Which PS3 Should I Buy?
Every PS3 model is different: some play PS2 discs, some run full CFW, some last longer and run cooler. Pick what matters to you and see the best model for it.
Choose your priorities
Every model compared
| Model | PS2 discs | Hacking | Chips (CELL / RSX) | Power | USB | Card readers | SACD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CECHA, CECHB (Fat) | Full (hardware) | CFW | 90 / 90 nm | ~200 W | 4 | CECHA only | Yes |
| CECHC, CECHE (Fat) | Partial | CFW | 90 / 90 nm | ~200 W | 4 | Yes | Yes |
| CECHG, CECHH (Fat) | No | CFW | 65 / 90 nm | ~160 W | 2 | No | No |
| CECHJ, CECHK, CECHL, CECHP (Fat) | No | CFW | 65 / 65 nm | ~140 W | 2 | No | No |
| CECHM, CECHQ (Fat) | No | CFW | 65 / 90 nm | 140–160 W | 2 | No | No |
| CECH-20xx (Slim) | No | CFW | 45 / 65 nm | ~100 W | 2 | No | No |
| CECH-21xx (Slim) | No | CFW | 45 / 40 nm | ~80 W | 2 | No | No |
| CECH-25xx (Slim) | No | CFW or HEN | 45 / 40 nm | ~80 W | 2 | No | No |
| CECH-30xx (Slim) | No | HEN | 45 / 40 nm | ~80 W | 2 | No | No |
| CECH-40xx, 42xx, 43xx (Super Slim) | No | HEN | 45 / 40 or 28 nm | ~75 W | 2 | No | No |
Power is the typical figure listed on psdevwiki, and it closely matches what the console draws while gaming: CNET measured 206 W for a launch Fat and 96 W for the first Slim, and Sony lists 76 W for a CECH-43xx Super Slim. The power supplies themselves are rated much higher. Later models suffer far less from the YLOD (yellow light of death), which mostly hits Fats with the 90 nm RSX graphics chip. Every PS3 plays PS1 discs from its own region. Every PS3 can also play PS2 Classics from the PlayStation Store, but Sony is closing the PS3 store in stages (already shut in some Latin American and Middle Eastern countries, everywhere by July 2027); games you already own stay re-downloadable. Not sure which model you have? Use the Jailbreak Checker.
Before you buy a used PS3
- Check the model number on the sticker on the back or underside. Photos of the sticker are the easiest way to be sure you’re getting the model you want.
- See it running a game for a while. A failing console often only dies once it’s warm, so a quick power-on test proves little. On Fats and early Slims a failure shows as a yellow light; the CECH-25xx and later just switch off, so watch for unexpected shutdowns.
- Ask what any repair was. Be wary of Fats sold as “reflowed”: a reflow or reball often fails again within months. An RSX swap to a later 65 or 40 nm chip, or NEC/TOKIN capacitor replacement by a known repairer, is a much better sign.
- Test the disc drive with a dual-layer PS3 game (like Uncharted, The Last of Us or MGS4), a DVD and, if you can, a Blu-ray film. Dual-layer discs fail first as the laser wears. On Fats and the CECH-20xx/21xx the drive is paired to the motherboard, so a dead drive is harder to replace.
- Listen to the fan. A roaring fan at idle often means dried-out thermal paste or a clogged heatsink. Fixable, but worth knowing. On a hacked Fat it may just be a raised fan setting in webMAN MOD, which actually helps protect the chips.
- Check the controller is genuine with the fake DualShock 3 checklist. Many bundles include clones.
- Planning to hack it? Any firmware up to 4.93 (the latest, March 2026) can be hacked, so you don’t need a console on old firmware. If Sony ever releases a newer update, don’t install it until the hacking tools confirm support. Check the exact model with the Jailbreak Checker, then follow the Setup Wizard.
Information checked 26 October 2026. Sources: psdevwiki SKU Models, Wikipedia: PlayStation 3 models, ConsoleMods (including its Buying Guide), PlayStation ecodesign figures.