u/Excellent-Ad1210

Hi everyone,

​I have a PS1 Fat (PU-22 motherboard). Unfortunately, my CD drive and spindle are broken, and I'm looking to stop using discs entirely.

​I’m trying to decide between installing an XStation or going with a PSIO. I’ve read about both, but I wanted to hear from the community:

​Which one is more reliable and suitable for the PU-22 board?

​Is the XStation installation (soldering) significantly harder than the PSIO setup?

​Are there any other options I should consider for playing games without discs?

​I'm looking for the most stable and long-term solution. Any advice or experiences you could share would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

​I recently picked up this pair of PlayStation consoles for a total of $10.5. I'm a big retro gaming fan, so I couldn't resist the price, but they are both "projects" to varying degrees. I'm looking for some advice from the community.

​The Haul:

​Image 0: Top view of the PlayStation 1 (SCP-7502 PAL). It powers on, as indicated by the green LED.

​Image 1: Shows the standard "Sony Computer Entertainment" startup screen.

​Image 2: Puts the PS1 into the Main Menu (Memory Card/CD Player screen).

​Image 3: Clear picture of the bottom sticker. This is a PAL SCPH-7502 model, which I understand is one of the better models.

​The PS1 Situation:

​So, the PS1 powers on and boots to the menu, but the CD drive seems to have some trouble. It doesn't always read discs reliably. I get a mix of successful boots, long load times, and a few fail-to-read errors.

​Question 1: Based on this, is it likely just a weak laser that needs cleaning, or a potential alignment issue? Has anyone else seen this combination of symptoms (powers on, goes to menu, but struggles with discs)? Any specific tips for troubleshooting this particular model (SCPH-7502)?

​The PS3 Situation:

​Image 4: Shows the PlayStation 3 Fat model. It's in rough cosmetic shape, with lots of scuffs and scratches.

​Image 5: Detailed shot of the bottom sticker. This is a PAL model (CECHH08), meaning it's non-backward compatible.

​Image 6: PS1 and PS3 side-by-side for scale.

​Image 7: Side-by-side view from a slightly different angle.

​Image 8: PS1 on top of PS3.

​Unfortunately, the PS3 has the dreaded YLOD (Yellow Light of Death). It starts, has a yellow light, and shuts down soon after. No video or anything.

​Question 2: Given that this is a non-BC (backward compatible) model in poor condition, is it worth trying to repair the YLOD? If so, what are the most common effective fixes for this specific model (CECHH08), or is it likely a dead GPU/CPU?

​Question 3: Since I'm mainly a PS1 fan, is it worth me learning to repair the YLOD myself, or is it too complex and time-consuming? Are there any common PS1-specific issues that are easier to fix?

​Overall Question:

​Was this a good deal for $10.5? Even if I can't fix the PS3, do the PS1, any potential internal parts, and the experience make it worth the price? I primarily wanted the PS1 to expand my collection.

My PS3 Slim with CFW (Custom Firmware) was working fine until yesterday, but today it suddenly stopped working and got the Green Light of Death (GLOD). So I opened it up, and inside this happened: the GPU plate came off on its own. Will it be fixed if I apply new thermal paste?