Ben-DutkaOver the years, Sony has worked to make the PlayStation 3 more efficient and cheaper to both produce and purchase. And it seems like yet another step has already been made.
As reported by Engadget and confirmed by PocketNews, the system that once cost Sony over $800 to make (a loss of between $241 and $307 per sold console back in 2006), is getting another internal overhaul. PocketNews cracked open the new PS3 SKU – CECH-2100A, which hit the FCC in February – and they found a new and improved RSX graphics chip "based on smaller 40-nm processes similar to the PS3 Slim's new 45-nm Cell processor." The result? A 15% decrease in power consumption in comparison to the 120GB Slim that boasts a 65-nm RSX. This cooler chip "allows for a stealthier heat sink and power supply in addition to a smaller cooling unit," and thus, it's cheaper for Sony to produce. Of course, the question is whether or not this will lead to another price cut for consumers, but that isn't likely to happen. Sony wants to turn a profit here and if you hadn't noticed, the PS3 is selling pretty damn well at its current price point. Haven't you seen the NPD numbers recently?
But at least it means Sony's financials will look even better in the future. Right now, $299 for one of the best Blu-Ray players on the market, free online everything, the best exclusives on earth, and excellent reliability is a darn good deal.
I had my PS2 (Fat) since I was 16 I'll be 23 soon, that has never broken down on me (knock on wood.) 360's break all the time, and some first gen ps3's are out of action. Sum it all up they make them better, but they don't make em like they used to. Old man talk.
So you have one company that's making their console smaller, cheaper to make and more energy efficient while you have the other company changing their boards and chips in hopes that their console will stop breaking.
It really does baffle the mind how the green guys are still in business.
M$ have redefined the term 'early adopter'. Better give their next console a good 7 years.
…of course, they'll no longer be supporting it.
And why should they change drastically? The consumer is not punishing them in the least. It is an amazing success story when you think of the absurdity of it all.
My 120GB PS3 Slim, compared to my 60GB Launch PS3, has frozen a LOT more than my old faithful had. The only problem my 60GB had given to me before YLOD was freezing maybe two or three times the two years I had it and I've only had my Slim for about a month or two, got my slim in the last few days of March. I do like that the slim is so much quieter than the fat PS3, but do I miss my old PS3…it sucks so badly not having it, lol.
I still need to get a slim, 120GB is better than my 40GB 'always need to delete game data' PS3.
for about $70 you could spend approximately 5 minutes and upgrade your hard drive to a 320 gig. Or I think I got my 500GB on sale for $80, changing the drive is uber easy too, just make sure you have the right size screw driver and its easier than a microwave dinner.
Get a bigger hard drive. I just got a 320GB for $51 and I saw the 500GB for $69. At that price, might as well get the 640GB for $80.
Last edited by fluffer nutter on 4/26/2010 7:07:10 PM
Great news, profitability is always a good thing. It'll allow Sony to focus on its growing market in ways it may have been hesitant to do so in the past.
Reading everyone's comments, it's good to see a good reception to the Slim from owners of the older PS3 models.
I have a 250GB Slim and I enjoy the heck out of it. I finally got to compare a 60GB phat to a Slim and the Slim is so much sexier.
If they ever come out with a Super Slim PS3 I'll definitely be purchasing it. More compact, mobile and energy efficient are always a plus.
RebelJD,
Whoa there…..
My 60 phat gal is way sexier to me than any Slimmed down Jenny Craig'ed size wanna-be……
Just her packing 2 more USB orifices, and another 4 orifices through her reader cards, plus her sexy ability to shift back to her shapely Playstation teen days through her BC, just screams out in pure ecstasy that she certainly packs way more goodies between the junk in her trunk too.
Plus she's wrapped in a far more sexier shiny & sleek black silk gown, than that flat crepe paper looking house-dress Miss Slim Thang is hanging over those thin-mint innards of hers.
LMAO
Last edited by BikerSaint on 4/26/2010 8:35:01 PM
I lol'd. And this makes me miss my dead ps3 🙁
My Phat twins are both going strong, and with some TLC they will continue to do so. Perhaps I will have to get them refurbished by Sony sometime in the future, but you'll have to pry them from my hands before I'll give them up.
Highlander, I read you post twice… I didn't know Sony refurbs breasts. I will look into that.
They do and they don't. An out of warranty repair is really a re-furb. Basically, you send them your dead or dying PS3, and they send you a refurb'd unit (same model) back.
If either of my 60GB units starts to fail, I'll back it up, remove the HDD (both have 320GB drives), put in a cheap used 60GB and contact Sony. I'll get back a replacement 60GB system with 60GB drive and a 90-day warranty (I believe that they offer a 90 day warranty on the replacement units). Total cost is supposed to be in the region of about $150 for an out of warranty repair.
I would still consider contacting the Sony customer service and inquire about refurbishment options for owners of working systems. I wouldn't be surprised if they do offer a service for working units as well.
There are third parties that claim to do it too, but unless they are Sony warranted I would be careful. It's like all those tales of using a heat gun to reflow solder. It doesn't always add up.
Regarding the heat gun reflowing solder thing. If you could heat the motherboard sufficiently to re-flow the solder, you'd be heating it far beyond it's operational limits. If the Cell and/or RSX got hot enough to melt the solder sufficiently to cause it to flow the chips would be slag. So I don't know why anyone would abuse their PS3 with a heat gun, but it sounds like an astoundingly bad idea to me.
This is why I always suggest owners of PS3 phats with full BC contact Sony when their system fails. It will be cheaper than a new system and you keep all your features.
Highlander, thank you for your thoughtful response. However, re-read my post. I typed breast, not beast. And it was not a typo… 😉
Indeed. I guess I will have to suggest that you handle the breast refurb yourself. In my experience that is the best way forwards. 😉
this is all bs…
as a 'bi-gamer' i could care less about a new ps3 i don't even give a darn the ps3 slim i have a ps3 60gig bc and a 360. been playing more 360 then ps3 right now since i beat god of war 3 and heavy rain i've just ran out of games to play on my ps3.
'b.d'
currently playing
ps3 – nothing i need more games
360 – mass effect 2 (frist game i started playing since i got the system 3 weeks ago and still got 3 other games to open)
You had me confused there for a second until you mentioned that you had just got your 360 3 weeks ago…then I understood. There are so many great games out right now on the PS3, I was wondering how you ran out..but if your 360 is still new and shiny I can understand why you'd think it's better now.
Post something on here in 6 months when you're running out of 360 games to play and are setting up your second 360 due to RROD…
"since i beat god of war 3 and heavy rain i've just ran out of games to play on my ps3"
Honest question, are you a fool?
big doggie, please do not comment on an article to let us know you could care less about the article. we don't care that you don't care. Take care.
Hmm, I guess the next price cut is only a matter of time.
wow i wish they had done this earlier, because this might prevent more ylod in the future. There is a small number is slim ps3's getting the ylod.
btw is there i even a permenant fix besides infarred or soldering or reballing?
Ever since the launch of the slim, I have not heard any YLOD of the slim beside the 20GB-80GB.
The slim is pretty much very realiable and with this smaller chip it could be almost fail-proof.
All of the units are very reliable. The incidence of YLOD is actually relatively low, and doesn't indicate a completely dead unit. The yellow LED simply indicates a hardware fault, which could be easily repaired.
So is this allready in store shelves?
I will never get rid of my Launched 20gig for anything, but is my console the only one that sounds just as quiet as the new slims. I compared mine with my friends slim we were both curious cause the guy who sold him the Slim said they are way more realiable than the Launched consoles and quieter. In our comparison my beast was just as quiet as his slim but my console booted quicker than his did. But I do see a BIG difference between my friends 60GIG and my 20GIG his runs slower than mine and it seems to be a little hotter, mine doesn't even get hot and I've left it on all day and night before.
All in all whatever Sony has to do to keep down the defects % I say do it, it's the smart way to go, where as M$ ignores the fact that their console defect % is high but do nothing to fix the issue really.
less heat too.
thats one thing i wish my ps3 had, my room gets so freaking hot when its on honestly bring a turkey and will have a roast dinner!
than if i have my laptop on ill turn it over and we can use it as a BBQ!
Imagine a room with three people playing, two on old 60GB Phats and a third person playing a 40GB Phat. That's about a kilo-watt of heat being pumped out right there, and that doesn't include the TVs. It'll get warm alright…
huh, my TV puts out enough heat to warm the house for a decade!
dunno why its really weird, ive used so many different LCD TVs in hotels, friends houses, family and such and mines the only one that gets so freaking hot in the space of 20 minutes.
like the TV i got downstairs the 50 inch i can leave that on for like 10 hours and its cool as a fridge!
This is good news, Sony deserves to start making a profit and I for one will be getting a Slim not too far down the road, my way of saying, "Thank you Sony, for just being there."
My 80 gig 'gandpa' is still going strong, even though I haven't been sticking to the cleaning schedule that I started when I first got it.