How 'Noisy' Will The Next Gen Consoles Be?

[Fodder]

So why have both the PS3 and X360 got kettle-lead style connectors on the back?

I am definitely aware of that. But both are still 'empty props' at the moment anyway, so still subjectable to changes.

And indeed the X360 hardware Anand was shown has a different power connection.

 

[Entropy]

Here's some info on the XBox360 cooling solution I found:

One of the surprises we found when checking the Xbox 360 innards was its cooling solution. To keep things quiet and cool, Microsoft has designed a liquid cooling system that dynamically adjusts the flow of the liquid and the speed of the fans depending on the temperature and power consumption.

This intelligent approach has allowed Microsoft to build smaller console by removing the traditional heatsinks found in most computer and replacing them with a combination of fans and liquid cooling. This combo is more efficient and keeps the processor at a lower temperature than the original Xbox, which is a remarkable achievement considering the higher clock speeds and power consumption that the new Xbox 360 hardware has in comparison with the old console.


Not satisfied with that, Microsoft has also used a high-end technique that allows the system to turn off the cores when they are not being fully utilized. So let’s say you are watching a DVD movie or just listening to music, the system will automatically turn off the two cores that are not being used for the console to consume less power during that time.

- http://features.teamxbox.com/xbox/1145/The-Xbox-360-Dissected/p7/

This implies two things (that we could already guess).
The 360 should be relatively quiet at idle.
The 360 will be relatively noisy when running.
It would seem reasonable to assume that they implemented this degree of thermal management for a reason. Personally, I'd suspect that the console will be pretty quiet, but hardly silent, when at idle - no 3D, two out of three cores turned off. (There is still 512 MB of high speed DDR3 and assorted circuitry generating heat as well as one core + cache and I/O.)
But conversely, when it is doing work, total heat output will increase radically and the corresponding noise of the cooling will need to be masked by whatever that activity is. And not all such activity is very loud all the time. Not even gaming.

The proof of these puddings will be in the, er, hearing.
In this regard, my money is more on Sony, as they have more living room credibility, and they would seem to have a couple of small advantages regarding heat output (that could be totally negated and more by crummy airflow management). The real favourite in this regard is Nintendo - but that is only if you see it as a three horse race in the first place.

 

[jvd]

This implies two things (that we could already guess).
The 360 should be relatively quiet at idle.
The 360 will be relatively noisy when running.

you have to explain what relatively noisy is to you .

 

[London Geezer]

This implies two things (that we could already guess).
The 360 should be relatively quiet at idle.
The 360 will be relatively noisy when running.

you have to explain what relatively noisy is to you .

I just hope it's not as noisy as the early PS2's. The only thing that surpassed that is my PC, which has a grand total of 5 fans, 2 only for the graphics card (Thanks NVIDIA)

 

[Entropy]

This implies two things (that we could already guess).
The 360 should be relatively quiet at idle.
The 360 will be relatively noisy when running.

you have to explain what relatively noisy is to you .

Relative to itself.

Me - I find anything in the room that I can identify by its noise a nuisance (greater or smaller depending on noise level and tonality), so I'm hardly representative of what most people seem to accept. That people accept some degree of noise doesn't mean that they wouldn't prefer its absense though.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

2 only for the graphics card (Thanks NVIDIA)

Doesn't bode well for PS3, does it?

 

[London Geezer]

2 only for the graphics card (Thanks NVIDIA)

Doesn't bode well for PS3, does it?

I did think about that, u know... But hey, there's hope, Sony are fabbing the chips in PS3, they might be better than TMSC or whoever fabbed the NV35. *fingers crossed*

 

[PC-Engine]

2 only for the graphics card (Thanks NVIDIA)

Doesn't bode well for PS3, does it?

I did think about that, u know... But hey, there's hope, Sony are fabbing the chips in PS3, they might be better than TMSC or whoever fabbed the NV35. *fingers crossed*

It wasn't the fab's fault. It was Nvidia's design.

 

[London Geezer]

^^

2 only for the graphics card (Thanks NVIDIA)

Doesn't bode well for PS3, does it?

 

[PC-Engine]

^^

2 only for the graphics card (Thanks NVIDIA)

Doesn't bode well for PS3, does it?

Doesn't matter who fabs it whether it's SONY or TSMC. If Nvidia's design runs hot then it runs hot.