Provide your estimates "cost of goods" for each current gen console

[Butta]

It would be interesting to hear what the estimated cost is for each of the current gen console. I know that estimates are not based on hard facts, but it would be interesting to find out what everyone here thinks the actual cost of goods are for all 3 consoles.

If I had more time I would have broken it down by component but I'm in a bit of a rush... so here are my estimates for all 3 consoles. I will try and break it down further with a component per component estimate in a later update.

PS3 (80GB) - $330
PS3 (160GB) - $365
XBOX (arcade) - $220
XBOX (Pro) - $260
XBOX (Elite) - $300
Wii - $180

 

[DrJay24]

Does the Wii really cost more than $100 to make?

 

[Butta]

Does the Wii really cost more than $100 to make?

For sure... video card, cpu, memory, DVD, nunchuck + remote + receiver, wireless, bluetooth, flash memory, casing, packaging, etc...

Can't see anything lower than $180... I also don't think that they have been doing as much to reduce their costs as Sony and MS (die shrinks and such)

 

[Shifty Geezer]

The contents of the Wii are almost identical to the GC in cost, save a few extra dollars here and there, and the slightly more expensive controllers. Thus the price to build is similar, and IIRC GC was selling for a profit or thereabouts at $100. The CPU and GPU are tiny and cheap. DVD is $5. Flash, RAM, wireless etc. are a few bucks each. This is in stark contrast to XB360 and PS3 with their large CPUs and GPUs, complex cooling requirements, faster RAM, BRD in PS3, etc.

 

[Zassk]

This could be a little more scientific if we first took the time to break down the components of each console, and then guessed the cost of each.

e.g. completely imagined numbers -
Xenon $30
Xenos $60
HANA $10
RAM $20
rest of motherboard $30
case $15
PSU $10
DVD drive $5
hard disk w/ chassis $30
component cables $5
controller & headset $15

Total $230

 

[eastmen]

It would be interesting to hear what the estimated cost is for each of the current gen console. I know that estimates are not based on hard facts, but it would be interesting to find out what everyone here thinks the actual cost of goods are for all 3 consoles.

If I had more time I would have broken it down by component but I'm in a bit of a rush... so here are my estimates for all 3 consoles. I will try and break it down further with a component per component estimate in a later update.

PS3 (80GB) - $330
PS3 (160GB) - $365
XBOX (arcade) - $220
XBOX (Pro) - $260
XBOX (Elite) - $300
Wii - $180

You really think the hardrive and bluray drive combined cost less than $100 ?


Anyway


PS3 (80GB) $380
PS3 (160) $400
xbox (arcade) $240
xbox (pro) $280
xbox elite) $300
wii - $120

 

[liolio]

I've nothing to add but keep going guys, that's a great and documented effort!!!

 

[DrJay24]

PS3 (80GB) $380
xbox (pro) $280

$100? Really?

 

[eastmen]

$100? Really?

Sure

1) Xdr ram. The ddr ram in the 360 and ps3 are used in more things than the xdr. Not only that but just the two products alone makes the ddr ram cheaper by its greater production lines. Also take into account that when ms orders memory fora million xbox 360s they are buying 2 times the amount of memory as sony which means they can get greater deals on it. the xdr ram is as far as I know only used in the ps3 and its being ordered in half the quanity of the ddr in the xbox 360.

2) Bluray drive

3) More complex motherboard

4) Large cpu

5) Hard drive. I'm sure when ms settled on the 60 gig they did because it was the cheapest drive they could get which to me means the ps3 80 gig drive is most likely 5-$10 more. I believe sony chose the 80 gig because it was an upgrade over the 60 gig , not because it was the cheapest they could get

6) Just other costs . With the 360 in production for a year longer and having pushed through many more million units . I believe that everything in it has become cheaper due to the amounts they are ordering.

 

[DrJay24]

Isn't the RSX smaller than the Xenos though? No eDRAM and all, must be cheaper.

So I'd like to know how things like "complex" motherboard and the other stuff adds to $100, assuming most of it is tangible. Things like 60GB vs 80GB HD can be a buck or two in the OEM world.

 

[eastmen]

Isn't the RSX smaller than the Xenos though? No eDRAM and all, must be cheaper.

So I'd like to know how things like "complex" motherboard and the other stuff adds to $100, assuming most of it is tangible. Things like 60GB vs 80GB HD can be a buck or two in the OEM world.

Actually the xenos is two diffrent chips put together on the package. So depending on how much it costs to combine the two the xenos may be cheaper than the rsx. Aside from that when put together the xenos is the same size as the rsx or very close to it.



Edit

The main die is 232m tranistors , the edram is 100m transistors. total of 332m trasnistor. The rsx is 300m tranistors.

The cell cpu is 230m transistors , waternoose 165m trasnistors.

It be interesting to see how big each of them is at 90nm , 65nm , 45nm and 32nm. if someone knows how to do the math that be awsome. If someone can do it for the two xenos chips sepreatly that be awsome.

 

[AlNom]

It be interesting to see how big each of them is at 90nm , 65nm , 45nm and 32nm. if someone knows how to do the math that be awsome. If someone can do it for the two xenos chips sepreatly that be awsome.

From what we've seen of published measurements of 65nm Cell or the Falcon and Jasper chips in relation to 90nm, the scaling isn't anywhere near ideal or linear (yet). Calculating beyond 65nm would be somewhat folly.

 

[eastmen]

From what we've seen of published measurements of 65nm Cell or the Falcon and Jasper chips, the scaling isn't anywhere near ideal or linear (yet).

That could just be due to the scale they need to produce these at. They need to make sure they can switch to 65nm while still keeping the pipeline stuffed. I'm sure they will continue to shrink the chip in the future.

I also was wondering due to chip transistor counts. I wonder if you can combine the cpu and the non edram section of xenos. That be 232m + 165m = 397m transistors. That should be pretty small on 45nm. They could then add the 100m tranistor edram chp like they do now.

That way they can reduce costs by also removing 1 cpu socket and the bus with it. They might also be able to remove other things from the motherboard , perhaps even move the placement over to where the cpu is now to get it out from under the gpu.

 

[midorigreenwood]

Interesting thread........ but imo to have any value.....someone needs to have knowledge of suppliers and how to get wholesale costs of components. (hopefully someone on B3d has some expertise in this area).

That is basically what analysts get paid for.

eg: when the PS3 was first released...... they would take apart the console and try to estimate the cost of each component.


Here was one list by Isuppli

1) Reality Synthesiser (Nvidia) - $129
2) IBM Cell Broadband engine (IBM) - $89
3) I/O Bridge Controller (Toshiba) - $59
4) Emotion Engine and Graphics Synthesiser (Toshiba) - $27
5) XDR DRAM (Samsung) - $48
6) Other components and manufacturering - $128
7) Bluetooth module (Sony)- $4.10
8) 802.11 b/g module (Marvel chipcet) - $15.50
9) Memory card board - $5.00
10) Bluray Optical Drive - $125
11) SATA Harddrive (60gig) - $54
12) Power supply - $37.50
13) Cooling and mounting cage for motherboard - $22
14) Enclosure/hardware - $33
15) Manufacturing costs - $40

= $816.1

I'm sure the PS3 has undergone redesigns to streamline the model...eg: no more PS2.....so some of these components are probably obsolete.

 

[Butta]

Here is the iSupply breakdown... perhaps now we can find the new costs for these.

 

[Lucid_Dreamer]

I know that cost was supposedly cut in half, according to analysts, over a year ago. iSupply didn't do a new breakdown since launch?

 

[obonicus]

'Other components and manufacturing' is a pretty big part of the cost, there.

 

[Rangers]

Wii-$60? The circuit board in wii is nothing these days. I cant see the accelerometers costing much either.

360 Arcade: slightly less than $200. Thats just my gut feel based on what video cards go for.

PS3: No idea because the cost ob blu ray is so tricky to get a handle on, or probably even define. It's surprising it loses so much money, though. It's basically a 360 in all other aspects, and you wouldn't think blu ray would cost $170 anymore (assuming a HDD=$30).

 

[DrJay24]

It's surprising it loses so much money, though.

Well if you know how much it loses then you can estimate the cost, spill the beans.

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

Wii-$60? The circuit board in wii is nothing these days. I cant see the accelerometers costing much either.

360 Arcade: slightly less than $200. Thats just my gut feel based on what video cards go for.

PS3: No idea because the cost ob blu ray is so tricky to get a handle on, or probably even define. It's surprising it loses so much money, though. It's basically a 360 in all other aspects, and you wouldn't think blu ray would cost $170 anymore (assuming a HDD=$30).

I dont think its smart to compare to what pc parts go for. They have to make a profit, so what you pay for a videocard has little to no relavance to what it might cost for the console.

Also, I doubt blu ray will cost sony much. You can get BR drivers for as little as 80 euro's for your pc these days and again that is including profit and all so actuall production costs would be far lower.