40GB PS3 Runs Cooler; 60GB PS3 Could Return
There was a rumor when the 40GB PlayStation 3 was about to launch that the new system would ship with a smaller, less power-hungry 65nm Cell chip in it instead of the old 90nm Cell chip. It was denied by a Sony spokesperson early on, but — in what has become typical left-hand-meet-right-hand Sony marketing — it has since been confirmed by none other than Kaz Hirai, the head of Sony Computer Entertainment.
The confusion stems from the fact that the RSX graphics processor is still a 90nm chip. Still, the smaller 65nm Cell chip results in significant power reduction, down to 135 watts from 200 watts, along with less heat generation, meaning the cooling fans in the PS3 won’t be spinning up as often as they do in the units bearing the original 90nm Cell processor. That means a quieter system overall.
Probably the strangest part of this story is the comment made by Kaz Hirai that Sony could start producing the 60GB and 20GB PS3 again in the future “depending on how the market reacts”.
Seen on 1Up.
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