PS3 Test Unit impressions (noise, heat etc.)

[Titanio]

Some opinions and impressions of actual PS3 Test units has started to leak out, and the news is good. If you don't know, Test units are basically identical to the final retail hardware, but are used for developers testing games. They're the units we saw VF5 and VT3 being played on at that Sega event.

A GamePro writer has his impressions of the unit here:

http://www.gamepro.com/community/profile.cfm?login_name=RiceBurner&blog_id=17974

Yesterday I went over to a Development Studio and got to see actual PS3 TEST Kits in action (Until now, all I've seen are the 3 foot bulky dev stations that look like Beta Max videotape players). It was so shiny and sleek (just like Darth Vader's Helmet). Low and behold the power supply was internal with minimal heat to the unit and no fan noises! (I'm not joking, the thing was freaking mute). Ah, I haven't wanted to dry hump an inanimate object for several years (don't ask, I'm not telling), but that PS3 Test unit was damn sexy.

Another guy has leaked shots of the kit turned on etc. onto a forum here:

http://www.ps3forums.com/showthread.php?t=29114

Some of his thoughts on the noise etc. from the unit:

the ps3 is silent. doesnt make much noise. except in beginning a little noise when starting to boot the disc.

He also says, as of a day ago, that they had the thing turned on for about 28 hours straight, without any problems. They're using it just for Blu-ray movie playback at the moment, apparently.

 

[Bad_Boy]

Thanks Titanio, great to have some real confirmation, very nice find.

 

[rabidrabbit]

Good news!
Amazing if the retail PS3 is really that silent, "mute" even! There must be a fan or two to keep it cool, surely.
Another noisy device in my HT would have been irritating. My DVB-PVR buzzes like crazy when it's accessing the HD, my front projector whines occasionally at a very high pitch (possibly faulty, I'll ask for a repair).
A silent PS3 is very welcome!

 

[Sankari]

I sure hope what the "leaked" Q&A said was true about PS3 being as quiet as slim PS2. It seems its atleast close to it.

 

[DeanA]

He also says, as of a day ago, that they had the thing turned on for about 28 hours straight, without any problems. They're using it just for Blu-ray movie playback at the moment, apparently.

Strange.. as I believe test/debugging units (like PS2 ones before them) have no movie playback functionality..

Dean

 

[Titanio]

Looking at the pictures, it almost looks like it's in a demo unit..so maybe it's a retail demo version or something of the sort.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

In some cases wouldn't you use the movie playback abilities for cutscenes, and so need them testing?

 

[Bad_Boy]

Strange.. as I believe test/debugging units (like PS2 ones before them) have no movie playback functionality..

Dean

Thats interesting.

It seems the guy (ps3insider he goes by) who made that comment about the blu-ray playback was in tokyo getting ready for tgs, maybe he had a unit for a blu-ray demonstration in his office. What are the chances he has a final ps3 right now?

 

[Graham]

Bad_Boy:
... maybe he had a unit for a blu-ray ...

it would seem so,

PS3Insider:
at moment i am very busy. because tokyo game show is coming up. and lots of cool stuff will be revealed

basicly the unit we have is a a unit for playing bluray movies. that is what we use it for. it is in a demo stand and it is here at the office, playing some clips. so far we have had it on for about 12 hours non stop and no problems with it. works perfect and doesnt heat up.

also i havent played yet an actual game yet on the ps3 itself only on betakits.

also the virtua fighter stuff it looks to me it is played from the harddisk and not from the disc itself.

This also makes me feel a bit less sceptical;

PS3Insider:
about blu-ray movies. it is correct that the movies released first by sony where teribble. dont ever buy fifth element. it is terrible
...
for example Warner borthers uses the microsoft developed encoder called VC-1 and it is awesome. sony wont use Vc-1 but uses MPEG-2. which is fine too for most movies you will need then 50gb discs.

odd?

PS3Insider:
about HD-DVD and bluray. it looks pretty much the same. for example warner encodes a movie for HD-DVd and then simply port it over to blu-ray.

Being the raving cynic that I am, I was going to take this all with a bag of salt, but it looks more credible on closer inspection. All we can really say for sure is that it is quiet when playing a movie.

 

[Rangers]

I dont get why anybody thinks the PS3 is great looking. I just dont. It's just so big. I am sure it looks pretty neat in that "it's a shiny $600 piece of electronics" way, and it's not bad, but it's just too thick to be all that.

We have passed the age of cool looking consoles, because the size must now be fairly large due to heat issues. You cant really have too cool of a console looking without having some measure of compactness that isn't possible anymore (maybe Wii, but I think Wii looks bland too by design, basically looks like an optical drive).

Nobody ever has made my ideal console in looks anyway. But I do think black 360's (there are some of these debug units) look the absolute best of this generation by far. The problem is consumer 360's are white. Plus the 360 cheated, with an external power supply.

I also wish the PS3 wasn't translucent. I give it props for the black, it's got that edge over the 360, but the translucent knocks a little back off, but still above plain white.
________
Children Prilosec

 

[DuckThor Evil]

Very impressive indeed to make a console silent at the time of launch with internal power supply. It would be nice to know how they actually managed to do that.

 

[Bad_Boy]

Being the raving cynic that I am, I was going to take this all with a bag of salt, but it looks more credible on closer inspection. All we can really say for sure is that it is quiet when playing a movie.

Thanks Graham, forgot about those quotes. That does clear the blu-ray bit up. To be fair, It should be quiet when playing games as well if the gamepro article is to be trusted.

I dont get why anybody thinks the PS3 is great looking. I just dont. It's just so big. I am sure it looks pretty neat in that "it's a shiny $600 piece of electronics" way, and it's not bad, but it's just too thick to be all that.

...

I also wish the PS3 wasn't translucent. I give it props for the black, it's got that edge over the 360, but the translucent knocks a little back off, but still above plain white.

It's definately all in tastes and personal opinion, but I think the ps3 is one damn nice looking peice of hardware. It's big no doubt, but I think its aesthetically pleasing (at least to my eyes). If being big will get it running quiet and running at low temps all while having an internal power supply I think I'm all for it. As for the translucent bit, I think its really a matter of being up close to it with a bright light, otherwise It probably wont even be noticable from afar.

This is a pretty good clip of what the final ps3 should look like (taken from the sega event).
http://www.ps3land.com/article-714.php
http://gamevideos.com/video/id/6135
Looks dead sexy imo.

 

[Nesh]

I dont get why anybody thinks the PS3 is great looking. I just dont. It's just so big. I am sure it looks pretty neat in that "it's a shiny $600 piece of electronics" way, and it's not bad, but it's just too thick to be all that.

We have passed the age of cool looking consoles, because the size must now be fairly large due to heat issues. You cant really have too cool of a console looking without having some measure of compactness that isn't possible anymore (maybe Wii, but I think Wii looks bland too by design, basically looks like an optical drive).

Nobody ever has made my ideal console in looks anyway. But I do think black 360's (there are some of these debug units) look the absolute best of this generation by far. The problem is consumer 360's are white. Plus the 360 cheated, with an external power supply.

I also wish the PS3 wasn't translucent. I give it props for the black, it's got that edge over the 360, but the translucent knocks a little back off, but still above plain white.

I believe due to the hardware being more complex and the appearance of completely new architectures all of a sudden, its hard to fit in both the hardware, power supply and ventilation system in a smaller box.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

We have passed the age of cool looking consoles, because the size must now be fairly large due to heat issues. You cant really have too cool of a console looking without having some measure of compactness that isn't possible anymore

You can have compact, but that means noisier (smaller heatsinks and faster fans). I say big kudos to Sony for making this thing quiet - at least someone appreciates consoles aren't bought for the purpose of contributing to background noise!

 

[Titanio]

Very impressive indeed to make a console silent at the time of launch with internal power supply. It would be nice to know how they actually managed to do that.

Hopefully some accomodating and rich website will take a screwdriver to it and document the whole thing, for our benefit.

I heard on the grapevine, though, that part of the strategy involves materials used in the casing and elsewhere - designed to reduce noise transmission from inside. And that this is apparently also, partially, why its weight is heavier than others, even with the internal PSU. Like I say, though, that's just what I've heard.

 

[Graham]

To be fair, It should be quiet when playing games as well if the gamepro article is to be trusted.

Well thats the bit about which I shall proceed to sit on the non-electric fence.

I flat out refuse to believe it will run 29db while playing a game. Your average HDD is 30db idle as it stands. The laws of made up staticstics and numbers state it's impossible.

 

[Bad_Boy]

I heard on the grapevine, though, that part of the strategy involves materials used in the casing and elsewhere - designed to reduce noise transmission from inside. And that this is apparently also, partially, why its weight is heavier than others, even with the internal PSU. Like I say, though, that's just what I've heard.

Thats pretty interesting, do you mean like sound dampening materials like the ones used for car audio and computer cases? That stuff is pretty heavy (from when I remember last using it), so it would make sense.

Well thats the bit about which I shall proceed to sit on the non-electric fence.

I flat out refuse to believe it will run 29db while playing a game. Your average HDD is 30db idle as it stands. The laws of made up staticstics and numbers state it's impossible.

Fair enough then. all signs are pointing to a pretty quiet machine, but I wont knock your pending judgement.

 

[Mariner]

To paraphrase the old saying:

"There are lies, damned lies and dB readings quoted by a company with something to sell." :smile:

Take any dB readings quoted by PR with a huge pinch of salt.

Still, it sounds as though Sony have done a very good engineering job if it is as quiet as reported here especially when you consider that it contains an internal PSU. I'll be very interested to see how their cooling solution deals with the heat from the two hot chips (CPU/GPU), Blu-ray player, memory, PSU, etc. etc.!

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I flat out refuse to believe it will run 29db while playing a game. Your average HDD is 30db idle as it stands. The laws of made up staticstics and numbers state it's impossible.

I don't know what average volumes are, but my Samsung Spinpoint is virtually silent, only hearing an occassional clicking head. It'll be the optical drive I expect the majority of noise to come from if they've got quiet fans.

 

[rabidrabbit]

The PS3 really isn't that big.
Compared with other devices, like standalone DVD players and other AV gear, it's actually small.
Compared to other consoles (except the original xbox ), it's bigger, but not BIG at all, imo.
The size of consoles is blown out of porportion in these forums, I blame those who ridiculed the original xbox for it's size, while it should have been ridiculed for it's looks.

Edit: So the report was for movie playback, it's likely while playing a game the PS3 could be a bit noisier.