Ok I have a broken PS2 , it stopped reading any type of discs I have tried all lens cleaning methods with no fix -=[
So I have no turned to the suggestion of buying a new laser from ebay or somewhere and installing it.
My question in this thread is to find out what laser your ps2 has in it so you know what type/brand/model laser to buy to replace.
Also if anyone knows of any good tutorials or threads that go over how to replace the ps2's laser (both fat and slim versions) would be GREATLY appreciated.
Thanks a bunch in advance , love the afterdawn community!!
actually i have a flip top and the sticker is there.you can also check by turning on the ps2,nothing in the tray.at the screen click triangle and it should show you.
Ok cool thank you , will check with the turn on and hit triangle button method to find out what version it is and go from there. W/ my case I bought the whole 3rd party case not just the top so I don't have the bottom that has the OEM info -=[
You can't just go by the model, as I've seen SCPH-39001 model PS2's have different lasers. There probably is a way to go by serial number, but by far the easiest way is to just open up your PS2 and physically look. You'll have to do that anyway to replace the laser - so no extra work involved.
400B and 400C lasers are interchangeable, with 400C lasers being the better of the two.
The other common types are HD-7 and 400-R? I believe some are interchangeable, but you'd have to double check me.
It IS possible to switch your motherboard to use a different laser using the homebrew program Lenschanger, but I'd recommend against going that route if you can.
However, lasers are expensive. What I did with one machine is install a modchip, hard drive, and network adapter. Aside from playing PS1 games and some PS2 games, I have complete functionality of the machine, and can do everything over the network via FTP.
Where were the laser model # or type be on the actual laser. Would I need to take apart the actual drive and somehow look underneath it , like where would the model# be located in retrospect of looking down at the PS2 from above. I found some lasers on EBAY that aren't to expensive. Would be cheaper than the whole modchip/hdd setup as I cannot solder well at all and Ps2 chips look like they all have tons of solder points. Is there any non-modchip hard drive option out there that is compatible with most PS2 backups...last I looked like 2 years ago they had alot of compatibility issues. Also how much would that type of setup go for? Its an older fat style ps2....
There's usually a sticker or some lettering on the laser itself. If you have a fat PS2, just take off the top part of the case, the top part of the DVD drive, and look. Very easy.
Replacing the laser can be a little difficult, but not terribly so if you're good with your hands on small stuff.
There are some non-modchip paths you can take, HD Advance being the one that comes to mind. However, if you already have a network adapter and a hard drive, you could probably get your system modded by a pro for less than the cost of a new laser. That would be the best option IMO.
However, as someone who does modding and has worked with PS2's, I'm a little biased.
