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PS5 "Slim" teardown by Dave2D

Three said:
Agreed, MS eating costs with a big chip and low supply/demand isn't an amazing feat in engineering. Especially when it isn't showing much in terms of advantages in games. I would say even in form factor now that the slim is out the volume of the PS5 is much smaller than the current X. Not to mention that "draws a lot more energy" is simply wrong. AFAIK the XSX didn't get any revisions and the power draw of the XSX and PS5 are roughly the same since PS5 got a die shrink.
Click to expand...
That's a whole other thing. And that is what is funny about these kinda comparisons. People tend to push information that supports their narrative. Og SX vs PS5 wasn't that bad to begin with, and PS5 has been better since last year when it got its 6nm revision.

//DEVIL// said:
What are you talking about??? he is talking about the size of the Xbox Series X design compared to the PS5. has nothing to do with power. the way the Xbox was stacked in that form factor and still cool and quite is amazing. better than the PS5 fat and slim.

anyway . back to topic. slim looks ugly. you like it. everyone is happy.
Click to expand...
I would suggest you read the entire conversation. Does this read to you like hes talking about just the size? I even bolded it for you.
lucbr said:
If Sony's engineers did something spectacular, it's not a thing I see in my everyday life. On the contrary, a huge console, not to say ugly, that draws a lot more energy and even makes more noise. And that sometimes, like AW2, performes quite worse. Detail, they cost the same thing and, plus, I still personally think the Xbox is much prettier.
Click to expand...

And yes, I like it, especially the digital SKU, as my current PS5 is the digital version, i have never been a fan of the disc version of any of the PS5s. this one included.
 
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Three said:
Agreed, MS eating costs with a big chip and low supply/demand isn't an amazing feat in engineering. Especially when it isn't showing much in terms of advantages in games. I would say even in form factor now that the slim is out the volume of the PS5 is much smaller than the current X. Not to mention that "draws a lot more energy" is simply wrong. AFAIK the XSX didn't get any revisions and the power draw of the XSX and PS5 are roughly the same since PS5 got a die shrink.
Click to expand...
Sony actually had to design the PS5 to break even or even turn a profit. You can also see their drive to lower BOM costs by revising their consoles since the PS1 days. The PS1, PS2, and PS3 all got very significant revisions multiple times. The PS4 only ended up getting one significant revision but there was also the PS4 Pro that generation. I expect Sony will also make a Super Slim version of PS5 down the line which is even smaller than this one.

Microsoft subsidizes the Xbox with their infinity money from Windows, Office, and Azure. They do not care about selling consoles for a loss. They have never revised any Xbox generation except when they had to because they were literally defective designs and dying at a 100% rate in the 360's early days. Praising MS for designing the XSeX without any regard for needing to turn a profit makes little sense, it's like praising the guy who spends $3000 to build a PC with a 4090 and then watercools the whole machine with a custom loop, yes your computer is very quiet and cool, but you spent a bit more than a console costs too.
 
NeonGhost said:
You're better putting a heatsink on and leaving the plate off
Click to expand...
You're no better of with the cover off or on. The SSD with the cover on is still working under nominal temperature. The cover creates a negative pressure that pulls heat from inside the expansion bay. With the cover off the fan is pulling air across the SSD along with dust as well inside the expansion bay. The cover is there for a reason. Have it on, don't have it on, it won't affect the performance of the SSD.
//DEVIL// said:
What are you talking about??? he is talking about the size of the Xbox Series X design compared to the PS5. has nothing to do with power. the way the Xbox was stacked in that form factor and still cool and quite is amazing. better than the PS5 fat and slim.

anyway . back to topic. slim looks ugly. you like it. everyone is happy.
Click to expand...
No need for a pissing contest. They are both well designed consoles using different philosophy. They both have near identical internal volume despite the outward appearance.

PS5 = 7.2L
XSX = 6.86L
 
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//DEVIL// said:
Was he talking about the power draw ? lol.

Thought we are talking about consoles design. that's why I said what I Said. again. these are just opinions. we all have different opinions anyway.
Click to expand...
Yes he mentioned a bunch of things. These are not opinions:

"BTW, now I am even more impressed with Series X engineers. It performs similar to the PS5 but it consumes up to 30% less power when running the same games. Without mentioning that is quieter and smaller"

These are incorrect facts. The PS5 Slim is 25% smaller than the XSX. Consumes approximately the same amount of power (as does the 1200), and is around the same volume in noise.

The only thing that was an opinion was him saying the PS5 slim is ugly.
 
Three said:
It's the 1200 series he's using. It's in the video description.
Click to expand...
He said its 1200 series. but if you look at this
UXfODmz.png


this is the 1100 or 1015 series. you can tell from the plastic cover that hold the cable for the fan. the 1215 version comes much smaller like the slim version ( i have the 1215 PS5 )

so it seems he either made a mistake and think he has the 1215 when he has the 1115 or 1015. or the one in this picture is an different PS5 than the one he is using for testing comparison.

Three said:
Yes he mentioned a bunch of things. These are not opinions:

"BTW, now I am even more impressed with Series X engineers. It performs similar to the PS5 but it consumes up to 30% less power when running the same games. Without mentioning that is quieter and smaller"

These are incorrect facts. The PS5 Slim is 25% smaller than the XSX. Consumes approximately the same amount of power (as does the 1200), and is around the same volume in noise.

The only thing that was an opinion was him saying the PS5 slim is ugly.
Click to expand...

Eh nvm then. Thought he was talking about the smaller and quieter part. and while the PS5 slim might be 25% smaller, the series X design ( not volume wise ) makes it look much smaller. at least compared to the fat. will need to see the slim besides series X to see the size difference looks wise.

Mr.Phoenix said:
That's a whole other thing. And that is what is funny about these kinda comparisons. People tend to push information that supports their narrative. Og SX vs PS5 wasn't that bad to begin with, and PS5 has been better since last year when it got its 6nm revision.


I would suggest you read the entire conversation. Does this read to you like hes talking about just the size? I even bolded it for you.


And yes, I like it, especially the digital SKU, as my current PS5 is the digital version, i have never been a fan of the disc version of any of the PS5s. this one included.
Click to expand...

yeah yeah i saw it . a bit too late but i did. apologies
 
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Tripolygon said:
No need for a pissing contest. They are both well designed consoles using different philosophy. They both have near identical internal volume despite the outward appearance.

PS5 = 7.2L
XSX = 6.86L
Click to expand...
That's for the Phat. The guy here is talking about the slim and suggesting it's not smaller. The PS5 Slim is around 30% smaller which would put it at

PS5 Slim = 5.04L
 
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ZoukGalaxy said:
I really prefer the original model as fat it is and I really hate with passions that semi-glossy panels despite liked them on PS4 (the rectangular shapes fitted better I think with the semi glossy), we'll get used to I guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

And what's bother me much more is the mandatory internet for the disc drive activation, it's a pure aberration that defeat the whole purpose of offline gaming with a physical disc (yes, you can play any game without any updates with version 1.0 in 2023 on a PS5, it's an urban legend that you can't and that's why the GOLD version step exists, and rare exceptions are, well, exceptions).

Won't talk about Xbox, they obviously leaving the physical market and pushing everyone to digital, ridiculous for me (or not since that subjective).

I just wonder if the version coming with a disc drive pre-installed needs an online activation too or are preactivated at factory (and that would be a game changer regarding this concern).

On the good side, we still have the liquid metal, nice.
Click to expand...
I think its to stop people from using external storage devices loaded with pirated copies to spoof the hardware into thinking its a disc drive. IdK.
 
Nice and straightforward teardown video :)

Aesthetic-wise, I'm neutral on the line split down the middle, but I would've preferred if they didn't mix the matte and glossy on the covers. Though at least the white-ish color will reduce the fingerprints from being visible. But the included horizontal stand is a severe downgrade. Even with a gentle nudge in the video they wobbled a lot.

Not sure how its stability fares, but having the console directly touching the surface it stands on could reduce the cooling a bit and lead to scratches after time. The Phat does dissipate a little heat on the bottom when placed vertically, and the disc drive does produce a little heat while the disc is active. It's nothing substantial, but if the stand gives a little space for that heat to escape, it'd be better at least marginally than keeping that heat inside.

The internal design seems like an improvement. It appears more modular on the inside and easier to disassemble than the Phat, and the heatsink on both sides is an interesting choice. Its good the temperatures are at least consistent with the Phat 1200 series, in the now more confined space. Though it would've been nice to have an even less power draw, but we've passed the point of possibilities for that improvement some time ago.

To me it doesn't seem worth an upgrade from the Phat 1200, but I would've considered it had I've been making a PS5 purchase decision now.
 
CGNoire said:
I think its to stop people from using external storage devices loaded with pirated copies to spoof the hardware into thinking its a disc drive. IdK.
Click to expand...
It's pretty much the same as the SSD/HDD since the PS3. It's encrypted and paired for that particular machine. Now that they have removable disc drives they've done the same there. Stops other drives being used that read anything but genuine PS discs.
iALX said:
Nice and straightforward teardown video :)

Aesthetic-wise, I'm neutral on the line split down the middle, but I would've preferred if they didn't mix the matte and glossy on the covers. Though at least the white-ish color will reduce the fingerprints from being visible. But the included horizontal stand is a severe downgrade. Even with a gentle nudge in the video they wobbled a lot.
Click to expand...
Same I don't mind the look of the line. From a functional standpoint it separates the panel that needs to be removed for access to the SSD and the disc drive so it makes it smaller and easier to remove only the part you need. With the mix of matte and glossy it seems they were trying to copy the original PS4 aesthetic. I'm not too keen on it either as I prefer all matte but now that we have split panels we can mix and match whatever we like unlike the PS4. Could get some interesting panel combinations. I think blue top and white bottom would look pretty cool.
 
Original PS5 is not a pretty thing but I've got used to it by now and to me this Slim thing looks worse and seems like a cheap toy in comparison.
Odd, they made half of it glossy and half matte, that's just weird. And no noise difference to speak of, power draw is similar too and heat. Not the best Slim. I guess they save some money on something at least.
Give me a proper Pro upgrade instead, even if it's twice the size.
 
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Three said:
It's quieter than the PS5 Phat? That's good to hear.
Click to expand...
I only skipped through the video but in the bit I saw (the part with the thermal imaging) it said 1db difference. This isn't different enough for you to be able to point it out reliably in a real world setting. Lots of people wouldn't be able to point it out under any circumstance.

If you don't have an abnormally loud machine now, save your money!
 
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Mr Reasonable said:
I only skipped through the video but in the bit I saw (the part with the thermal imaging) it said 1db difference. This isn't different enough for you to be able to point it out reliably in a real world setting. Lots of people wouldn't be able to point it out under any circumstance.

If you don't have an abnormally loud machine now, save your money!
Click to expand...

The decibel scale is logarithmic, not linear. So a 1db difference from the same distance away from the source will be a noticeable difference.
 
Half matt / half glossy panels are a nice throwback to the OG PS4 but damn it still looks ugly. The entire design philosophy for this generation is just hideous. The only decent looking piece is the controller.
 
Slim or not, yhe PS5 is still the nastiest, cheapest, tackiest looking piece of industrial design for a home console since the 1980s.

...Wtf were they thinking.
 
TheThreadsThatBindUs said:
The decibel scale is logarithmic, not linear. So a 1db difference from the same distance away from the source will be a noticeable difference.
Click to expand...
Um what?

The only subjective thing to apply to decibels is tone, and that is more of a function of harmonics.

In electronics it doesn't really matter unless you are rainman. Bigger fan with slower rpms = quieter, but fan quality also matters. Ask anyone with noctuas.
 
Mr Reasonable said:
Ah, I see this thread about the changes between the PS5 iterations is now about how it must be better than Series X.

How does this happen to every thread on here?
Click to expand...
Maybe because someone said that the Series X was better first? Curious to know your opinion on it by the way. Is the PS5 Slim smaller and drawing less energy than the Series X or not?
Thanks OP for the video by the way. Short and on point.
 
Nice. Still using Liquid Metal.
And the drive attaches nicely.

Although there seems to be no discless plate if you want to detach the drive.

And there is no stand but he didn't specify if the vertical bottom has any feet
 
Kilau said:
Oh no! The NVMe SSD bay still has that screw to remove, rendering it impossible for all but the most capable of monkeys to upgrade. For shame.
Click to expand...

That screw is to stop the trolls from sneaking in and stealing your nvme. They don't know how to operate a screw driver which is why they complain about it a ton on the Web.
 
They should have stuck with matte white all over and no slits like the original. Unnecessary changes that make it look worse. Not that it matters but still.. it would have looked better.
 
lucbr said:
So, it still consumes the same amount of power? I was hoping for a much more efficient design. I will keep my original PS5.

BTW, now I am even more impressed with Series X engineers. It performs similar to the PS5 but it consumes up to 30% less power when running the same games. Without mentioning that is quieter and smaller.
Click to expand...

The benefit of Sonys design is cost reduction and manufacturing ease.
 
This marks Sony's 3rd motherboard revision.
uSfyBzU.jpg

u6WJQ9f.jpg


Looks like the 3rd revision SSD only have 4 chips instead of 6 on the previous 2 revision. This is probably how they got 1TB storage.

And still uses liquid metal.
 
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Loxus said:
This marks Sony's 3rd motherboard revision.
uSfyBzU.jpg

u6WJQ9f.jpg


Looks like the 3rd revision SSD only have 4 chips instead of 6 on the previous 2 revision. This is probably how they got 1TB storage.
Click to expand...
Curious if this still sustains 5.5GB RAW.

Usually less NAND = worse but i guess Sony actually found it possible.
 
It's funny how the "Oh, it's much smaller"-reaction is just as common as "What, it's practically the same size".

That glossy part is still a head scratcher but I'm pretty impressed by how easy the panels and disc reader seems to come off and slot in.
I accidentaly left long white scratch marks on the inside of my launch Digital Edition because taking the side panels of requires a pretty particular "lift corner up-pull down"-technique. It's ofcourse not visible from the outside but still bugs me to see those marks everytime I clean the console.
 
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Ronin_7 said:
Curious if this still sustains 5.5GB RAW.

Usually less NAND = worse but i guess Sony actually found it possible.
Click to expand...

When the PS5 released, there wasn't NAND fast enough to get 5.5GB/s with only the usual 8 channels. So they had to go with a 12 channels controller.
But now, we can get close to 7.5 GB/s on an 8 channel SSD. So Sony can easily get NAND that does 5.5GB/s, at a reasonable price.
And then, saving money on a cheaper controller.
 
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I watch the Linus breakdown, they did a hell of a job with it. Smaller and running a little quieter and most instances. I'm going to spare myself a reading internet, sarcasm and badasses posting, I think it is a very welcome move, especially given that it's significantly smaller. I think I'm not going to get this one but wait and see if they even do a pro. If they end up not doing a pro I probably will get the slim and get those d brand plates for the better ventilation.
 
skit_data said:
It's funny how the "Oh, it's much smaller"-reaction is just as common as "What, it's practically the same size".

That glossy part is still a head scratcher but I'm pretty impressed by how easy the panels and disc reader seems to come off and slot in.
I accidentaly left long white scratch marks on the inside of my launch Digital Edition because taking the side panels of requires a pretty particular "lift corner up-pull down"-technique. It's ofcourse not visible from the outside but still bugs me to see those marks everytime I clean the console.
Click to expand...
When I finally get to put a ssd on my PS5 it took me ages to take out the plates. At least I will not need to do it again unless I decide to take the nvme for the PS5 Pro when/if it comes out.
 
The disk drive is very cool. Looks like a standard sata port to me.

Don't like the design, hate the two tone plates but apart from that. Yeah. Disk drive is cool.
 
Who remembers the whole smaller heat sink = bad thread? Good times.
Gx8GSFg.jpg


3rd revision heat sink is much different and probably more efficient base on Linus test and the fact that it looks smaller than the previous heat sink.
EHS1OaO.jpg


Sony made sure not to hide the CMOS battery under the heat sink as well.
 
nosoynadie22 said:
2020 PS5

3.9 kg - Digital
4.5 kg - Disc
Click to expand...
Losing 1.3 Kg and getting so much smaller… it is quite an achievement I would say…

Even with a Pro around the corner (1.2 years off or so), it is a nice jump compared to the launch model (not a fan of the new fins and overall new look though)…
 
I love how easy it is to get to the fan in the PS5 to clean it. I did it not long ago and it was quite dusty. If sony didn't make it easy, that dust would have just stayed there and continued building up.
 
I almost spit my coffee when he showed these plastic 'stands' for horizontal orientation. lol.

I wonder why they didn't consider an external power supply to make it look nice and indeed, slim.
 
winjer said:
When the PS5 released, there wasn't NAND fast enough to get 5.5GB/s with only the usual 8 channels. So they had to go with a 12 channels controller.
But now, we can get close to 7.5 GB/s on an 8 channel SSD. So Sony can easily get NAND that does 5.5GB/s, at a reasonable price.
And then, saving money on a cheaper controller.
Click to expand...
This makes sense.
 
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