New 80GB PS3 provides minimal power savings, might have 65nm RSX GPU
By Darren Murph 
posted August 23rd 2008 10:40PM
posted August 23rd 2008 10:40PM
Last we heard, it was still up in the air somewhat as to whether upcoming PlayStation 3 consoles would house the elusive 65-nanometer RSX graphics processor. According to a curious buyer of Sony's newest 80GB unit, there is a smidgen of data that hints at a 65nm chip actually being under the hood. By using the oh-so-scientific Kill-A-Watt, he discovered that his older 40GB PS3 sucked down 125.8-watts when idle, while the fresh 80GB edition ate up just 111.9-watts. The findings were similar when looking at power draw during DVD playback and while spinning Metal Gear Solid 4. Unfortunately, this mighty fine fellow is planning to return the new unit after being disappointed by the minimal energy savings, so he's not apt to rip the thing open and prove once and for all what kind of GPU is in there. Meanwhile, we heartily suggest that someone do just that and put this question to bed.[Thanks, Khattab]
@ bryan
so when they made led and they said it would consume less power did that mean it would give out less light??
Well obviously no.
by the way. How can you be on engadget and not know this. These are basics!!
That's sad!!
Maybe you should use Google instead of making a fool out of yourself!
Here for the very good ps3 updates........... smart one.
You are on engadget for the PS3 updates...(¿?)
What are Universal Serial Bus ports for?
You do have a PS3,You did manage to deal with an ISP and get online,then you find engadget & try to engage in combat with someone regarding a surreal fact YOU suggested ( BANG! news:sudden -25% graphical "power") and you can't even figure out why the PS3 has USB ports?
Man,I'm just a reader,but i had to response Just for You,my Boy.
I hope you're just a very young kid,in which case,I do apologize.
More than 12,and you are a true Moron with a capital M.
I don't mind if I get banned,It's worth it.
You make the world a worse place.
what were the usb ports on the ps3 for?
bragging rights.
Only 111 watts now during idle? That's pretty good. And saving 20 watts while playing a game is nothing to complain about. Thats decent progress. The 40gig PS3 already runs whisper quiet so obviously this one will be just as good or better.
Btw I made a mistake. Your name is Brayan and I wrote Bryan. So sorry for than!!
And I'm glad you understood.
If you are right on the graphics still being the same, then I'm just going to have to buy that one and sell 80gb i have. No need ps2 bc when i berly play any ps2 games anyways. with the awsome ps3 games are i play any ps2 games every 1 or 2 months or so.
need same graphic to go with 50", and my all black collection.
Here is a puzzle! There are two factors;
1) The education system.
2) You.
One failed the other, the puzzle is working out which.
huh? you did what?
someone retype what Brayan was trying to tell us!!
"I've got caffeine. SUPER EXTRA CAFFEINE. -and FIVE KINDS OF SUGAR...."
one HUGE step closer to energy independence
I wonder if the new ps3s will have playstation 2 compatibility. So i can sell my 40 gb ps3 cuz I wana play me some damn ps2 games got damn it!!
Well...looks like EVERYONE is going Green!
Mega Math,
looks like you were wrong, abuzar baloach says that graphics will degrease.
@ Brayan's stupidness.
ok. You obviously know nothing. When they say that they will make the cou smaller it doesn't mean they are making it less powerfull and use less electricity.
Because if they want to save electricity they could just lower the voltage.
By making the cpu or gpu in that case with smaller components that are obviously more conductable, they can create less heat. Becasue heat is related to bad conductivity and resistance.
If making them smaller would make it worse we would be using 1cm instead of 90nm 65nm 45nm...
So thank God you are not in the buisness of making cpu and gpu circuits!
Oh god...bryan i hope u was just being comical...
Mega Math,
It looks like you were wrong, Abuzar Baloach says graphics did degrease by 25%.
This is the first time I've ever read a engadget comment and not known is the poster was serious or not. why the fuck would the graphics suffer? that other guy was messing with you, if you couldnt figure that out.
lol
Do you not understand? I was pulling your leg...
Only an hour and 48 minutes late. -1 for you.
Dude, did you READ the first post!?
It's probably just two PS2s taped together in there now.
this is what Microsoft is about................continuous refinement.
MICROSOFT FOREVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wait... he's returning it because of a feature they've yet to announce as available in any form of PS3 that's out there!?
Wow. I can't wait to see that return reason on a slip.
I don't think the Ps3 will get cutting electricity bills anytime soon. Actually scientists are studying the relation between the launch of the Ps3 and Icebergs in Antartica melting...
I heard they are also studying the effects of xbox360 noise and bird migration and looking for the best way to build a house out of xbox360 power bricks.
Ok lets get something straight, i hate when people say powersaving.
Its doesnt save power, nor does it create power or give power (watts).
This "powersaving" ,wich sounds like something a pr-person would say just to give something a positive spin (its a lie), is in fact only reduced energyconsumption, or you can come up with a better name than that name.
It just sounds wrong.
It reduces its own power usage, so that it can be used for other things. Sounds like it's saving energy to me.
@megamath:
ok you'r comment was in the right intentions i understand, but man to say the other guy knows nothing whilst you yourself know just enough to be dangerous is naive and hypocritical.
"You obviously know nothing. When they say that they will make the cou (CPU) smaller it doesn't mean they are making it less powerfull and use less electricity."
++actually when the production process size decreases (90nm->65nm->45nm) it means exactly to consume less energy. ++
"Because if they want to save electricity they could just lower the voltage."
++Not true, you believe that chip manufacturers just used any voltage they want? They would love to get as much performance as possible, and to do that requires the most efficient use of the electricity used. They try to get the chip as fat as possible with the lowest voltage. If they could use a lower voltage don't you think that they would have? If it was possible they would lower the voltage and increase the performance.++
@SHARKY:
totally agree!
just because something consumes less energy than it did, does not mean that you have the extra energy lying around.
Analogy would be:
your wife comes home one day and says that she just saved $1 million!
When you ask how, she explains how there was a sale on shoes at the Mall.
The shoes were $200 with 50% off.......... so she bought 10,000 pairs!
@Zorque
you know how you can save even more?
By not using it
So instead of saying it's saving you some, now you would be able to say I saved a lot and now I can sleep with my light open for one night.
So you mean if they release a ps4 that uses 1kw then they make it use 500w with the upgrades you would not say you are saving 500w.
ohh and just to clarify it a bit. When you turn the ps3 on does your electricity counter turn the other way?
Like the counter had 10kw of usage and after some time it goes lower?
Saving is when you make it to the positive. A positive outcome. Like Sharky said
@megamath:
totally agree
you're spot on with this.
see my previous analogy about saving a $1 million :)
anyone notice the pic of the processor is that of the Xbox 360's GPU (note the daughter die of the frame-buffer).
look here:
http://news.cnet.com/i/bto/20070501/xbox360gpu_270x235.jpg
Isn't that a picture of the XBOX 360 core overlaid on the PS3. I don't know if that was an intentional joke or not. :p
Man I guess I should have read all the comments not just the first page... p3ngwin beat me to it.
Man,i'm sorry to say this but that brayan is Totall* **tarded,or just 9 y.o.,hopefully he wont even understand this,so It's ok.
He just...have the enormous balls to counterattack with more insolent stupidity.
@Brayan: Go find out for yourself some relevant evident facts on the things you own & you do before further damaging your image.
You sir,are made of Fail.
PS4 vs PS3 for BluRay:
First of all, the core graphics specs for a gaming console can't change. Game developers work off of these.
Secondly, I thought I'd comment on the PS3 and PS4 as BluRay and DVD players. Even with the latest power savings it's my understanding that the machine uses over 100Watts to play a BluRay movie. I'm not sure how it compares just playing regular DVD's but there's no way it's anywhere near the roughly 9 to 14 Watts of standalone DVD players. First generation standalone BluRay players weren't nearly as efficient but some I believe are now below 40 Watts and dropping.
It's likely that the PS4 will use the same basic core design but simply add more memory, cores and increase the frequencies. I doubt Sony has the final specs and they will be influenced by the XBox as well. It's almost certain, however that the machines will use over 100Watts and the same basic design for decoding movies.
Here's the problem then:
Unless Sony adds in some dedicated chips they'll have to use the same basic way of decoding movies (essentially software decoding) which isn't that efficient. The chips would add extra cost so I doubt they'll do it so their only other choice would be advanced power savings features.
By the time the PS4 comes out we might see a 10 Watt standalone BluRay/DVD player. With power costs increasing non-gamers might shy away from the (at least the informed ones). I think we'll also see efficient Home Theater PC's and laptops compete for the Home Theater market. I'm very, very interested in the PS4 as a Home Theater but I have a checklist of features and power requirements for me to make the switch.
Anyway, I really hope that Sony can find a way to have the PS4 play BluRay, DVD, compressed video and music with reasonable power efficiency. Raising public awareness of the overall cost of running such machines would help.
@p3nguin.
Nice observation.
Sony cannot "say" it clearer than that. They are jealous!
And yes I know Sony did not put that pic up so don't bother saying that!!
Hmm.. so this one is also not with a 45nm Cell yet.. IBM announced back in begin febuari it would soon switch to 45nm and the PS3 would be the first to have them... (it would have 40% less powerconsumption compared to the 65nm, and looking at the guy's test, it certainly isn't 40%less.. BUT, maybe later 40GB versions already shipped with 45nm, and maybe he has a newer 40GB which would already have the 45nm)..
I do hope someone opens up the new 80GB version soon to really look inside and compare it to the 40GB which is already somewhere online..
If backwards compatability is done through software now, why cant I purchase it through the PSnetwork?
Interesting but I already caved in and bought me one.
10% power savings sounds pretty good to me.
Since when is power consumption even a problem?
I know its not in my life.
I don't refrain from buying something because it consumes too much!!
I came across this thread by accident. I was looking for information to help my daughter, who has Asperger's Syndrome and felt the need to reply.
You are correct that people with Asperger Syndrome are considered "high functioning", but are mistaken that because they are "high functioning" they don't struggle in school. Many Aspies with their average to above average IQs can sail through grammar school, and yet hit academic problems in middle and high school. They now have to deal with four to six teachers, instead of just one. The likelihood that at least one teacher will be indifferent or even hostile toward making special accommodations is certain. The Aspie student now has to face a series of classroom environments with different classmates, odors, distractions and noise levels, and sets of expectations. Students with AS generally have good rote memory skills. However, they may lack higher-level thinking and comprehension skills and have poor problem-solving skills. Because many can decode words well, their impressive vocabularies may give a false impression that they understand everything they say or read.
I wouldn't be so quick to assume that this person doesn't have AS because you know others that do that excel at school. My daughter is on the Honor Roll in a private school, but it has been a CONSTANT struggle on both our parts.
If this person does have AS, your responses to him did more harm than good. Hopefully, he understands that this attitude is caused by a lack of understanding about AS.
This story is not complete, as there are multiple versions of 80gb. For the full story, visit http://www.edepot.com/playstation3.html