Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Power down the PS3 and unplug the power cord. Disconnect all gaming controllers and peripherals from the console.
Place the console face down and remove the four rubber feet from the console's bottom side. Flip the console face up and slide the top cover downward about two inches. Remove the top cover.
Unscrew the seven Phillips screws from the secondary plastic cover. Release the retention clip located in the upper left corner of the secondary cover. Lift the cover out of the console to reveal the internal components.
Locate the DVD drive inside the lower-right corner of the console. Disconnect the two cables from the back of the drive. Unscrew the three Phillips screws mounting the drive to the controller board. Lift the drive out of the console and place it face down to reveal the drive's motherboard.
The DVD controller, also called the BGA chip, is situated directly next to the largest chip on the motherboard, mounted to the bottom side of the drive. The chip is soldered to the motherboard by two large balls of solder.
Plug in a fine-tip soldering iron and let it heat up for about 10 minutes. Use a damp sponge to remove excess solder from the tip, and touch a fresh piece of solder to the tip until it is completely covered. This procedure is called "tinning," and should be done before every soldering job.
Locate the solder balls on the bottom side of the BGA chip. Touch the heated soldering iron to the balls in a circular motion until each soldered connection disconnects from the motherboard. Lift the chip off the motherboard.
Position the replacement BGA chip face down on a flat work surface. Apply some rubbing alcohol to a clean cotton swab. Wipe down the bottom side of the chip. Let it dry for a few minutes.
Examine the bottom side of the chip. Use the soldering iron and some fresh solder to apply a solder ball to each connector on the chip's bottom side.
Align the recently soldered balls with the BGA socket on the motherboard. Press firmly on the chip until it makes a connection with the motherboard. Touch each ball with the soldering tip until each ball melts slightly and adheres to the motherboard. Let the solder dry for one hour.
Reconnect the two cables to the back of the DVD drive. Place the drive back into the console and replace the three Phillips screws, mounting the drive to the console. Replace the secondary cover and its seven retaining Phillips screws.
Replace the main cover. Then reattach four rubber feet to the console's bottom side.