When your PS3 gets YLOD or your Xbox 360 gets RROD...

I've had the RROD on my 360 before. Just sent it back to Microsoft no problems when they had the warranty extension a few years ago. All I had to do was transfer my hard drive to the new unit and everything back to normal.

But just yesterday was my first experience with the YLOD from the PS3.

My PS3 fat launch system died on me (Nov. 2006 to Sep. 2011) via the dreaded YLOD. Not only does it suck because I can't even eject my game (I was playing a PS2 game) but I didn't create a backup save.

The whole hard drive backup and restore is also such a hassle (thank you Sony).

Do you guys recommend using reflow or reball?

I heard reflows only give your PS3 a lifespan of 4-5 months (sometimes shorter), and you'd be very lucky if it lasts a year. So basically I would have to get it "reflowed" for $70 just to get my saves backed up and my game ejected, just have it YLOD again in 4-5 months.

Reball is not guaranteed to always work and it's a very risky procedure, but if it does, is it a more permanent or longer solution?

I want to keep my backwards compatible PS3 fat, but since it YLOD it's basically the beginning of the end even if I get it repaired = in other words once you get the YLOD, no matter how many repairs done, your PS3 is just "dead man walking".

A Geek Squad member said that it's not a good idea to cut my loses and just get the PS3 Slim right now, because their designs are supposedly flawed (small cramped motherboard, etc.) and that it's lifespan doesn't last as long as it's believed to, and if it breaks, it's broken. No reflowing or reballing will save it. So I'm in a bind. I want to cancel my Uncharted 3 pre-order right now.

Anyone else experienced this on their systems?

Thank goodness my Wii is still good as new.

I wouldn't really listen to Geek Squad, but what I did when my launch PS3 got YLOD is at first I did the reflow by myself. It worked for a couple of months and died. I decided to just buy a new one at that point.

It's not too hard to get your game out of the PS3. Just gotta open the PS3 and the blu-ray drive. It's easier than it sounds, look up a video on youtube of how to change the laser in the drive or something and that'll pretty much tell you how to get it out.

[quote name='whoknows']I wouldn't really listen to Geek Squad, but what I did when my launch PS3 got YLOD is at first I did the reflow by myself. It worked for a couple of months and died. I decided to just buy a new one at that point.

It's not too hard to get your game out of the PS3. Just gotta open the PS3 and the blu-ray drive. It's easier than it sounds, look up a video on youtube of how to change the laser in the drive or something and that'll pretty much tell you how to get it out.[/QUOTE]
Thanks.

I'm a little hesitant to get the Slim after everything I've heard. Maybe I'll do a reflow and back up my saves first. Maybe look into getting an intercooler.

It's funny that my PS2 and Dreamcast which I've had since 1999 are both still fully functional and have both outlasted my PS3.

In my experience Slims are a lot better than the Phats. I've only had one YLOD and when I got it back Sony said it was because of a hardware defect and didn't charge me for it, whereas everyone I know with a Phat has had tons of problems with overheating and YLOD.

youre basically sol.