Lombax Warrior
The PS3 processors are attached to the motherboard with solder balls. Over time, heat can cause these connections to stress and crack. A reflow heats up the solder in order to get it malleable enough to reform a broken connection, but the resulting connection still isn't as strong as it was originally. A reball means that someone completely removes the old solder from the motherboard and chip and reattaches the chip with new solder balls. This is a stronger fix than a reflow, but still isn't perfect, since the motherboard itself might have started to warp.
PyrrhusRex wrote:The PS3 processors are attached to the motherboard with solder balls. Over time, heat can cause these connections to stress and crack. A reflow heats up the solder in order to get it malleable enough to reform a broken connection, but the resulting connection still isn't as strong as it was originally. A reball means that someone completely removes the old solder from the motherboard and chip and reattaches the chip with new solder balls. This is a stronger fix than a reflow, but still isn't perfect, since the motherboard itself might have started to warp.
this and IMO If you are being offered a new PS3 i would go for the new one.
PyrrhusRex wrote:The PS3 processors are attached to the motherboard with solder balls. Over time, heat can cause these connections to stress and crack. A reflow heats up the solder in order to get it malleable enough to reform a broken connection, but the resulting connection still isn't as strong as it was originally. A reball means that someone completely removes the old solder from the motherboard and chip and reattaches the chip with new solder balls. This is a stronger fix than a reflow, but still isn't perfect, since the motherboard itself might have started to warp.
right, plus this problem can potentially recur because of the nature of the ps3's heat cycle and how the cpu and gpu are applied to the motherboard. BGAs( ball grid arrays) are notorious for failing on much cooler running components than the Cell procesor and RSX graphics chip in the ps3, so the ps3 is far from elusive to this problem. plain and simple, BGAs are cheaper to design and manufacture, but they are more likely to fail than a traditional PGA(pin grid array) that is used in a desktop PC. no matter what way you fix a YLOD PS3, it will eventually die again, because a BGA was used instead of a PGA. however, a reballing, if done correctly can be a more permanent fix for a ps3. oh, and though the processor runs really hot in the ps3, the GPU solder joints are mostly the reason why the YLOD occurs. one thing that should be realized is that we are entering an age where multitasking devices are evolving, but with more features comes lesser quality components to keep the cost at least somewhat affordable. bottom line is, people want these multitasking devices that break often. it couldn't be more evident by all the people that say stuff breaks, deal with it and getting mad props for such here. it is true that stuff breaks, but when the same device breaks for the same reason thousands of times, it is safe to say there is most definately a problem with the device, whether it be a manufacturing or design defect. if a certain model of car broke down thousands of times for the same reason, there would probably be a recall on it. but here in video game world, it is okay for a game console manufacturer to get away with sheer robbery and not have to deal with their mistakes. anyway, check out gophermods for a reball, as they have a really good rep, but they are really new at reballing, so there is no accounts of them being good at it. hopefully they will be, because anybody else that has been discussed here that offers a reballing service for the ps3 has fallen short for one reason or another. what makes it sad is that people shouldn't have to resort to this in the first place, for what sony offers as a quality gaming system, but all too often you will find many people looking for means other than sony to fix the problem, because it is well documented that even sony can't fix it properly with their high repair cost.
