"Cleaned"= wiped the outside with a damp paper towel. "Tested"= plugged it in and it didn't blow up, so it's good. "Guaranteed"= we guarantee that we did the other two things.
WOW! 8% off compared to a brand new one! What a great value! I mean the sanded/scratched outer case, lazy thermal paste job, dirty controller, lack of flux clean up and smudged thermal putty would be a shoulder shrug if the discount was say 20-25% off but when it's 8%? That's unacceptable. That thing should basically be pristine for such a lame discount.
Always baffles me when I see a difficult part of the job done well (HDMI port replacement) and not the simple stuff like thermal paste replacement or flux cleanup.
I've had limited time in repair shops but it's actually not too out of the norm from what I've seen... There were some smart people doing good work, but any place they could cut corners they would. Obviously they needed to get the HDMI port working so most of their effort goes there. Cleaning up the thermal paste is extra fluff. In an environment where they might be getting paid per board repaired, there's an incentive not to faff around with the more mundane things.
@@Tronicsfix I think its because they know it wont really effect the console. its more about fixing what needs to be fixed and moving on to the next one.
@SuperWhisk that would be the best way to do it. have the skilled technician do the hard part then have someone else assemble them. only thing is it could create confusion with parts getting mixed up if not properly inventoried. i imagine handing disassembled consoles over to another person can raise some issues.
Gamestop Employee here... Haven't watched the video yet but all "Refurbished" means is that someone brought in a "defective" (broken) console and we sent it off to our warehouses for it to be fixed (kind of like you fix a car after it comes *just* shy of being totaled in a wreck) and packaged in a pretty way. We only really test three things when taking in the console. 1) Does it power up and connect to the TV? 2) Can it read a game disk? 3) Does it connect to the internet? If It does all three of those things we will give roughly half the selling value of your console. If it fails one or more of those checks then we mark it as defective, give you like fourty bucks for your console and ship it off to the warehouses. They do magic things and we get to tout how well packaged these "Refurbished" consoles are and keep as quiet as possible about the original state of the console.
That blue thermal putty reminded me of when I had to fix my xbox one x and one of the issues was overheating. The putty was cracking so I replaced the putty with thermal pads directly onto the chips, and I think it was an improvement to the heat dissipation. But yes, I did apply the perfect amount of thermal paste.
@@tyronenelson9124 it doesn't, but it does help with the transfer of heat to the heat sink, and if its old enough it won't transfer the heat properly and cause the system to overheat.
That old flux just shows how little the tech cares about doing a good job. It probably not going to matter, and probably not going to be seen, but it's just lazy.
You're right just like not cleaning the old thermal paste. Whoever did it doesn't care. But from what I've read the workers in these refab facilities are so poorly treated and paid that I don't blame the guy for not caring.
Yeah, a few seconds with a toothbrush and they can't even be bothered. Then again, I never get too harsh because I have no idea what their working conditions are like. Maybe it's an amazon like environment where they have to fix a certain number in a day and it's just barely doable so every second counts. Perhaps there are incentives for more stuff you fix? That's always a good way to encourage sloppy work.
I would replace the coil with the broken ferrite. A compromised core could result in excessive heating and possible early saturation, especially if it's in a sync buck application.
Another excellent video, I was shocked with the lack of care taken with the thermal paste and flux cleanup. Then again, I shouldn't have been surprised given they sold you a series X for very little discount and with a series s controller no less, lol.
Gotta be honest, I sometimes use your videos to fall asleep to (and I do love them! Gave me the confidence to tear a whole CRT apart to clean it!) but I think I about jumped out of my skin each time those horn effects went off. Please tell me that's not a new normal @_@
@@Mechanisttm There's nothing wrong with trying something new, but those fx aren't it for this kind of content imo. It's not gonna make me unsub, but it is gonna make my watching while unwinding difficult
Love to see you working on console, I'm a mechanic and seeing you using T8 torx on Electronic system amaze me, we use to have T20, T30 on car even T60, by the way Hello from France, love your Channel
Using two different thermal interfaces is a bad idea. They could have different chemicals that may interact in a bad way, or if they don't mix well it will create air bubbles and massively ruin it's heat transfer ability and at worst create a hotspot on the IHS that can eventually ruin silicon if it just so happens to be underneath it.
Not just this but, all carbon/silicon thermal paste are a lot of microscopic balls to transfer more heat, depending on the formula they heave diferent density and one will do worse than another causing a thermal bottleneck.
Great video sir. I have the iFixit tool kit also. I love it. I bought it when I started taking your soldiering class Steve. It’s helped me more time than I can count. I have the smaller tool kit it came with splougers and 2 sets of tweezers and a few other things. What I’m trying to say is I definitely recommend their tools they work and are amazing. Btw I can’t wait until we get another class or 2
So glad you're liking those tools. They are some of the best out there. Glad you've taken the courses. I'm considering adding more but just haven't had the time yet.
I bought the manta bit set like 2 months ago and i have to say that the quality is excellent, it has everything i need, i was able to remove every screw with it (besides one that was smashed with a hammer) and i also like that you can download repair guides for free.
Refurbished form retailers means "USED". I bought a "referb" crossbow from Cabella that was not just STRAIGHT UP USED, but ABUSED. Don't buy 'refurb' from ANYWHERE other than the manufacturer.
I worked at GameStop for many years and it was nearly my career. I can only speak to my store and my time there but we sent back damaged consoles to our HQ where they worked on them. They may have not been consistently great refurb jobs, but they did indeed do work on them. I've never sold a console that came in used and went back out refurb.
They should have replaced the coil you weren’t concerned about. If I am not mistaken it looks like the coil is used to filter something. Coils are heavily affected by their shells because it determines the self-inductance of a coil. You can see how a coil reacts to a damaged housing on a oscilloscope.
Love the video, I've been watching the channel for several months and always have a great time with the repairs. Other than that I think that the editon got a little weird, love the transition but the sound of it seems a little loud, on the other hand, the meme of the thermal paste won't get old so I liked that detail. (sorry for my english, seen this from Argentina)
The thermal paste application on top of old thermal paste is probably the way things are done in order to speed up the process and get them out the door. By the time any of it goes bad the system is far out of the warranty so there's less no incentive for them to do the job properly unless warranty is say 3 years.
always amazed how gross these used things get from game stop... microsoft once sent me a "new" controller full of coffee stains i called them they let me keep it and sent me a new one.
That "perfect amount of paste" trumpet sound and pitch down voice really annoys, since you started using it in your videos I was like "why?" hehe btw, I love your videos
@@Tronicsfix that or they’re in it to make a quick buck. Sadly, I don’t see GS as a company interest in anything more than making money hand over fist, even if it means their customers getting the short end of the stick. It’s been their model for years now.
Been watching for years. I love the new transitions the sounds that come with them...no so much. Hopefully they are not here to stay. Any keep up the great content!
That controller had actually been opened, if you look in the bottom left corner they peeled back the sticker 👀 it doesn't surprise me Gamestop half assed the repasting, but good to see it finally has the perfect amount
What’s the reason to buy any used consoles from GameStop when you can buy them new sealed at Best Buy Walmart Ganestop wants $400 for used consoles which is to high
Putting new compound on top of the old is extremely bad practice. They sell this thing at an almost new price but can't take the 15 minutes to clean off the old thermal paste.
You can buy a Series X for 400 bucks on OfferUp in Cleveland Ohio, that's how much I paid for mine and the price is constantly dropping on there. Ps5 on the other hand is still high. They being sold for 650$ Brand New.
It’s rather stunning how little an organization like Gamestop cares about quality and customer satisfaction. Sure, there are those who work in the stores, etc., THEY may care, but overall, the general Gamestop warehouse & refurb experience is a massive letdown and cautionary tale. If they cared more like Apple, for example, and truly refurbished products, they would be the “go to” instead of the circus act to be amused by. Their website is horrid, and one should have the option of ordering complete used games, or loose, not just “luck of the draw”. Additionally, loose and complete games should have different price points- and not just $0.99 in between. Busted cases should always be replaced with quality OEM cases of similar case color too. I understand they don’t want to fool around with duplicating Game art (copyright and licensing and all), but give a better experience. No wonder they’re in the toilet.
TronicsFix had better luck with what they sent him compared to what I got. The one they sent me had all the corners dented in like it had been dropped on every corner and it had scuff marks on every side. The controller could only be described as a Frankenstein controller that was originally the Daystrike Camo Special Edition but other than the top red camo shell every other part had been changed to something else including the LB+RB buttons which were white. The battery cover didn't even match the back of the controller and it had stick drift. The controller and console had both been opened because the label that covered the screws had holes in them. I played it for a few days before noticing it crashed in every Series X multiplayer game so I had to return it in the end a week ago. I'm stuck with a GameStop gift card again waiting for more stock.
@@leeloodog I've traded in opened consoles to GameStop before and even mentioned it to them and as long as the console works they have no problem taking it in with the warranty sticker removed. Even if it has a bad disc drive they will take it in but you will get less money for it. They get weird about the hard drives in the consoles though, for some reason they won't take in a PS4 that doesn't have the same storage that matches what the console originally came with even if it's higher than what originally came with it.
The thermal paste should always be cleaned up, at least that's what my mentor has taught me. I've been working at an electronic manufacturer for about 2 years and currently one of the top SMT operators.
Please help man my ps5 turns off only when i play ps5 games but when i play ps4 games on my ps5 it wont turn off plssss could u tell my why its like this
New subscriber here. You popped up randomly on my feed and have been binge watching your videos. I'm honestly amazed at your process of diagnosing problems and fixing them. Sir I doff my cap to you.
Why the hell does GameStop sand everything? Got a couple 360's from them a couple years ago, and both of them looked like total crap. Ended up having to skin them with 3M carbon fiber wrap so they would look better.
Have they confirmed that they sand down the consoles in the refurbishing process? I would think that they use some cleaner with acetone that "melts" the plastic and then the fibers of whatever they wipe them with shows as lines in the casing.
What I saw in breaking down one of those was the XBox logo on the chip and a Master Chief printed on the corner of the mainboard. I build and repair computers and gaming consoles. Started computers back with Fortran & Cobol in the late 1970s.
Gamestop selling refurbished Series X in the US. In Australia, cannot buy a Series X at all (unless happy to pay eBay scalpers a premium) - but heaps of Series S available. Is there still a shortage of these Series X machines in general?
That score was too generous. Snapped a coil casing, put thermal paste over the old stuff, got thermal pad chewing gum sideways. Only thing done decent was the hdmi repair.
Had another youtuber do a very good video about thermal paste. He used a sheet of clear plex/lexan and showed various amounts of thermal paste being applied and then 'clamped'. My old method was using the large "Pea" size in the middle of the CPU die. Happy to report that method yielded excellent results-full die coverage without slopping over the edges.
This is a direct to dye application not to an IHS that a CPU uses. Using pea method on a CPU with an IHS works perfect. But for direct contact to the dye you want to make sure it's fully covered perfectly
I'd be curious to see what the perfect amount of thermal paste looks like after you've tightened the heatsink down then removed it again. I'd say that the perfect amount of thermal paste should go to the edges of the die but not squeeze out the sides and spill over the edge.
There is no perfect amount of thermal paste. He made a meme out of it because every application is slightly different and the vast majority of them work just fine, even though people still argue about it for silly reasons
Far better than expected. I'd give it a B+ for the controller that could have been cleaned a little better and the lazy application of the thermal paste.
How do you get rid of the grease stains? I wasy hands multiple times a day and used wet wipes on my hands after eating snacks and still I get the oil or grease.
@@Lively_1185 I say. I am the proof. I am a robot sent from the future that TronicsFix has repaired. I can confirm that I have the perfect amount of thermal paste.
My friend bought a refurbished PS4 controller from Gamestop that actually caught on fire when he went to the bathroom. Luckily it only ruined his couch and didn't burn the whole house down. I wouldn't buy anything used from them. I just don't have any faith in their refurbishing process.
On consoles, the thermal paste hast to be spread onto the CPU. Unlike a computer you just need a pea size drop. And use good thermal paste that doesn't dry out.
Doesn't the Xbox series X come with a black controller? I am sorry if it seems I am looking for an issues; do they advertise or mention that the package includes a white controller instead of black? I may be picking on the non-issue, anyway splendid video as always. Your editing is getting better and fun, especially the text overlays. The video is crisp and condensed. Have a great weekend.
Yay, a new console video! Thanks dude, consoles are the true heart and soul of Tronicsfix. So hopefully a PlayStation console fix next week? How about a Ps3? Never seen you fixing Ps3.
ordered a “refurbished” ps4 slim from gamestop a few years back. the entire body was sanded down and it looked terrible, opened it up and it was super dusty with signs of water damage since there was rust on some of the metal backplating. it works and still works but to qualify at refurbished the bare minimum should be put in to clean it up.
They always sand there used consoles. Makes me sad why they do this. Completely devalues them and.the main reason to completely avoid used consoles from Game Stop.
I've been in the computer industry a very long time, before that I was huge into modding GPU's and overclocking them for fun. And that seemed like a huge amount of thermal paste. It's always been a small pea size. Has something changed to where you just put a giant blob?
