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New PS3 Boasts Smaller, Cooler RSX Graphics Chip

Over 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.

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Kain81
Kain81
14 years ago

http://twitter.com/Psplife

RUMOR
Psplife said on Twitter

I know we don't deal with PS3 news but I've heard that a 32nm Cell will be ready this year. So PS3 "SUPER SLIM" could be out this year.

Kain81
Kain81
14 years ago

PS3 Slim 2

here is an other link with rumors about a
PS3 Super Slim
http://www.n4g.com/ps3/News-500664.aspx


Last edited by Kain81 on 4/26/2010 1:10:04 PM

NoSmokingBandit
NoSmokingBandit
14 years ago

I dont think its time for a new hardware design quite yet. The slim has barely been on the market. Following tradition there should only be one case redesign over the live of the ps3.

Everyone should be happy about a 32nm Cell, but i doubt they'll want to spend tons on R&D to make another ps3 slim quite yet.

shadowpal2
shadowpal2
14 years ago

Yea…having a new hardware design is a bit too much right now considering the PS3 Slim just came out…what…November of last year? – I mean too much.

Sony better not do a whole Apple thing with the PS3…I realize that Sony are already doing that with the PSP…when the PSP 2000 came out the year before the PSP 3000 which came out the year before the PSP GO came out. And now what…PSP 2?!?!?

Well I really can't blame Sony – they've lost money due to the previously high price of the PS3 and the recession last year. But now with the $299 PS3 being advertised by the genius Kevin Butler, and Sony mass-marketing the hell out of the PSP by just creating new versions with little add-ons…they should climb back up steadily.

Gran Turismo 5 should help and not to mention: Killzone 3, Resistance 3 (they should still go with it), Uncharted 3 (WHY THE **** NOT?!), and so on…

So I can't blame them…besides being an innovator…they are also a business.


Last edited by shadowpal2 on 4/26/2010 8:02:34 PM

Dancemachine55
Dancemachine55
14 years ago

Keep the exterior design, but update the interior motherboard with all the new cheaper and cooler chips.

Smaller price, runs cooler and no confusion over model types since they all look the same.

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

There'll be no superslim model this year. This will let Sony continue to drive the cost of the unit down and start turning a profit. I would bet that on the 2nd anniversary of the original slim, a new slim will appear, but a complete redesign right now would be costly – unless of course they already did the work.

Still I would bet against a new slimmer model until Autumn 2011. That will be 5 years after the original launch. When the Cell drops to 32nm and the RSX joins it at that level of geometry, I think you'll see a final shrink of the PS3 case to a super slim size. Based on the usual time taken to shrink it should be 2011 when that happens. After that the next step is logically a PS4.

Taha1
Taha1
14 years ago

Ben, your wrong about the PS3 being one of the best Blu-ray players on the market.
it was a couple of years back but not any more.
but for me it is. I can't (really) tell the difference between a top-end Blu-ray player and the PS3. Plus the PS3 has easy FW updates and 3d coming and of course it's a PS3! So I guess you could say it's one of (if not) the best based on that 😛


Last edited by Taha1 on 4/26/2010 12:35:14 PM

Ben Dutka PSXE
Ben Dutka PSXE
14 years ago

I'm not wrong. They just recently conducted extremely technical and detailed testing with all the top Blu-Ray players on the market, and the PS3 routinely out-performed most all of them.

Taha1
Taha1
14 years ago

then i'll admit i'm wrong.
sorry :$
btw do you know where i can find the survey, or is it not online.
not that i don't believe you, i just think it would be a good read:P

Alienange
Alienange
14 years ago

Not to mention that saying "your wrong about the PS3 being one of the best Blu-ray players on the market" then saying "but for me it is" has got to be one of the worst friggin' arguments ever.

iwillbetheone
iwillbetheone
14 years ago

The following news story suggests that PS3 will only be able to play 3D games, not 3D bluray movies.
http://www.thinkdigit.com/Gaming/Mandatory-firmware-update-to-bring-3D-gaming_4485.html

LimitedVertigo
LimitedVertigo
14 years ago

Taha1 is the offspring of Noname and that "end of line" douchebag.

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

@iwillbetheone

PS3 will play BluRay in 3D, it's not in the most recent update though.

When PS3 plays 3D BluRay it has to do something that HDMI 1.3 wasn't designed to do. the data rate for 3D in 1080p is too high for the 1.3 interface. Because of this the PS3 will actually display 3D BluRay at a lower resolution. I can't remember precisely what resolution it will be, it was said to be 540p. If you look at all the 3d capable BluRay players and TVs they use HDMI 1.4. Sony can't exactly update all PS3s to HDMI 1.4 via firmware, so they have to come up with a compromise for the PS3 – lower resolution in 3D over HDMI 1.3.

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago
RadioHeader
RadioHeader
14 years ago

I like the Slim, I like the reduction in size, noise and power consumption but I prefer the shiney finish on the Phat. If they make a Slim'n'Shiney Ima be all over it.

Darth Koth
Darth Koth
14 years ago

@ Taha1

well that was a pointless post, first ben is wrong then you give reasons as to why its one of the best and do a U-turn, crazy.

it will always be one of the best, just because others have caught up and now have upgrade-able FW doesn't make the PS3 any less of a BD player than it was before, it would be like saying just cos Im married other women are no longer attractive

Beamboom
Beamboom
14 years ago

I think it's your post that lack sense. What once was "the best" can easily fall down on the ranking as time goes by. Not only *can* it happen, it's more or less the rule.
It's highly likely that new high-end blu-ray players are better, much better, than a few years ago.

Or, to prove my point beyond the very obvious: Once upon a time the Intel 386 processor were able to give the best gaming performances possible. The 386 is no longer one of the best.


Last edited by Beamboom on 4/26/2010 1:27:23 PM

LegendaryWolfeh
LegendaryWolfeh
14 years ago

He never said it couldn't be over-thrown in being the best, jeez, people need read before replying saying people are wrong. He said that even though others are now catching up to and becoming more like it, it still is superior, but we don't know how long that will last.

erislocker
erislocker
14 years ago

As a launch model purchaser-sent into Sony for repair of YLOD – refurbished (phat) unit receiver, I'd say, what the hell man?!

i paid $600 and mine is fairly unreliable. i don't think it's justified that i have to buy a new one.

so i will disagree with the reliability point. We, launch model(ers) should count, and I'm sure I'm not the only one that cringes whenever the damn fan goes on SUPER loud…

kraygen
kraygen
14 years ago

wow really? so because you happen to be one of the approximately 10-20% failure rate you claim the ps3's are unreliable?

Sorry but that seems a bit harsh. 360's have over a 50% failure rating, 10-20% for over 30 million units seems pretty reliable to me.

erislocker
erislocker
14 years ago

well, clearly I'm upset about it due to the fact that I'm within the 10%…

however! after receiving a new (refurbished) model (and paying $150) the fan still goes on mega loud (ps3 is placed vertically for optimal cooling) scaring the bejeezus out of me…
yay for backups, but yea. if you count all the people with launch models, and include their failure rate, i think it's fair to say that the ps3 may be super reliable now, but at the beginning it kind of screwed all the bandwagon hoppers since their launch model didn't last more than 2 yrs (and that with a 1 yr warranty, and a 3 month warranty after getting back a refurbished model…).

yes, I'd say it's at the very least, not as reliable, as you claim it to be…

oh and, 10% of 30 million is still 3 million people…
that means, 3 million units have died and become part of the unreliable %…
one should not compare to the worst, but the best. anybody know statistics of computers?


Last edited by erislocker on 4/26/2010 1:29:33 PM

FullmetalX10
FullmetalX10
14 years ago

Mine's still rollin' like a round thing from a hill which rolls fast. yeah. Meaning, it's still up and running like when I bought it.
Hope it doesn't fail on me anytime soon, make that anytime ever. It won't, I have faith in my loved ones.

johnld
johnld
14 years ago

my launch unit ps3 has failed on me and the refurbished one does have a loud fan. I still think its the more reliable console i owned. Maybe because it was all of the games i was playing that practically kept my ps3 on the entire day at times but unless you actually try to prevent things from happening then your console will fail. right now, i try to keep my ps3 free from obstructions for about a foot all around and not what it says on the manual.

Rings0fUranus
Rings0fUranus
14 years ago

definitely buying a slim, just to have one. maybe two, cuz they're so pretty.

but i have a question, can i just put my 500GB hard drive that i have in the fat into the slim with no problem? meaning, i wont have to reformat, or have to re-download all my PSN games, or lose all my saved games? that makes me nervy.

BikerSaint
BikerSaint
14 years ago

erislocker,
One thing you need to do from now on just to keep from having another YLOD's in the future, is to sit your PS3 horizontally, & never sit it up Vertically.

The main reason????
If your PS3 overheats, it can melt the solder causing it to run down the motherboard and short out everything else it touches on the way down too.

FYI, If you want more air around it, just do like I did with my old phat 60gigger.

I have it sitting flat above my top shelf & put 4 small blocks under it's feet which raised it 4 inches off off the shelf top.
So now, it not only gets 360 degrees of air all around it, it also has an extra source of air circulating underneath it too.

BTW, DON'T use canned air to clean the vents, because you're just blowing all that same dust "INTO" the PS3.
Instead, use a vacuum with the brush attachment to suck the dust "OUT & AWAY" from the vents.
I also do my vent cleaning routine every 2 weeks, whether I used my console a lot, or not.

And I've only had 1 PS3 start to go bad on me(disc drive began screeching & GS replaced it).

So I believe it's because my extra due diligence above, that I've never had any YLOD overheating problem that so many other older phat PS3 owner have had.
(And I'm also knocking on wood for any added luck on keeping it that way too) LOL


Last edited by BikerSaint on 4/26/2010 6:09:03 PM

jaynet333
jaynet333
14 years ago

@erislocker
Not sure why so many thumbs down, just because you are less than thrilled about your 60GB bricking on you. Mine did the same, but I just got a small amount of $$$ for it anyway and applied to a new slim. Overall, I do like the slim better, but I miss the b/c.

@SquishySoftness
You cannot move a hard drive from one PS3 to another and use the data that is on it. There is some kind of unique ID on the PS3 that is stored on the HD from when it is formatted, perhaps as part of the encryption. If this does not match, the first thing the PS3 will want to do is format the hard drive. You will want to do a backup and/or copy the data from one PS3 to another if they are on the same network (don't know much about that 2nd method, as I have never tried it).

kraygen
kraygen
14 years ago

@ erislocker

well when comparing to computers thats a bit tough due to the fact that it varies from computer to computer and even from the different parts inside each computer.

However overall, computers don't last very long, something always goes wrong and usually they last no more than 3-5 years. A lot of times that during even that length something has had to be replaced.

In the end we're just talking about that word reliable, how reliable is the ps3? Well its more reliable than most consoles, but sadly that still means that some die. I am sorry that one of them was yours, but most likely if you ever get a new one, you won't have a repeat offense.

Rings0fUranus
Rings0fUranus
14 years ago

ah ok, thanks jaynet. i have a 500 GB external i can copy everything to, but damn why do they gotta make it harder than it needs to be?

erislocker
erislocker
14 years ago

so, after posting the comments above, guess what…
my refurbished unit that was received last july for fixing the YLOD crapped on my yesterday…
yesterday!! just as i had my HD in my hand to backup the data…
fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu……
so yea. i read somewhere it was 1 in a 100..
"don't think so, tim.jpg"

@ bikersaint,
man i wish i had read your post on monday or maybe even months ago…
i really thought that vertically was a better option. I guess not. what's scary is that the only backup i was able to get (since i missed a bigger HD) was manually saving all the save games in the folder. i can only hope that it will be enough if i'd go back. however, i feel so damn cheated by sony (2 consoles bricked) that i do not wish to give them any more money. (And that comes from a HUGE Sony supporter).

@ kraygen,

i've had computers longer than 5 yrs (at least i think so) and mostly the problem was software, never really hardware too much. but i see your point in comparing it.

@ jaynet,
i'd go for the slim. yes, lack of b/c sucks, but what bothers me mostly is the lack of a card reader. i bought the ps3 as an entertainment system. not just a console…
if all i wanted was games, i would've gone with the xbox and get RROD…

@ everybody thumbing me down:
I think we consumers have accepted a shitty standard. i think 10% is ridiculously high. the RROD is even worse. consumers shouldn't get cheated by mediocre product. i read somewhere once that since the 50s the quality of products went significantly lower so that consumers keep consuming and spending money.
remember that saying, "they don't make 'em how they used to.."?
i think it's very valid. even though we, consumers, have the purchasing power, we still accepted in an apathetic way a sub-par quality standard for electronics…
i will try to re-flow the bastard and hope it works. if it doesn't i will follow bikersaint's suggestion and keep it horizontal.


Last edited by erislocker on 4/28/2010 1:26:43 PM

erislocker
erislocker
14 years ago

last post hehe
i followed gilsky's video on youtube and fixed my YLOD…
nice!
(still hate sony for screwing me over twice…)

kraygen
kraygen
14 years ago

I would be glad to see sony finally turning some serious profit off their machine. They deserve it, for giving us this uber awesome piece of wonderfulness.

I just wish that the xbots would stop telling me, "Well I don't want a blu-ray player, I just want a gaming console."

Yeah and if someone trys to sell me a porsche for the price of a ford taurus I'm gonna say no, stupid porshe has too many options, I just want a car.

fluffer nutter
fluffer nutter
14 years ago

The model number is actually CECH-2101A and the 250GB model is CECH-2101B. They hit the North American stores back during the first week of March. Amazon (dot) com has the new 120GB PS3.

I think they shouldn't reduce the size of the cooling components so that the system has even better cooling and less of a chance to overheat and ultimately, fail.

Zorigo
Zorigo
14 years ago

they haven't decreased size of cooling components, they've decreased the amount of heat that gets made, so they're not amking it get hotter, they've made it cooler aswell as lets power consumption. so they dont need such a big cooling unit.

fluffer nutter
fluffer nutter
14 years ago

Quote:
"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."

So yes, they have decreased the size. They should leave those parts the way they are so that cooling is increased.

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

Fluffer,

Even though they can reduce the heat sink/fan size because of the lower thermal output of the chips, they have a much larger margin to play with. With the original chipset the cooling system was as big and effective as it could be. It's designed to be more than adequate for the PS3 operating within it's operating envelope (which includes a wide range of ambient temperatures). With the new cooler chips, even a smaller heat sink and fan will have a much easier time keeping things cool. I'd bet that the cooling solution for the new chips is over engineered to a point to make sure things stay nice and cool and reliable – just as Sony has tried to do with each revision.

Zorigo
Zorigo
14 years ago

Sony need to make a profit, so whild id like a price cut, as im thinking of possibly witchin my ps3, possibly not, i dont mind no price cut.

maxpontiac
maxpontiac
14 years ago

Well, my PS3 60Gig is being traded today for one of these..

BikerSaint
BikerSaint
14 years ago

Maxpontiac,
I'd never trade my 60 gigger "Which does almost everything" for a slim that have 2 less USB ports, no card readers, and no BC.

I'd just keep the phat 60 & go buy a slim as your energy saver & use the phat 60 as your backup.

But if you must, then sell it outright because it's the Creme De La Creme of consoles, and it will get you a much bigger & better price for it.

I'm just saying…..

MyWorstNightmar
MyWorstNightmar
14 years ago

Max, noooooo! Don't do it! You don't want to live with regrets do you?

kraygen
kraygen
14 years ago

I concur with the others, phat is way to valuable to trade to some money grubbing corporation that will give you a uber tiny percentage of its actual worth.

Save for a new one, use the slim for your blu ray player and your phat for your gaming, or vice versa. In the end surely you wouldn't be disappointed in having 2 ps3's. I know I wouldn't.

maxpontiac
maxpontiac
14 years ago

I hear you guys. The console is my launch system, kids use it now.

It's out of warranty (been nearly 100% flawless), and I can get about 200 bucks from gamestop.

It's claim to fame is PS2 games for us, and we don't have anymore of those.

It's time for me.

JackC8
JackC8
14 years ago

I'm hoping to pick up a slim later this year, so all technological improvements are certainly appreciated 🙂

Personally I don't think a price cut is warranted right now. After paying $400 for my fatty, I think $300 for something with 50% more HD space is a darned good deal. And it's quite important for Sony to make some money on these things obviously 🙂

FullmetalX10
FullmetalX10
14 years ago

I hope they finally get some profit out of this awesome machine they brought us, Sony deserves it.

Beamboom
Beamboom
14 years ago

Agreed, and anything that prolongs the life span of this generation console is a Good Thing in itself.

Qwarktast1c
Qwarktast1c
14 years ago

well now i have something to be happy about since i'm now in the market for a new ps3

frylock25
frylock25
14 years ago

i really love my fat ps3. it would be nice to get a hold of one of ths slims if only just to save on my electric bill. having 2 ps3's in the house really jacks up our bill. eh whatever.

id like a slim also because my new sony reciever syncs with slim ps3s. i cant see me giving up my fat ps3 though.

fluffer nutter
fluffer nutter
14 years ago

I know what you mean. I had three fat PS3's running in the house for a while. lol

kraygen
kraygen
14 years ago

I'd gladly pay the electric bill if only I could afford to get the ps3's. If I had the money, I'd probably have 4-6 of them. Then if I have company we can all play solo games if we want, or play multiplayer by linking them together. Have some just for movies, aah so many things I could do, but I should stop now.

godsman
godsman
14 years ago

The hard drive itself is worth the money already. I'm pretty sure i'll buy multiple PS3 in it's life cycle.

LimitedVertigo
LimitedVertigo
14 years ago

It makes sense, I own two currently. The PS3's media capabilities alone make it worthy of multiple purchases. Being able to stream my entire Movie/TV/Music collection in multiple rooms without cables brings me to tears.