It could also be you have some blown capacitors, and it's causing an undervoltage problem.

If you open it up, look for the little soup can looking things spaced all over the main board, they usually have a little "X" or "K" on the top, if they are flat on top, they're probably okay, if the top of any look domed they have blown, and whatever trace they feed power too is not getting enough. {looks like this http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Defekte_Kondensatoren.jpg]

I had an Alienware PC a few years back [pre-Dell buyout] that kept restarting on me and that was the problem, the guy at my local Radio Shack ordered the replacement capacitors and replaced, and it lasted me up till like 2 years ago when it just became too obsolete.

Just something to look our for if you end up cracking open the case.

MI_Thumb said:

It could also be you have some blown capacitors, and it's causing an undervoltage problem.

If you open it up, look for the little soup can looking things spaced all over the main board, they usually have a little "X" or "K" on the top, if they are flat on top, they're probably okay, if the top of any look domed they have blown, and whatever trace they feed power too is not getting enough. {looks like this http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Defekte_Kondensatoren.jpg]

I had an Alienware PC a few years back [pre-Dell buyout] that kept restarting on me and that was the problem, the guy at my local Radio Shack ordered the replacement capacitors and replaced, and it lasted me up till like 2 years ago when it just became too obsolete.

Just something to look our for if you end up cracking open the case.

Click to expand...

Thanks Thumb, Red, et al...I think I'm going to have to crack the case as none of the easy fixes have seemed to work. If it is an overheating problem it overheats damn quick and the fan never kicks on to cool it down. I do know the fan works though as I did the fan test. Hopefully I'll get to it this weekend...I already bought NCAA '13 so I'll have to get this beast working one way or another. I'll let you know if/when I find the problem...

mine just died.....got the yellow light of death. I guess its fixable but just a temporary fix and sounds like a pain in the ass to do. Heat guns and reball and blah blah blah....fml. Im posting it here cause thats how mine started. Funny it was only certain games too....MLB the show would always freeze up but i could play skyrim for days. But ya screen would turn black after about 10 min of MLB the show ;; About 3 mo later i got the yellow light. Id try fixing it now before it goes completely out. Theres videos on how to reball all over the place if you think you want to try. Alot of computer shops will do it for like $50 but only put a 3 mo warranty on it. Theres a more expensive fix too with a better warranty but at that point i think your better off just buying a new console.

How much are PS3 these days, still $199 or have they gotten cheaper? I have the slim I use and an original in my closet I was going to sell or give away, I'll be keeping it now just in case the slim blows a gasket.

Mitchrapp said:

How much are PS3 these days, still $199 or have they gotten cheaper? I have the slim I use and an original in my closet I was going to sell or give away, I'll be keeping it now just in case the slim blows a gasket.

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Are PS3's really down that far?

Last time I looked they were still $250, and that was for the one with the tiny hard drive.

I guess there is always GameStop, if you wanted to go refurbished.

I still have an original Xbox360, had the heating issue with it almost immediately but since then nothing.

MI_Thumb said:

Are PS3's really down that far?

Last time I looked they were still $250, and that was for the one with the tiny hard drive.

I guess there is always GameStop, if you wanted to go refurbished.

Click to expand...

I saw $199 over a year ago. I assume that was normal. Maybe that was a sale.

Not sure if this will work but if the model you have is still sold in stores buy one, keep the new one and return the old one. Problem solved. The only other ideas are update the firmware and clean the lasar.