PlayStation 3 Fan Replacement

Use the tip of a spudger to remove the black rubber screw cover from the side of the PS3.

Remove the single 8.5 mm T10 Security Torx screw from the smart plate.

Pull the smart plate toward the hard drive bay, then lift it off the body of the PS3.

Remove the following seven screws:

Six 52 mm Phillips screws

One 30 mm Phillips screw

Lift the top cover from its rear edge and rotate it toward the front of the PS3.

Remove the top cover.

There is a plastic hook located in a hole on the top back right hand side corner. Carefully push the plastic hook a bit front the rear of the machine with a spudger to release the rear right of the casing.

Disconnect the Blu-ray power cable from the motherboard.

Lift the Blu-ray drive from the edge nearest the power supply and rotate it away from the chassis enough to access its ribbon cable.

Use your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the Blu-ray ribbon cable socket.

Pull the ribbon cable out of its socket.

Remove the Blu-ray drive from the PS3.

Pull the control board ribbon cable straight up and out of its socket on the motherboard.

Remove the two 12 mm Phillips screws securing the control board to the lower case.

Remove the control board and its attached cable from the PS3.

Remove the following eight screws securing the motherboard assembly to the lower case:

Seven 12 mm Phillips screws (ph2)

One 30 mm Phillips screw

Remove the control board bracket.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the hard drive bay cover away from the lower case.

Remove the hard drive bay cover.

Lift the motherboard assembly out of the lower case.

De-route the fan cables from under the plastic finger molded into the heat sink.

Disconnect the fan from the motherboard.

Remove the three 5.7 mm #0 Phillips screws securing the fan to the heat sink.

Remove the fan from the heat sink, minding its cables that may get caught.