Comments on: Cooling Overheating PS3 Cabinet http://mickwest.com/2007/06/02/cooling-ps3-cabinet/ Love the little trade which thou hast learned, and be content therewith Mon, 13 Oct 2008 04:02:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Mick West http://mickwest.com/2007/06/02/cooling-ps3-cabinet/#comment-2018 Mick West Sun, 15 Jun 2008 14:15:21 +0000 http://mickwest.com/2007/06/02/cooling-ps3-cabinet/#comment-2018 The key to cooling the PS3 is to have a ready supply of cold air. The ideal solution would be to blow cold air at the front intakes, but that's general not practical, so the next best thing is to suck hot air directly from the outtakes at the side and back. Putting the fan at the top of the cabinet might not work, as you wold not then have the direct air flow over the PS3. You would then be relying more on convection for cooling. My PS3 is in an isolated part of the cabinet, under a shelf, so really the fan needs to be in that section. Theoretically you could have TWO fans, one blowing air in, and one sucking it out, which would give you much more control over the air flow path. That's what most large PC cases do. This little fan can blow a lot more air than I use it for. It's adjustable, and I think I have it around 30% power. It gets a little loud at higher settings - but as you say, dampening materials might help there. The key to cooling the PS3 is to have a ready supply of cold air. The ideal solution would be to blow cold air at the front intakes, but that’s general not practical, so the next best thing is to suck hot air directly from the outtakes at the side and back.

Putting the fan at the top of the cabinet might not work, as you wold not then have the direct air flow over the PS3. You would then be relying more on convection for cooling. My PS3 is in an isolated part of the cabinet, under a shelf, so really the fan needs to be in that section. Theoretically you could have TWO fans, one blowing air in, and one sucking it out, which would give you much more control over the air flow path. That’s what most large PC cases do.

This little fan can blow a lot more air than I use it for. It’s adjustable, and I think I have it around 30% power. It gets a little loud at higher settings - but as you say, dampening materials might help there.

]]> By: Al http://mickwest.com/2007/06/02/cooling-ps3-cabinet/#comment-2017 Al Sun, 15 Jun 2008 11:33:09 +0000 http://mickwest.com/2007/06/02/cooling-ps3-cabinet/#comment-2017 Absolutely, stellar, this is what the web is about, collective thinking and information distribution, will be adopting ASAP. One thought did come to mind, as hot air rises it should , in theory cool the entire cabinet, av receiver etc as well if placed towards the top of the cabinet. Also have you looked at the flow rates of this fan? do you know if it is strong enough to handle more, and a gasket of some type should dampen the sound from the cabinet somewhat, my 2 cents Absolutely, stellar, this is what the web is about, collective thinking and information distribution, will be adopting ASAP. One thought did come to mind, as hot air rises it should , in theory cool the entire cabinet, av receiver etc as well if placed towards the top of the cabinet. Also have you looked at the flow rates of this fan? do you know if it is strong enough to handle more, and a gasket of some type should dampen the sound from the cabinet somewhat, my 2 cents

]]> By: Mick West http://mickwest.com/2007/06/02/cooling-ps3-cabinet/#comment-1567 Mick West Sat, 12 Apr 2008 14:13:26 +0000 http://mickwest.com/2007/06/02/cooling-ps3-cabinet/#comment-1567 Not really. It seemed to connect fine. However, I've replaced my wireless network with: http://mickwest.com/2008/03/24/homepna-ethernet-over-catv-coax/ Since I was actually having problems with the XBox 360, which was on top of the cabinet, behind the TV. This also makes the network much faster for stuff like streaming photos and movies from my desktop PC. Not really. It seemed to connect fine. However, I’ve replaced my wireless network with:

http://mickwest.com/2008/03/24/homepna-ethernet-over-catv-coax/

Since I was actually having problems with the XBox 360, which was on top of the cabinet, behind the TV. This also makes the network much faster for stuff like streaming photos and movies from my desktop PC.

]]> By: Chrys http://mickwest.com/2007/06/02/cooling-ps3-cabinet/#comment-1566 Chrys Sat, 12 Apr 2008 10:42:14 +0000 http://mickwest.com/2007/06/02/cooling-ps3-cabinet/#comment-1566 Very helpful solution - just ordered a USB Cooling Fan like yours. Do you have any problems with the wireless network connection with the PS3 enclosed inside the cabinet? I have a similar setup and the PS3 does not connect to my wirless network any more. Very helpful solution - just ordered a USB Cooling Fan like yours.

Do you have any problems with the wireless network connection with the PS3 enclosed inside the cabinet?

I have a similar setup and the PS3 does not connect to my wirless network any more.

]]> By: Jason http://mickwest.com/2007/06/02/cooling-ps3-cabinet/#comment-1507 Jason Fri, 04 Apr 2008 04:25:58 +0000 http://mickwest.com/2007/06/02/cooling-ps3-cabinet/#comment-1507 Great solution. I burned up my PS2 because I did not take venting into consideration. I think your solution should work nicely. The bad thing is, I just put my 360 in the same place as the PS2 without thinking about the venting problem. Thanks for the post, I think you just saved me some money. Great solution. I burned up my PS2 because I did not take venting into consideration. I think your solution should work nicely. The bad thing is, I just put my 360 in the same place as the PS2 without thinking about the venting problem. Thanks for the post, I think you just saved me some money.

]]> By: Chase Sechrist http://mickwest.com/2007/06/02/cooling-ps3-cabinet/#comment-1195 Chase Sechrist Mon, 18 Feb 2008 04:52:35 +0000 http://mickwest.com/2007/06/02/cooling-ps3-cabinet/#comment-1195 I did something similar for my Xbox 360 which is in an entertainment center. The problem with the 360 is that the USB ports are constantly powered even with the system "off". So, naturally.. I opened it up and soldered onto the motherboard! Required mounting a little pin connector on the back so I can remove the 360 from the cabinet without problems, and now the fan only runs when the system is on. I did something similar for my Xbox 360 which is in an entertainment center.

The problem with the 360 is that the USB ports are constantly powered even with the system “off”.

So, naturally.. I opened it up and soldered onto the motherboard!

Required mounting a little pin connector on the back so I can remove the 360 from the cabinet without problems, and now the fan only runs when the system is on.

]]> By: Mick West http://mickwest.com/2007/06/02/cooling-ps3-cabinet/#comment-1052 Mick West Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:23:20 +0000 http://mickwest.com/2007/06/02/cooling-ps3-cabinet/#comment-1052 There's quite a lot of room. I'm not sure how important it is though. The important thing is to create airflow, and if you are pushing hot air out the back, then cool air should get sucked in elsewhere. There’s quite a lot of room. I’m not sure how important it is though. The important thing is to create airflow, and if you are pushing hot air out the back, then cool air should get sucked in elsewhere.

]]> By: Mosephus http://mickwest.com/2007/06/02/cooling-ps3-cabinet/#comment-1049 Mosephus Tue, 05 Feb 2008 08:21:26 +0000 http://mickwest.com/2007/06/02/cooling-ps3-cabinet/#comment-1049 How much room is behind your entertainment center? I am trying to figure out how to do something very similar. I would like to know how much space is behind the cabinet because I don't have much space behind mine. I am not sure this will work with my set up. How much room is behind your entertainment center? I am trying to figure out how to do something very similar. I would like to know how much space is behind the cabinet because I don’t have much space behind mine. I am not sure this will work with my set up.

]]> By: Play-Connect http://mickwest.com/2007/06/02/cooling-ps3-cabinet/#comment-943 Play-Connect Sun, 20 Jan 2008 23:55:45 +0000 http://mickwest.com/2007/06/02/cooling-ps3-cabinet/#comment-943 that's so cool! that’s so cool!

]]> By: Crazy Water http://mickwest.com/2007/06/02/cooling-ps3-cabinet/#comment-590 Crazy Water Tue, 27 Nov 2007 19:35:41 +0000 http://mickwest.com/2007/06/02/cooling-ps3-cabinet/#comment-590 Curious...have you upgraded your PS3 to software 2.01 and if so have you experienced the fan running much more frequently regardless of the fan installation you did or does it still run quiet? Curious…have you upgraded your PS3 to software 2.01 and if so have you experienced the fan running much more frequently regardless of the fan installation you did or does it still run quiet?

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