Mine was a 60gb launch model and the Blu ray had gone a while back, but it's well known that Sony used cheap Blu Ray diodes in the early models and they last about 2 years max then burn out.

Both the 20gb and 60gb launch models used lead free solder that melts at a low level, I think the same goes for the 40 and 80gb versions. The only ones without it are the slim models.

If your using a fat PS3 be very wary of heat build up as the main reason for a YLOD is heat de-soldering you GPU/CPU or cracking the thermal paste for them as that's crap too in the fat models. They're all a ticking time bombs due to Sony cutting corners to make the PS3 cost effective.

It could of been my PS3's time to go, but the fact I've seen at least 3 people mention this now rings alarm bells to me.

I strongly advise taking huge precautions this build tbh, there's something horribly wrong with it imo.

The heat gun repair for the ylod is actually really easy, I have done it on about eight ps3 now BUT it is only a temporary the best I got out of one was about three months some only last a couple of weeks. You can only reheat solder but so much because it loses its strength ever time. Reflowing the circuit board is a permanent but more expensive. I recommend doing the heat gun repair and trading it in at game stop for a slim.

you do know life has a way of screwing you over for all the bad you do right?

The two You Tube videos I've seen show them stripping the system right out.... all parts taken away. Clearing the old compound, heating the motherboard a little then heating the CPU/GPU much more, letting it cool and then re-applying new compound paste.

^^^^^^^ In my experience with this repair, it works but is only temporary

Reflowing is total different and no offense but should be done by some one with experience but it is a permanent repair.

Heres the wiki for "Reflow soldering is a process in which a solder paste (a sticky mixture of powdered solder and flux) is used to temporarily attach one or several electrical components to their contact pads, after which the entire assembly is subjected to controlled heat, which melts the solder, permanently connecting the joint. Heating may be accomplished by passing the assembly through a reflow oven or under an infrared lamp or by soldering individual joints with a hot air pencil."

I think you are talking about re-balling. Reflowing is generally heating the board enough to cause the solder to reflow. Not a good one in the long run as it is hard to get all the solder to melt, and because reheating solder weakens it.
Re-balling is removing the CPU/GPU entirely, clean up all the solder on the board and ship, and apply new tin balls that work as the solder and pin at the same time.

If safe mode works its not completely broke.
First try option 1 just a simple restart. It's worked for me in the past.

If not give option 2 a go . Restore default. Unlikely but it could work without losing any data.

Then try 3 repair system files. You can lose data if anything corrupted when you crashed. This will most likely be dust files so fairly safe but may need to install dust again

Then 4. But this can lose you all data on the system.

Finally 5 restore ps3.this will set the system back to default everything is lost. But helpful if your ps3 works again.



None of these will break your ps3. If none of them fix it. The ps3 is dead :-(