Trying to Fix BROKEN Items Purchased from eBay! S1:E70

Joey Does Tech
11 May 202434:40

TLDRIn episode 70 of the series 'Profit or Loss,' the host attempts to repair a faulty PlayStation 5 purchased from eBay for £170. The console, a disc edition, shows a pulsing blue light of death upon testing, indicating a potential issue with the APU. After a meticulous diagnosis, including checking for shorts and voltage levels, the host identifies a crack on the APU, which is a significant setback. Despite this, the video also features a successful repair of another PS5 with an HDMI fault, achieved by replacing the HDMI port and the HDMI retimer chip. The episode concludes with a discussion on profit, revealing a gross profit of £3260 for the day's episode, and a reminder for viewers to take advantage of an iFixit discount.

Takeaways

  • 🛒 The video is about buying a faulty PlayStation 5 from eBay for £170 with the intention of fixing it and selling it for a profit.
  • 🔍 The console initially powers on but quickly shuts down, showing a 'Blue Light of Death' without reaching a white light, indicating a potential hardware issue.
  • 🧐 The warranty sticker on the console appears to be intact, suggesting it may not have been previously opened or tampered with.
  • 🔧 The repair process involves checking for power supply issues, cleaning the console, and diagnosing potential component failures.
  • 💡 The video includes a sponsored message from iFixit, offering a discount on toolkits and highlighting a special promotion.
  • 🛠️ The repairer suspects a short on the board and goes through a process of diagnosing and replacing the South Bridge IC after finding irregular readings.
  • 🔥 During the reballing and soldering process, the South Bridge IC is carefully removed, cleaned, and replaced with a donor part.
  • 🚫 Despite replacing the South Bridge IC, the console still does not function properly, leading to further investigation into the power supply and other components.
  • 📉 The discovery of a crack on the APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) of the console indicates a significant hardware failure that cannot be economically repaired.
  • 💻 The video concludes with the decision to sell the non-functional console on eBay to recoup some of the initial investment.
  • 📈 The host expresses hope for a successful repair in the next episode to maintain a profit margin, reflecting on the challenges and learnings from this attempt.

Q & A

  • What is the series title that the video belongs to?

    -The video is part of the series titled 'Profit or Loss'.

  • How much did the presenter pay for the PlayStation 5 console in the video?

    -The presenter paid a total of £170 for the PlayStation 5 console.

  • What issue was the PlayStation 5 console facing as described in the eBay listing?

    -The console faced an issue where it powered on for a second to a blue light, then powered back off.

  • What is the 'Blue Light of Death' referred to in the video?

    -The 'Blue Light of Death' is a term used to describe a specific error state where the PlayStation 5 console powers on, shows a blue light, and then shuts off without proceeding to a white light indicating normal operation.

  • What was the final diagnosis of the issue with the first PlayStation 5 console?

    -The final diagnosis was that there was a crack on the APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) of the console, which was not initially suspected.

  • What discount is being offered by iFixit during the specified period?

    -iFixit is offering a 20% discount on select toolkits from the 10th to the 31st of May.

  • What is the presenter's personal favorite toolkit from iFixit?

    -The presenter's personal favorite toolkit is the Protek tool kit.

  • What is the discount code provided by the presenter for iFixit orders?

    -The presenter provides a personal discount code for 10% off any order on the iFixit website, excluding toolkits.

  • What was the issue with the second PlayStation 5 console?

    -The second PlayStation 5 console was reported to have an HDMI fault, with no signal being displayed.

  • What component did the presenter replace as a 'shot in the dark' to fix the HDMI issue?

    -The presenter replaced the HDMI retimer (retim) as a 'shot in the dark' to fix the issue.

  • What was the final outcome of the repair attempt on the second PlayStation 5 console?

    -The repair was successful, and the console started working after replacing the HDMI retimer.

  • What was the gross profit for the day after selling the working PlayStation 5 console?

    -The gross profit for the day was £3,260.

Outlines

00:00

🛍️ Buying a Faulty PS5 for Repair and Resale

The video script introduces the process of buying a faulty electronic item, in this case, a PlayStation 5, with the intention of repairing it and reselling it for a profit. The host discusses the condition of the PS5, mentioning scuff marks and a potentially tampered warranty sticker. The console powers on briefly before shutting down, indicating a significant issue. The episode is sponsored by iFixit, and a promotional discount is offered to viewers.

05:01

🔍 Diagnosing the Console's Issues

The host begins diagnosing the PS5, checking for power supply voltages and identifying a short on the board. The South Bridge IC is suspected to be the problem, given the low resistance readings. The host decides to replace the South Bridge after failing to find any other shorts or issues on the board.

10:02

🔩 Reballing and Replacing the South Bridge IC

The video details the process of reballing the South Bridge IC, which involves heating, applying flux, and carefully soldering the IC back onto the board. The host uses a stencil to ensure proper alignment and reflows the solder to secure the IC. After cleaning the board to remove flux, the console is tested, but it still exhibits the same issues, leading the host to consider other potential problems.

15:04

💡 Investigating Further and Discovering a Crack

The host continues to investigate the PS5's issues, considering the SSD controller IC or Wi-Fi IC as possible culprits. However, upon closer inspection, a crack on the APU is discovered, which likely caused the failure. This crack was missed initially, and the host expresses disappointment, as it means the console cannot be repaired and must be resold for parts.

20:06

🔌 Exploring the HDMI Fault on a Second PS5

The host moves on to a second PS5 with an alleged HDMI fault. Despite the warranty sticker being compromised, the console powers on and displays a white light, indicating it might not be as problematic as the first. The HDMI port appears undamaged, and the host is puzzled as to why the console is not displaying a signal. After extensive checks, the issue remains unidentified.

25:06

🔍 In-Depth HDMI Port and Circuit Inspection

The host conducts a thorough inspection of the HDMI port and its associated circuitry. All measurements and tests come back normal, leaving the host perplexed. Despite the HDMI port appearing to be functioning correctly, the host decides to replace it as a last resort, hoping to resolve the display issue.

30:10

🛠️ Replacing the HDMI Port and Successfully Fixing the Console

The HDMI port is successfully replaced, and upon testing, the console finally powers on and displays an image, indicating the repair was successful. The host expresses relief and happiness at the outcome. The video concludes with a discussion of the profit made from the repair and a mention of a giveaway for viewers on the sponsor's Discord channel.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡eBay

eBay is an online marketplace where people can buy and sell a wide variety of goods and services. In the context of the video, the host purchases faulty electronic items from eBay with the intention of repairing them and reselling them for a profit. eBay serves as the platform where the initial transaction of buying the broken PlayStation 5 takes place.

💡PlayStation 5

The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It is the successor to the PlayStation 4 and is the focal point of the video as the host attempts to repair two faulty PS5 units purchased from eBay. The console's condition, its disc edition, and the issues it presents are central to the video's narrative.

💡Warranty Sticker

A warranty sticker is a seal that indicates whether a device has been opened or tampered with since leaving the factory. In the video, the host inspects the warranty sticker on the PS5 to determine if it has been previously repaired or opened. The condition of the warranty sticker can affect the console's value and the host's approach to repairing it.

💡Blue Light of Death

The 'Blue Light of Death' is a term often used in the gaming community to describe a specific error state in which a PlayStation console powers on but does not boot up properly, indicated by a persistent blue light. The host encounters this issue and it becomes a significant part of the diagnostic process in the video.

💡iFixit

iFixit is a website and online community focused on the repair of electronic devices. In the video, iFixit is mentioned as a sponsor, providing the host with tools and a discount for viewers. The host uses iFixit tools to attempt the repair of the PS5 consoles, highlighting the importance of the right tools for electronics repair.

💡Protek Tool Kit

The Protek tool kit is a set of tools designed for repairing various electronic devices. It is mentioned as the host's personal favorite and is included in the promotion with iFixit. The tool kit is relevant as it includes everything needed to perform the repair work shown in the video.

💡SSD (Solid State Drive)

An SSD is a type of data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store data persistently, which is much faster than traditional hard drives. In the video, the host checks for the presence of an SSD in the PS5 and considers it as a potential source of the fault due to the symptoms presented by the console.

💡South Bridge IC

The South Bridge IC (Integrated Circuit) is a part of a computer's chipset that handles data traffic between the CPU and the peripheral devices. The host suspects a problem with the South Bridge IC based on the error codes and readings from the multimeter, leading to its replacement as a part of the repair process.

💡Reballing

Reballing is the process of replacing the solder balls on an integrated circuit so it can be reattached to a circuit board. The host performs reballing on a South Bridge IC, which is a delicate and technical process requiring specific tools and temperatures to ensure the solder balls adhere correctly.

💡HDMI Port

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a common interface found on many electronic devices for transmitting audio and video signals. The host examines the HDMI port on the PS5 for physical damage and continuity, as a faulty HDMI connection is the stated problem with the second console in the video.

💡AFC (Anode Fuse Controller)

The AFC, or Anode Fuse Controller, is a component that manages the power supply to the CPU. The host measures the voltage at the AFC during the diagnostic process to ensure it is providing the correct power to the CPU, which is crucial for the console's operation.

Highlights

The host buys faulty electronic items from eBay with the aim to fix and sell them for a profit.

In episode 70, a total profit of £55310 is reported over the course of 70 episodes.

A £170 PlayStation 5 with a disc edition console is purchased despite its 'Blue Light of Death' issue.

The warranty sticker on the PlayStation 5 appears intact, suggesting it may not have been previously opened.

The console powers on briefly before shutting down, indicating a potential hardware issue.

Sponsor iFixit is mentioned, offering 20% off select toolkits and 10% off other items with a provided code.

The host disassembles the PlayStation to diagnose and fix the issue, suspecting it might be a simple fix.

A significant amount of dust is found inside the console, but the host rules out overheating as a cause.

The host discovers a crack on the APU, which was initially overlooked, leading to a failed repair attempt.

Despite a thorough cleaning and component check, the root cause of the issue remains elusive.

The host decides to replace the HDMI port on a hunch, even though all measurements indicate it's functioning correctly.

After replacing the HDMI port, the console still doesn't work, leading to further confusion and investigation.

The HDMI retimer chip is replaced as a last resort, which surprisingly resolves the issue.

The repaired PlayStation 5 is confirmed to be working, including 4K functionality.

The episode concludes with a profit calculation, resulting in a £3260 gross profit for the repair attempt.

A giveaway is announced for up to £50 worth of a starter kit, sponsored by iFixit, available to enter on the host's Discord channel.