Introduction:
The new revised version of the Sony PS3, Sony PS3 Slim is available
from 1 September for a price of 299 euros. As its name suggests what
differentiates the two versions of the console ? Sony PS3 Slim poster
size is reduced by about 30% compared to that of its predecessor to
achieve dimensions of 29 x 6.5 x 29 cm and weighing him down from 36%
to no longer acknowledge that 3.1 kg on the scales. The makeover of the
PS3 seems successful.
Slim PlayStation 3 has thought of a revision of the main components,
production technology now built with more refined. In particular, the
Cell processor is now built with 45-nanometer manufacturing technology.
Sony is studying for a long time this kind of evolution which allows
greater efficiency, more comfort in the cooling system and lower
production costs. This is the third upgrade production technology in
the Cell processor, originally built at 90 nanometers and then to 65
nanometers.
There are, however, updates regarding RSX, the GPU of PlayStation 3.
For compatibility reasons, in fact, Nvidia has not planned revisions
for Rsx. The rival of Sony, Microsoft, use the latest revision of the
Xbox 360, known by the codename Jasper, CPU and GPU both made with
65-nanometer manufacturing process.
Sony has introduced the new PlayStation 3 Slim Transmitter is fully
compatible with a 1.3 in the specifications to ensure the transmission
of the tracks HD bitstream Dolby TrueHD, DTS HD Master Audio up to 7.1
channels with no need conversion to PCM
Design:
On the bundle unfortunately you will not found HDMI cable ,truly a
shame to not have an HDMI cable. A roof for a HD console even though
many players still play in SD. In contrast to the old black lacquered
PS3 this PS3 Slim offers a more matte looks. This new look is
surprising, discreet, lightweight.
The new PS3 logo is inlaid on the hull and the little logo PlayStation
is holographic reflections giving a certain elegance to the product.
New LEDs are emerging gradually extinguished during shutdown of the
console. The tactile buttons have disappeared in favor of shiny buttons
and solid. I found no power switch , requiring removing the power cord
to turn off the console completely.
Compared to my PS3 60GB, PS3 Slim seems clearly less robust . However,
I have not detected any cracks or other synonyms of cheap plastic.
Although the size of the PS3 Slim is reduced it is mainly the
difference in weight with the Fat PS3 surprises most.
Power consumption :
At the consequent reduction of volume, Sony PS3 Slim adds the advantage
of reduced power consumption also true of 34% as promised by Sony. This
is largely due to the new 45nm integrated processor which replaces the
old 65nm by being more effective .PS3 Slim is the quietest 2 to 3 dB in
games, and more than 10 dB in Blu-ray. But it is the consumption of the
machine that has been greatly reduced thanks mainly to the use of a
Cell processor 45nm instead of 90nm for the older revisions. The
console consumes an average of 100 watts with 75 watts and games in
Blu-ray, while the old PS3 between 170 and 200 watts depending on the
case, and all this requires less cooling affects simultaneously
pleasantly on the noise produced by the console.
It also appears that all 2.5 inch hard drives are now supported by the
console, even the latest models of large capacity (500 GB, 750 GB and 1
TB) of 125 mm in height. To recall, the older models only supported
conventional hard disks of 95 mm in height. Support for HD audio formats in bitstream has been successfully tested
on an amplifier Denon AVR-590. The only weak point on the loading time
of Blu-ray on the PS3 Slim, slightly longer (2 to 10 seconds depending
on the disc) on the old PS3.
Ps3 and ps3 slim Comparison :
First the external comparison: already at first glance it is clear the
smaller footprint of the new born at home Sony, in a particular way
with regard to the thickness.
The new PlayStation 3 Slim has a depth of 30 centimeters while the
previous model was one centimeter less deep. PlayStation 3 also loses
its glossy surface and reflective of the first model in fact, the
surface is rough right now. The features are also a lot of rough edges
while the previous model had more rounded shapes. There also seems
slightly more difficult to insert the USB devices due to the
arrangement of doors less congenial than in the previous model. If the
Slim model is significantly easier to carry and less bulky, it seems
less aesthetically beautiful, as this type of account is mostly
personal.
Side of the connections the new PlayStation 3 Slim has, like the big
sister of an RJ-45, an HDMI port and an optical connector for digital
audio, a door multiout and the power connector (a three poles in the
original PlayStation, two poles in the PS3 slim).
The number of USB ports from four to two, still located at the front.
Slim PlayStation 3 but loses the card reader: It is not supported any
format, even the solutions of the house Sony MemoryStick.
Under the body :
Inside the body the arrangement of internal components is quite
different. The old model seen on three different levels, from top to
bottom, the side optical drive power supply, heat sink, then the
motherboard. Inside PS3 Slim power supply, optical drive and sink are
all places at the same level and below them is placed the logic board.
Very different are the units of power used for the two consoles, PS3
slim uses a power that grows in length and is located along the back of
the console, while the original model of PlayStation 3 uses a
completely different unit with dimensions inside the chassis, has a
place in more centralized location. Also different optical drives
slightly shorter and less in thickness PS3 Slim.
Completely redesign the system dissipation that used in the new console
is thicker and uses a lower fan diameter. Instead we have a sink in the
old console less often, but covers a larger area and has a bigger fan.
In both cases the sink is based on heatpipe technology used and works
to cool the Cell Broadband Engine processor and the RSX
Quite different for the logic board. first the imprint of the card used
for the PS3 Slim is lower than that of the original console and shaped
differently. Also a different arrangement of components on the card and
the new PS3 Slim for certain elements, such as the SATA connector and
the two front USB ports are placed level with the logic board, while in
the previous model to a dedicated SATA controller was Cxd2973gb big
chip, placed in the right side of the motherboard.
There is no dedicated chip for backward compatibility via hardware with
PlayStation 2 games. But this chip was already removed in the first
PlayStation 3 model sold in Europe. It is present only in the very
early models of the PS3 for the North American and Japanese markets.
Conclusion :
I left the console running for 5 hours in performing different tasks
successive update the Firmware (3.00) navigation on the PlayStation
Store some parts of different games to finish by watching a Blu-ray. It
would seem that the PS3 Slim is slower than its predecessor. I can
hardly understand the importance of calculating the time in
milliseconds needed to start a game or movie, especially since I have
noticed no difference in operation with my old Fat PS3, aside from the
Blu -ray that makes more noise when inserting and ejecting. Note that
the embedded hard drive is 120 GB (replaceable without losing the
warranty).
PROS:
- Design and looks
- Price
- Storage
- Connectivity
CONS:
- No backward compatible
- No Linux OS
