The PS3 yellow light of death is a pretty annoying issue- It turns your console into a paperweight. But what's the PS3 yellow light and more importantly, what are you able to do about it?

The PS3 yellow light of death indicates a general hardware failure. This failure is mainly due to the CPU or GPU being disconnected from the motherboard. However before you pick up the phone to call Sony, try the tips below

PS3 Yellow Light of Death Fixes

Turn off your console and allow it to cool for 20 minutes. Place it in a cool well ventilated area, on a tough smooth surface. Try turning it on again!

Check for any loose cables- Push then back in and try turning on your console again to see if it worked

Try taking out your PS3 hard drive and put it back in again. Be certain to obey the directions in the user's manual. You'll have to try this a number of times to work out if it works.

If none of the above give you a PS3 yellow light of death fix, then you are left with 2 options :

Either send your console to Sony, of fix the PS3 yourself.

Sending your PS3 to Sony- This is an excellent idea when your console is still under guaranty.

If you open your PS3, you may void your guaranty. If your warranty has expired, you'll be charged around $150 to get a PS3 fix. Also everyone who sends their PS3 to Sony ( weather under warranty or not ) must wait 4-6 weeks to get their PS3 returned or can be given a refurbished unit.

Fix the PS3 yourself- the cheapest and fastest option for those whose console isn't under guaranty is to get a good PS3 repair guide and fix the PS3 yellow light of death yourself. A good guide should have step by step instructions with footage and videos do that you can understand what you are doing, also it should come with some sort of support so you can request help if you get stuck. In addition it should have a refund so if the repair guide doesn't fix your PS3, you can get your money back..