How can I identify a 65nm PS3 with the "good fan"

Well I always considered my two standard PS2s to be too loud for comfort. I did use them for DVD playing a lot, but I was often bothered a bit by their sound.

The PS3 is a lot quieter than they were, and so I am perfectly happy. The only time I really hear the thing is when I've got it on Folding on a warm day. Then it starts to make itself known a bit, but also because there's generally little other noise going on (Folding doesn't produce much more than a few ambient sounds). When I'm watching movies, it's perfect, more than quiet enough.

 

I have one of the really loud ones. I have registered with the pickup service to get it replaced/repaired next week.

 

You will not be able to identify a 65nm cell other than the date of manufacture on the box. And that date is unknown as of now.

As for getting a PS3 with the good fan. Buy a PS3 from someone that bought it when it was manufactured in Japan and released in the Nov, 2006 - Jan 2007 timeframe. Because if you can't then you're not getting the old 19 blade fan which you so obviously desire. Here's the thing, this fan conspiracy is a bunch of BS and unless you can present thermal dynamic proof that the new 15 blade fan is less efficient the the 19 blade fan then you're just being paranoid.

 

You realize you'll be getting a refurbished PS3 with the same fan, right?

 

Here is a pic of the fan in my launch day JP PS3.




This is the 19 blade version. But this PS3 was VERY loud. The fan was running at full speed just playing DVDs. The PS3 I bought around April is much much quieter.

I believe the whole 19 blade vs 15 blade fan story is BS. It's not the fan model's fault that the PS3 get's loud. The PS3 gets loud when the system get's hot period. Some PS3's just have hotter running components than others.

As for the 65nm chips. I don't believe they exist in production models yet. At the earliest, I expect the new US 80GB SKU will be the first target for the new chips.

 

Maybe , maybe not. It`s not about the fan anyway, it`s about the speed of the fan. My console jumps up to Level 3-4 within a matter of minutes just by watching a DVD .

 

I agree. I just don't see how Sony would even consider compromising their cooling solution by saving a few cents (if that) by reducing the blade count on the cooling fan. The sound a PS3 makes is a product of its environment and placement.

 

You may want to ask what you'll be getting as a replacement.

Incidentally, I remember one person, that was complaining about the fan noise, actually end up cutting out a hole in his PS3 to improve cooling - it didn't help whatsoever and now he has a PS3 with an exposed hole above the fan to prove it.

 

Oh man.. Cutting a hole in a $600 console. That's priceless!

I know they say people do the weirdest things imaginable but sometimes there's just no limit to the nuttyness.

Considering how many vent holes there are already on basically every side of the PS3 I can't imagine how the guy thought he needed to cut a hole in the casing.

I sincerely hope you're not speaking about yoursel fin third person to try and mask the embarrassment!




Peace.

 

It seems Thermalright has a PS3 water block for the PS3 that they demoed at some trade show. It doesn't seem to be a retail product yet from what I can tell. There is probably almost not market for it. Just because it would be close to impossible for your average person to DIY it. But I would be interested in giving it a shot if it ever came out.

It would have to be a very special custom head. The PS3's heatpipe/fan solution extracts heat not only from the Cell and RSX but the PSU as well.

 

I present you the PS3 with the Hole in the middle:

 

Exactly, I mean Playstation 3 are not known to have total heat failiure the likes of Microsoft XBox 360's Red Ring of Death that totally kills the motherboard.

The fact that the fan makes noise get louder depending on the circumstances means that the console is doing its job, if it was that the consoles were dropping dead then we really could start pointing fingers.

I saw that pic of the hole on top of the PS3, what an idiotic thing to do, its like whoever thought this up decided to think that the PS3 designers did not even intelligently plan for proper heat dissipation.

I do have this to say though, the PS3 is and was very efficiently designed to dissipate heat just by looking at the choices that were made, the Nvidia Nv40 GPU was fabbed on a 130nm engineering process and those chips could run pretty damn hot at 222 Million transistors, later Nvidia's G70 generated even more heat at 110nm process and 302 Million transistors for the 7800 GTX 512MB, finally RSX is G70 or G7X based, there is a claim of a similar 302 Million transistor count but this time its on a 90nm engineering process so the GPU is able to in theory generate less heat and operate much more efficiently.

Cell BE however is the "new" chip and at 90nm engineering process and all of its capabilities it should generate and dissipate heat as it should, the PS3 cooling solution with its variable speed fan is an excellent choice for a console priced initially in the $499, 599 price range.

However we should theorise about the following, prior to any 65nm die shrinks, would it make sense to say that as Sony fabs more Cell BE CPUs at 90nm, the later cpus should at the very least benefit of being fabbed on more mature process?

I seem to remember that the Japanese PS2 I rented way back in early 2000 to sound pretty loud compared to previous consoles Dreamcast included, the PS2 I ended up purchasing in 2002 did run loud as well, however I had the Electronics Bountique 2 year warranty and I traded my console in 2004 to a much more quiet console. I was pretty shocked though that later when the PS2 Slim was introduced, even though it still have a fan inside it was so much quieter, yet I still don't think that neither Dreamcasts nor PS2s were dropping dead beause of heat issues no matter how loud the fans were, at most it was DVD/GD drive spinning motor failiure as the chips inside were pretty much bullet proof so I and many others can infer that Sony must have done its homework on PS3 with later consoles benefiting from obvious technology advances.

 

someone here in Canada has reported seeing an 80GB PS3 at walmart already. its up for pre-order at futureshop and bestbuy for 659.99 CAD (original PS3 launch price that got bumped up to 699.99 and is now at 549.99) for Aug 12th.

 

Whoah!

I bet that totally wrecks the airflow in the system!

If anything that could possibly increase temp instead of reduce it.. I would suggest covering that up again somehow.
Peace.

 

I got the PS3 back today. There was a sticker "This unit had been factory reconditioned", so I guess Xenon was right

But this one is much much better :

1. The fan does mostly stay at the 2nd level now
2. The fan noise has a totally different sound (some what more hollow)
3. The BR drive has a slightly different sound as well

 

Unless all you watch are action movies with non-stop explosions and pounding music score, you'll eventually have scenes in a movie where subtle dialog needs to be heard. The fans on the xbox are so loud as to act as a form of white noise in these situations.

Mine used to be until the update that did upscaling. Now after about 5 minutes the fans kick into high gear. Not as bad as the 360 but at times it is distracting.

Then again, I'm distracted by the sound of the fans in my DVR.

 

There are watercooling kits for the Xbox 360.

 

If you take off the hard drive cover it runs cooler, just put your hand over and you will fell lots of air being pulled in

 

Maybe. Maybe not. If you take off various covers or drill holes more or less randomly in the caes it's very possible lots of air will be pulled in.

THAT doesn't mean it cools better. Air follows the path of least resistance.

Thus it might not follow the airflow paths the engineers intended and could bypass areas that needs to be cooled and instead go straight to the fan and out the back.

That would mean WORSE cooling.
Peac.e

 

I can tell because it never reaches the 3rd level anymore since I did it.