[Cut_Glass]

Now that we have the ability to easily get readings of our Cell and RSX chips I through it would be both fun and interesting to see each others results. I plan to collate the results into a table which can then be used you to see if your system is running abnormally hot, the advantages of non stock thermal compound (if any) and how the new hardware revisions have changed system temperature.

Ive decided to make a new thread with a set test method to keep things clear and simple. Please feel free to suggest or critique the method.


If you would like to contribute Ive made a simple testbed.

Required info:

1. Room temperature. (If possible or approximate, dont guess)
2. Exact PS3 Model - some chips are 90nm or 65nm or 45nm.
3. Original thermal compound or replaced? If replaced state what with eg AS5
4. What FW you use. 3.41 or 3.55. Killerbugs test show a difference in heat management which may show itself in our results.
5. If you use a cooling system please do not use it during the test, if you would like you can also post what it is and the results when in use.
6.???

Test method:

Test 1, idle test: Form a cold start open MM go to the XMMB view and then settings column set sparks on and screensaver off and leave idle for 30 mins or untill temps are stable.

Test 2, in game test: After test 1 launch Uncharted 2 and play for 1 hr then bring up XMB and select multiman, click yes close game (make sure your defult view in MM has temperature reading on it!) and note the temperatures your see. This will keep the time between game closing and temperature reading to a minimum and should make for fairly constant times for comparisons.


My results:

1. 22*C
2. PS3 SLIM CECH 2004B 45nm CPU 65nm RSX
3. Stock compund
4. 3.55
5. Cheap horizontal laptop stand with 3 small fans

Test 1: CPU 57*C RSX 59*C

Test 2: CPU 65*C RSX 70*C
With cooling on: CPU 61*C 68*C

[vronz]

1. 25.4* C (according to my room digital thermometer, which is not very accurate though: +/-2* C)
2. CECHG04 (65nm CPU and 90nm GPU)
3. Arctic Cooling MX-4
4. 3.55
5. no any additional cooling mods
6. repaired by me from YLOD (with reflow) - after that it has the problem that when i play games the fan speed goes to the highest possible and then the console sounds like vacuum cleaner

Test 1: CPU 76.25*C RSX 82.00*C

Test 2: both CPU and GPU go down and down even to something like 40C, as much i'm gaming as much they cool down, because in such situation as i mentioned in point 6 above the fans go to full speed. so, the problem in point 6 that appeared after YLOD repair is actually keeping the console very cool during heavy gaming (almost 2 times cooler than idle) and it hasn't failed since it was repaired from the YLOD, no matter of that fans noise problem.

[Cut_Glass]

Thanks for taking the time. Interesting my friends OFW 60GB launch does the same thing but has not had YLOD yet my other friends OFW 60GB launch has always been really quiet but recently RLOD...

[vronz]

Originally Posted by Cut_Glass Thanks for taking the time. Interesting my friends OFW 60GB launch does the same thing but has not had YLOD yet my other friends OFW 60GB launch has always been really quiet but recently RLOD...

we will go off-topic, but maybe it would be interesting for others, especially in forum thread dedicated to the temperatures. so, about the problem with the fan goes to full speed (i.e. PS3 noisy as much as a vacuum cleaner) - it's now known, since the beginning of this year (i will go details in few lines), what causes it and how to fix it, but the fix is not easy, especially for console in which CPU and/or GPU are less then 90nm. however, as my temperatures suggest, actually it seems as not that bad for the console, because during heavy gaming it stays cool and that is why i believe mine never failed again after its initial YLOD, but the negative is that i need to turn the volume very loud to make the fan noise not that annoying. BTW, to mention that i did reflow only on the GPU during my YLOD repair, i.e. no other part of the board were reflowed except the GPU.

so, about what causes the fan full speed problem and how it can be fixed: at the beginning of this year a guy with nickname 'PrimeTech' posted a method how to remove Integrated-Heat-Spreader (IHS) from the CPU even when it's 65nm, that allowed fan full speed problem to be fixed, because in almost all cases that problem is caused, because the thermal paste under the IHS of the CPU is no longer good and in the rest of the cases (very rare) due to thermal paste under the IHS of the GPU is no longer good (in my particular case that is more likely because i relowed only the GPU during my YLOD repair). so, it's often such problem to appear after YLOD repair with reflow, because the extreme hear applied during that process dries the thermal paste under the IHS of the CPU and/or GPU and causes the problem.

[jonnyjaeger]

@vronz
I've been messing with this during a couple of days now and so far replaced the thermal paste under the IHS of the GPU. It sure reduced the fanspeed from kicking in high after 5 minutes of gameplay and now it stays at 54C which is good.
Still a bit hesitant to remove the IHS on the cpu and replace paste there too since it requires cutting with a razorblade to get through the glue on 4 sides.
I might have to though since my cpu is at 80C after playing for 20 minutes or so.
Will try adding washers first though since I did that on the gpu to apply more pressure to the heatsink and that seemed to have helped a bit too.
Interesting to learn and to hear about other peoples temperatures and issues.

EDIT:@ cut glass, great of you to start this thread. will get back with new temps tomorrow after adding the washers on the cpu if there's any difference and more heavy gameplay.

[pereb27]

Originally Posted by jonnyjaeger @vronz I've been messing with this during a couple of days now and so far replaced the thermal paste under the IHS of the GPU. It sure reduced the fanspeed from kicking in high after 5 minutes of gameplay and now it stays at 54C which is good. Still a bit hesitant to remove the IHS on the cpu and replace paste there too since it requires cutting with a razorblade to get through the glue on 4 sides. I might have to though since my cpu is at 80C after playing for 20 minutes or so. Will try adding washers first though since I did that on the gpu to apply more pressure to the heatsink and that seemed to have helped a bit too. Interesting to learn and to hear about other peoples temperatures and issues. EDIT:@ cut glass, great of you to start this thread. will get back with new temps tomorrow after adding the washers on the cpu if there's any difference and more heavy gameplay.

You have to be very careful if you have to do the CPU. I've broken a CECHG that way before.

[Cut_Glass]

@vronz good to know Ill search this guys work out and push my mate into letting me crack open his PS3