I've resurrected several PS3s by reflowing the GPU soldering joints. I did the process enough times that I became proficient at tearing them down to the bare logic board to access the chipset.

The only problem with reflowing is that it is still using the same factory solder, and more importantly, the high heat dump generated by the early PS3 chipsets remains the same. Over time, the same issues that made the factory soldering joints fail, will inevitably surface again. It's really just a question of when and how much time did the reflow or even reball buy.

If you have any data on that PS3 HDD that you want to recover (limited to game saves, video files, music files, etc.; game installations are keyed to HDD/logicboard to prevent easy piracy), do it now while it still works properly. If you want to transfer purchased content to a new PS3, now would also be a good time. You could continue to use the old CECH-A01 model as your PS2 and secondary PS3.

The repaired PS3 could last another 6 months, maybe less, maybe more. 6 months was about the longest I've had a self repaired PS3 last. I've had a factory refurbished CECH A01 YLoD on me between 1-2 years by comparison.

The only way to address the heat dump from the chipset is to use a higher quality TIM on the GPU and CPU when remounting the heat sink, which is good for 3-5 degrees cooler run temps under optimal conditions, and to simply run the ps3 in a cooler area with better airflow. As wacky as it sounds, if all the YLoD and RRoD consoles had been running under active refrigerated conditions, they probably would have never failed due to thermal stress.

+1. 

This was also a concern I brought up to my collegue before he starting working on my motherboard, which made him go with the reballing route and replacing all factory solders on both the CPU and GPU.  Our concern was whether or not the factory solders would hold up even after reflowing.  So to avoid that sort of situation, he went ahead and reballed with new solder.  We'll see how long this baby lasts.  The only really good thing to come out of it is, should the YLOD issue ever pop up again, at least I know I got a good possibility of getting this issue fixed.  And yes.. wise words.. when your PS3 is up and running, backup everything you need from the HDD. 

Why would you need a PS1 when you can play PS1 games on your PS3?

probably hard modded with a gold finger or something...

man.. i still got my ps1 stowed away somewhere gold fingered up.. that was classic in the days.  playing burned game discs, putting action replay and game shark cheats in the games, playing vcds, etc.  i could see someone still hoarding thier ps1 for that reason alone.  i still got my burned discs of FFVII and FFVIII in my disc case.  original discs have been long scratched up and tossed away..

Try telling that to all the ps1 games on my ps3 and pc =p

TBH having 1080p textures on 100 polygons models looks like shit imo. My ps1 just died years ago (about when i got a ps3 actually)

It's okay I burried her in the garden next to the dog ='(

I used a heat gun on my 60GB PS3. Unfortunately, that only lasts for a month or so. Reballing is the only permanent fix. I eventually sold my PS3. Wish I hadn't, though, cause if I could do it over I would have just paid someone to reball it. Oh well, got a Slim, now.

I did something similar on my own fat PS3 about a year ago. I agree it's a great feeling to find out you can fix something .

It got the YLOD from God of War Ascension and I'd be damned if that dumb game would be the reason my PS3 died. If it became permanent, the PS3 would also have the dubious distinction of being he only console ever to have died on me.

But I fixed it.

Wasn't even that hard in hindsight, I used a paint-dryer-hot-air-gun-thing. I don't even know what it's called in Dutch, let alone in English. Anyway, after first cleaning out the console and all parts, I preheated the board from a distance for about 15 minutes than slowly circling in on both main chips to about a centimeter away for another 15 minutes. Let it cool for the rest of the day, then added on a layer of new cooling paste and reassembled the thing. It immediately worked like a charm and it's still working like a charm. In fact, it's less noisy that it's ever been!

I didn't mess with the solders directly though, but the console is still working perfectly a year later later so I must've done something right at least.

Tell that to my Xbox. I still play Halo 2 every now and then. I can't switch grenades when I play on the 360.