Lethal Monsoon
Forum Noob
Hello all, I'm excited to officially post on PSX Place. I've been a long-time lurker of the site, and many of my pseudo-academic writings and silly garage projects are based on ideas from here! I've never written a thread before, so please forgive me if my formatting is a little off... 
For a little background context, I bought a Fat CECHG01 in late 2023 to play Metal Gear Solid 4. I live in a super uninteresting area, so finding any PS3 was a big deal. I am aware that the non-BC models of fat are undesirable for many reasons, but I was naive and simply wanted to play the game. Flash forward to 2025, and I've become obsessed with this two-decade-old console. I've consumed so much media about it that I became obsessed with the idea of "upgrading" my PS3.
So, several late nights of research and much money spent later, I had everything I needed for an easy PS3 cooling mod. I purchased Honeywell PTM7950, GP-Ultimate Thermal Pads, MX-6 Thermal Paste, and scavenged an old PC heatsink fan to act as an intake. Now, I'm aware that the consensus for console mods is that adding extra intake holes and fans is counterintuitive and a "stone-age" solution to a more complex problem...
BUT!!!
After careful research and studying the layout of the CECHG, I decided that an intake fan on the upper cavity of the console would have some benefit. No motherboard components would be deprived of airflow, and the intended thermal design of the console would remain mostly intact. I created a small document highlighting this theory, which I spent way too much time on!
In short, I had everything ready to test this hardware modification; I just needed to de-lid the console and apply the PTM7950 to the dies! Weeks of research and work, all just a simple test away, yippie!
...
So maybe I felt some slack, got excited, and tried to pry the IHS off with a screwdriver...
After an hour of sawing through the silicone adhesive with fishing line at 3 AM, I scratched the CELL's PCB traces while trying to pop the lid off with a screwdriver. I couldn't be bothered to get a dedicated delid tool or craft my own without somehow doubting my craftsmanship, but it didn't matter in the end because I failed basic common sense </3.
For a little background context, I bought a Fat CECHG01 in late 2023 to play Metal Gear Solid 4. I live in a super uninteresting area, so finding any PS3 was a big deal. I am aware that the non-BC models of fat are undesirable for many reasons, but I was naive and simply wanted to play the game. Flash forward to 2025, and I've become obsessed with this two-decade-old console. I've consumed so much media about it that I became obsessed with the idea of "upgrading" my PS3.
So, several late nights of research and much money spent later, I had everything I needed for an easy PS3 cooling mod. I purchased Honeywell PTM7950, GP-Ultimate Thermal Pads, MX-6 Thermal Paste, and scavenged an old PC heatsink fan to act as an intake. Now, I'm aware that the consensus for console mods is that adding extra intake holes and fans is counterintuitive and a "stone-age" solution to a more complex problem...
BUT!!!
After careful research and studying the layout of the CECHG, I decided that an intake fan on the upper cavity of the console would have some benefit. No motherboard components would be deprived of airflow, and the intended thermal design of the console would remain mostly intact. I created a small document highlighting this theory, which I spent way too much time on!
In short, I had everything ready to test this hardware modification; I just needed to de-lid the console and apply the PTM7950 to the dies! Weeks of research and work, all just a simple test away, yippie!
...
So maybe I felt some slack, got excited, and tried to pry the IHS off with a screwdriver...
After an hour of sawing through the silicone adhesive with fishing line at 3 AM, I scratched the CELL's PCB traces while trying to pop the lid off with a screwdriver. I couldn't be bothered to get a dedicated delid tool or craft my own without somehow doubting my craftsmanship, but it didn't matter in the end because I failed basic common sense </3.
