Lighter, more efficient PS3s' are on the way.

the undertaker gonzo | April 25, 2008 | Industry News | Playstation 3 Company Misc

So the rumours of of an official Slim or Lite PS3 are still unknown. But there is lighter and more efficient PS3 coming. In this edition the heat will sink in different parts. The graphics card and CPU will be cooled by different heat sinks, which differs from the original versions only having one big heat sink. This results in the heat sink weighing 350g, whereas the two previous PS3 versions weighed 700g and 500g.

Those rumours of a Slim and Lite PS3 may still be unfounded, but lighter and more efficient PS3s are in the making - thanks to "third generation" heat sinks.

Japanese company Furukawa Electric Co recently showcased a new heat sink for the PS3, said to be far lighter, smaller and cheaper than the previous two "generations" of PS3 heat sink.

We won't bore you with specifics because, by and large, heat sinks are about as exciting as snail races. But the graphics chip and CPU in the so-called "third generation" consoles will be cooled by smaller, separate heat sinks, rather than one large one, and weigh a total of 350g, compared with 700g and 500g for the first and second iterations.

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The new heat sinks are, according to this, in development now, meaning we should have lighter, more efficient PS3s within months, and you won't need a forklift to lug your new console home from the shops.

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0 thumbs!
Final Blade | April 25, 2008

_{That is good i guess.}
0 thumbs!
Storm | April 25, 2008

Good god...are they going to do this every year? Not just Sony, I mean Microsoft and possibly Nintendo. It's always a more 'efficient' version, makes me wonder why I got the consoles when I did. :S

A slim PS3 I have no problem with, but something tells me that next year, another more efficient version will be distributed. These home consoles certainly are turning into PCs.
1 thumbs!
streetcarp81 | April 25, 2008

you said it perfectly storm. they are def turning into PCs. every 5 or 6months an improvement comes along, but it seems like its just another way to pull more dollars from ones pocket without actually improving anything. Hell my PS3 works fine. i leave it on all the time. The one in my office at work was on once for 4days and when i came back in it was cool to the touch.
2 thumbs!
iLLmatic | April 25, 2008

Why are you guys talking like this is something new? Thats how technology works. It comes with the territory. PCs? This has nothing at all to do with PCs, it has to do with the architecture, which again, is just a part of the technology. Of course your PS3 works fine, streetcarp, but that doesn't mean it can't be improved. What, you guys think this is some quick money making scheme? Did the old Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo not go through their own changes? Your complaints have no foundation at all.
1 thumbs!
Storm | April 25, 2008

I don't recall the SNES going through changes...the Genesis maybe. Nintendo usually updates their handhelds, not their home consoles, that's for sure.

It's happening quite often, it's not new and all (it's to be expected with updating technology everyday) but eh, makes me feel like my consoles are too outdated is all. It's good as they can get cheaper parts and overall a more efficient and reasonable priced console for us, but then I think I should have waited before these changes. Not like it matters, as it would be updated again...don't mind me, just ranting. :S
2 thumbs!
iLLmatic | April 25, 2008

The SNES went through the same thing, as all other do. We're in a technology age where these things are made public now, but companies are always looking for more efficient, cost friendly products for the history of their existence.

A word of advice, when you buy ANYTHING technology related, you have to suppress any feelings you may have about your new toy being outdated. Technology has already advanced in the time it took me to complete this post. Its just the way of things and you have to accept it and be happy with your purchase.
- 1 thumbs!
  Storm | April 25, 2008
  
  You're right, iLLmatic. Technology is updating everyday, and it's not like it's a requirement to get the 'new' consoles to play the newer games, etc..
  
  Gah, I'm overreacting.
0 thumbs!
AznLiquid | April 26, 2008

I knew holding out on buying a PS3 would've ended up being the smart choice. Good to hear.
- 2 thumbs!
  VeGiTAX2 | April 26, 2008
  
  If getting hardware BC sliced out of your system and having a cheaper production system on hand is your idea of a smart choice then please never be a product buyer for me. It was better knowing they were taking it on the chin to give you hardware instead of cutting corners to make it cheaper on their end.
  
  They wont bore with details? what a worthless statement. There are pleanty of people in the market that would like to know what exactly the new sink is made of and what changed between the previous versions be it material compounds, heatpipe usage, if the're using TEC or whatnot. Yeah dropping weight is great but they need to elaborate or even show whats being sliced out of things.
  
  I might applaud moving from a copper to quality aluminum heat sink if they did the transition right, but I wouldn't applaud them using a cheaper grade aluminum and slicing out key parts of the aluminum design to make it more cost efficient. The focus is making it better for the consumer not their quarterly budget.
  - 0 thumbs!
    Seproth | April 26, 2008
    
    Good point with BC.
    
    The rest really has no basis though... You're whole point comes from the assumption that they're cutting parts. Rather than using more effective ones.
    
    I've never seen consoles get worse as they progressed. In fact, most of them get better, smaller, and cheaper.
0 thumbs!
Oceanic Sun | April 26, 2008

Playstation 2 has done this, as has the Nintendo DS. I personally don't think that the size of the current PS3 is too large, to be honest.
0 thumbs!
StarJet | April 26, 2008

All I can say is "People who bought the first PS3 ain't gonna be very happy if this version gets any new features".