Let’s face it; Sony hasn’t exactly been wowing people with its PS3. The fact that systems like the Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360 have managed to take a lead in the console wars, shows that Sony really has to step up its game in making the PS3 a competitive platform. Well that should be changing pretty soon, now that the new PS3 has launched.
If you’re a fan of the PS3 but haven’t exactly got it because you’re waiting for its price to drop, well the good news is that the new 120GB Slim PS3 gives you more bang for your buck for the price you pay. Aside from losing the capability to install another OS (Linux) on your PS3, nothing much else has changed. You still get built-in Wi-Fi connectivity, two USB ports for plugging in external storage devices and charging the PS3’s Bluetooth wireless controller, and the same built-in Profile 2.0 Blu-ray player with BD-Live capabilities. If you’re expecting new features on the Slim, well you can hope again as in term of features, the PS3 Slim is still identical to the original PS3.
One of the major changes to the PS3 Slim from the PS3 is the design, and it’s generally a good one. The PS3 Slim is 33 percent smaller and 36 percent lighter than its predecessors, and it really does look more compact when you put it up against the original PS3. However we found that the new matte finish did give the system a slightly cheap look when you compare it with the glossier finish of the original.
Another change is more internal. The PS3 Slim is powered by a new 45nm version of the Cell processor, which runs at the same speed as the 60nm processor in the original PS3. Due to the smaller die in the processor, this means that the chip is much more energy efficient.
According to the official statements coming from Sony, the power consumption for the Slim has been cut from 280 watts to 250 watts. On top of that reducing power consumption, this also means that heat generation has been lessened, which means the cooling fan make less noise than in the original.
One other internal change is the hard disk that used in the Slim. Should you, for whatever reason want to switch the hard drive that comes with the Slim, it now uses the 2.5” hard drives that are found in notebooks instead of the 3.5” drives more commonly use in PCs, and utilised by its predecessor.
As far as performance goes, the PS3 Slim performs virtually the same as its predecessor. Disc and Blu-ray loading ran just as well as it did on its predecessor and we saw no visible difference in the game playing performance between the two.
Ultimately the PS3 Slim isn’t much of a change from the original PS3. It has everything that the original PS3 had without any added features. So what’s so great about the Slim? For one, it significantly much cheaper then when the original PS3 was first launched. It is also still one of the more affordable Blu-Ray players you can get on the market. So its slimmer, cheaper and now quite a value for money buy. And with game releases being more frequent now, that makes the PS3 Slim a significantly more attractive buy.
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