1 go to channel! Much love brother, stay healthy 🤝
Got to say that I've been enjoying watching you give some consoles some much needed love and making them look great. Seeing you do this is giving me some confidence to go and try to do a cleanup on some of my older consoles. It'll be great to give them some love. Also, I like how you show what screwdriver bit you use on all the various screws. That's some handy info. When the time comes, I can add your videos in addition to an iFixit guide for some reference.
Loving the content, buddy. Console restoring is so cathartic. Currently doing a ps1 and ps2.
How did it go?
Real well. Ps2 just needed some cleaning. Modded it with an ssd I had laying around. Ps1 just needed a new disc drive. Got them both for around 30 bucks shipped. Spent 10 on the new disc drive.
@@bigdawghoss9871 good job man
@@bigdawghoss9871Did you atleast do a re paste while you had both of the consoles apart ?
@@Mitchellc0123 if you're asking if I applied the "perfect amount of thermal paste" to them of course 😊
Great video! I worked on Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing on PS3 and X360 so that was refreshing to see :)
It looks so much better! Those scratches can’t really be help...given how deep they look. Still excellent job. 👌
Very nice and detailed! I haven't seen a fat PS3 being opened before. It looks really good
8:25 when it's that bad, I think I prefer the magic eraser and polish than seeing those big marks all over it.
Excellent Cleaning, i think i never see an ps3 so clean even on 2006 tear down videos of ps3 lmao
So, one thing about using IPA on the heat sink, that was only just oxidation you were removing and that is a good thing. I have seen TronicsFix do a number of consoles and he doesn't spread thermal paste because the heat sinks do a good enough job spreading as it is and having not enough or too much is not good for the console which means that having the perfect amount means no mess and a cool console.
I’d love to see you go back to cleaning up the outer casing from the scratches.
Those were some pretty deep scratches i wonder how does that even happen! Good video man.
I think you could try something like micro-mesh sanding pads. If you check out some pen turning videos, you'll see them in action. When turning plastics on a lathe, I sand from 150 grit to 12000 grit and it brings the plastic up to a perfect shine. Basically anything can be brought to a shine, just depends how deep you have to go to smooth that layer. Also on that clear gameboy, I've been looking into restoring plastics and something to test is dunking the plastic into boiling water. It is supposed to help clear the yellowing and maybe help remove staining. Anyway, some new experiments maybe. :) All the best.
That is an interesting idea (boiling). I could see experimenting with that in a future video. Thanks 😊
It's crazy how hard it used to be to get into these devices compared to current gen consoles.
I wonder if a buffing disc would work on the remaining scratches. I tried to get scatches out of a dust cover for a recordplayer and it stayed slightly hazy up until i got a buffing disc for my drill. not the ideal method, but all haziness went away. Cleaning consoles, so they look presentable again, is very satisfying. Thank You! :D
One thing you might be able to try is using polywatch to remove those scratches. I have never tried that myself and am not sure if that would cause issues for a console, but on a watch crystal it works real well. Overall though great vids!
I’ll have to check that out 🙂
I love this video, and I notice that you often show the screwdriver and the bit you're using, may I suggest throwing in a console map of the size bits in the description of the video or at the end of the video that you had to use on certain parts :) that would be very helpful, other than that I love your videos and yes magic eraser can definitely damage or scuff items its basically micro sandpaper
3:31 That is the WIFI Module
Meguiar's makes a product called PlastX that works pretty well on glossy plastic. You may consider getting a small buffing pad and using a drill.
Your thumbnail designer did an excellent job removing the ring light and microphone reflection from the faceplate
Surely Steve has parted with his knowledge of applying the perfect amount of thermal paste😂
I purchased Novus plastic polish system from Amazon, you get 3 bottles for 3 steps. maybe try that with a polishing wheel you can attach to your drill
Brasso is brilliant for polishing plastic 😊
Be interesting to see if you get a can of high gloss spray paint and spay the test ps3 piece if you could rejuvenate the gloss.
Can I ask, what do you recommend for extremely rusted metal plates?
Glad to see you are enjoying the paintbrush tip! Another great video.
You should also avoid glass cleaner on plastic... Most glass cleaner has ammonia in it, which does create microscratches like your melamine sponge (magic eraser). Make sure to get an "electronics" glass cleaner.
What kind of tools do you have? Your screwdriver looks cool
Ifixit. They make a bunch of different sets depending on your need.
Great video. Could you please tell me the model number of that PS3? That heat sink looks way different that the ones I've worked with in the past. :O
I’m out of the office for a few days, but I’ll try to remember to look at that next time I’m in
CECHL01
Another great one!
Why not just put some clear laquer on top of the plastic shield?
Try a product called Novus2. There are 3 grades of Novus. 1 and 2 I use on polishing pinball playfields.
Thanks, I’ll give that a shot
What is that alcohol dispenser bottle?
Where can I buy that shiny/glossy part of PS 4 Fat?
How does someone pay you to do this to their console?? very nice
Is there any reason to use isopropyl alcohol instead normal ethanol?
Hopefully this is not the 1 trillionth time this was recommended but for that scratch doctor stuff try a buffing pad with a drill. Just dab it on at first all over then run the drill at medium speed until it runs somewhat clear. Wipe off and then repeat. Make sure to do it outside and dont wear nice close maybe even wear a work apron. It does a Really nice job. Sure wish some chinese company would make replacement shells or something. Stupid console manufacturers that use glossy plastic.
I have one of these but it got the yellow light of death (YLoD) and I have no idea where to get it fixed or even if it can be fixed. I've heard that they can't be fixed when they get the YLoD, but again, I don't know if this is true or not?
i had a question for some odd Reason when i use my HDMI PORT ON MY PS4 my Tv Reads it but my PS3 wont show the signal any reason as to why the port from the outside looks clean and normal
awesome! can u pls do a ps4 pro vid?
Im always looking! If I find one that’s nice and dirty I’ll be all about it
@@RestorishOfficialunderstandable! Good luck 😎
5:45 Where can I buy this?
Excelent content amazing restoration bro
Scratch Doctor is total trash. You should try a few passes with the Novus heavy and then fine scratch remover. They work by hand and even better with a power polish (i.e. with a Ryobi Detail Polisher which is amazing for this kind of work and very inexpensive as well). That will restore the finish close to 100%.
I wonder how scratch doctor works
SuperB
12:10 in that a picasso?
Can you please link where you got the ps4 glossy faceplate, lost mine between movings and using hdd adapters back in the day.
Thanks
That must be a later PS3 Phat revision I have never seen the plastic housing on the bottom around two individual heat sinks.
It makes you wonder why so many manufacturers still use glossy finishes so often. They get messed up basically the second you take the device of ouf the box.
Yes I wonder the same thing
Honestly...it is the appeal and money. Much like birds, we like shiny things. The shinier the object, the more likely we are to buy it because it draws our attention more so than matte surfaces.
death to shiny consoles!!!!! I do not want a shine finish on anything I own well maybe my car but most my consoles look better than my car🤣
Lol
Cleaning something is not restoring it.
The editing is amazing, love the content & the attitude
One amazing thing is that you can use the dualsense of PS5 on Playstation 3 but not on Playstation 4....