I think my PS3 is dying...?

I have an original 60GB from way back when the PS3 first came out... It freezes a lot now and takes a long time to load things (games, data, movies, etc...) they all take a while to load...

It has probably been out of warranty since 2007, so it will be $150 or more to fix it and they will probably just send me a refurb or something... So I am either going to fix this thing or just get a new one...

I am guessing it is just overheating since it is so old, the thermal paste on the cpu/gpu is probably all but used up and my fans are probably full of dust and all kinds of things... So are there any tutorials (reputable ones) out there that illustrate opening this thing up so I can put some new thermal paste on and clean the gunk out?

Thanks!

Also, if you don't think that is the issue, can you suggest other things I can do?

Thanks again!

trust me get a new one
i got the YLOD and went to a guy to fix it
got it three times after that then he couldn't fix it anymore
you're better off getting the slim
i had the original 60GB like you, for how expensive it was it was cheaply made
slims are 10x better so far....

Hmm, wierd. Have you tried letting it cool down for a day or two? Slow loading and slow overall actions are possibly from the system overheating and it may not matter. If it is the thermal paste, which I believe is the cause of the YLOD, then get a new one. It's not a permanent fix and it requires time and money. It would be best to sell it or get rid of it now, before it breaks, and then buy a slim or something.Adziboy

you may have HDD isues. i know with PC's the HDD's sometimes will get currupted or in bad need of defraging. i dont think the ps3 has a defrag option so you may want to try reformating the suystem before spending mony on a new one. If you really think its a over heat issue there are lots of how to vids on youtube ect that walks you threw the process of redoing the thermal paste. iv seen it done and as long as you take your time and dont get your self stressed by over thinking things it should not be to hard to do. if it comes down to haveing to replace the system which is what i just had to do i would vote for just getting a new slim. i just dont see paying half the cost of a new one just to get your old one fixed or getting a refurb. iv read a lot post people have made about how they would send there systems off to get fixed just to have it die in a few months ect. any way thats what i did, just bought a new slim. of course you may want to try and fix your 60g mod for ps2 games but imho i would just rather have a actual ps2 for playing those games. that way your not puting hours on your ps3 playing old games. but thats just me

you may have HDD isues. i know with PC's the HDD's sometimes will get currupted or in bad need of defraging. i dont think the ps3 has a defrag option so you may want to try reformating the suystem before spending mony on a new one. If you really think its a over heat issue there are lots of how to vids on youtube ect that walks you threw the process of redoing the thermal paste. iv seen it done and as long as you take your time and dont get your self stressed by over thinking things it should not be to hard to do. if it comes down to haveing to replace the system which is what i just had to do i would vote for just getting a new slim. i just dont see paying half the cost of a new one just to get your old one fixed or getting a refurb. iv read a lot post people have made about how they would send there systems off to get fixed just to have it die in a few months ect. any way thats what i did, just bought a new slim. of course you may want to try and fix your 60g mod for ps2 games but imho i would just rather have a actual ps2 for playing those games. that way your not puting hours on your ps3 playing old games. but thats just me

Wild_Card

I don't think it is a fragmentation problem... I have literally never deleted anything from my PS3... So there wouldn't be any gaps for fragmented material...

As for looking on youtube for videos of redoing thermal paste, I will give it a look, thanks. I would buy a new slim, but I don't want to spend $300 on a new console if I can get this one working just fine again with a $3 tube of thermal paste, a screwdriver, and 20 minutes...

just buy a new ps3 because if you get that ps3 fix its just will cost you more money in the long run.

After having played Ratchet and Clank for more than eight hours one day, my ps3 started to lag and slow down. Turns out my ps3 was starting to overheat, so I just set up my fan next to it, and I've never had problems since.