As part of the usual improvements throughout the console life cycle, Sony has updated the design of its PS3 Slim.
The major change this time wasn't a new feature or a new form factor, but rather a die shrink for its Nvidia-designed RSX GPU. The chip has shrunk from 65nm to 40nm, resulting in a reduction in both weight, heat, and power consumption.
A teardown narrated by Japanese site PocketNews examines the power requirements and updated (and simplified) designs for the cooling system. Compared to the original launch console, the new 40nm RSX-packing model CECH-2100A has a heatsink and fan that weighs nearly half of that from the first PlayStation 3 design.
Perhaps equally remarkable is that the new model's cooler weighs significantly less than even the PS3 Slim model unveiled last fall. The latest simpler cooling hardware weighs 408g, while the PS3 Slim's one that launched last year weighs 545g.
Expectedly, the die shrink has reduced power consumption by around 15 percent – an improvement in all powered-states. When powered off, the console still draws 9W.
Check out PocketNews for all the pictures and translated details.
