PlayStation 4 Runs Much Cooler Than PS3, FCC Reports

[Earnest Cavalli]

PlayStation 4 Runs Much Cooler Than PS3, FCC Reports

According to a recent FCC analysis of the upcoming PlayStation 4, Sony's latest console has an operating temperature range roughly 40 degrees below that of its predecessor.

The PlayStation 4 appears to be an exciting machine. It's $100 cheaper than its closest competitor, features relatively scant DRM and appears to support some very attractive games. Thanks to a new filing by the US Federal Communications Commission [https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/reports/ViewExhibitReport.cfm?mode=Exhibits&RequestTimeout=500&calledFromFrame=N&application_id=435177&fcc_id=AK8DUTD1000], there's also one other major positive mark in the PS4 column: The device won't cause your home theater to burst into flames.

According to the FCC, standard operating temperatures for a PlayStation 4 range from 41 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Compare that to the PlayStation 3 which was designed to operate in temperatures between 113 degrees and 131 degrees Fahrenheit. More anecdotally, anyone who's played games on a PlayStation 3 (especially the original model) for an extended amount of time will tell you that the console had a tendency to heat whatever room it was in. Often to the point where it was simply unplayable on especially hot days, as at certain temperatures not too far beyond its specified operating range, the PlayStation 3 could cease functioning or even damage games and peripherals with its heat. By contrast, the PlayStation 4 should have fewer overheating issues, and hopefully a longer mechanical lifespan as a result.

The PlayStation 4 is currently slated to hit retail at some point toward the end of 2013. We shouldn't have to say it, but yes, we'll probably write many more things about Sony's newest console over the next few months. Stay tuned.

Source: VentureBeat [http://venturebeat.com/2013/07/23/the-playstation-4-is-less-likely-to-turn-your-entertainment-center-into-a-sauna/]


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[Cloake]

That's actually very exciting news to me. I think the heating issue is probably part of the reason why I'm on my third PS3.

 

[scorptatious]

Well that's good to hear. Personally I never really had a heating issue with my PS3, but it's nice to know the PS4 will run at a cooler temperature.

 

[fix-the-spade]

I still can't decide if this generation will be the best ever or so bad it's the last.

On the one hand the hardware looks unusually sensible in it's specs, ambitions and pricing. On the other all parties seem desperate to make their games as expensive as possible and are pushing stuff other than games, which is going to go down well when tablets, laptops and TV can all do what the next gen are so brashly advertising for about $400 as well.

Interesting times.

 

[BX3]

Pair this news with the casing being less of a casing and more of a cage and this thing will basically be ice cold. Makes me happy.

 

[The White Hunter]

Thats 5 to 35 Celsius for anybody in one of the vast majority of countries not still using a nonsensical temperature scale.

Thats pretty cool, is that based on the machine as an entirety or is it based on say, the CPU being at 70% load and a core temp?

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

Sweeeeeeeeet.

I have to stop playing on my fatty PS3 after a while because it's too damn warm in the room. It also doesn't help that in the off chance that I play in the afternoon it's in the 100s outside and kinda toasty inside because of the PS3 in long sessions.

I am pleased with this.

 

[CBanana]

That temperature seems more like an operating environment range rather than the range the device would be at. Otherwise, unless the Playstation 4 is doing something really wacky, there's no way that the bottom temperature would be lower than room temperature.

 

[Matthi205]

That temperature seems more like an operating environment range rather than the range the device would be at. Otherwise, unless the Playstation 4 is doing something really wacky, there's no way that the bottom temperature would be lower than room temperature.

I've managed to get an AMD Athlon II X2 220 cooled down below room temperature at full load (and 14K below room temp in idle), so it's not really magic. It just asks for sufficient cooling measures - in my case a good fan and a Scythe Ninja 3 (though you've also pretty much got to have a bit of luck with your CPU, not getting one that was a X2 220 originally, but rather a deactivated because broken quad or hexacore CPU).

 

[dalek sec]

Thank god

Despite never actually having given out, my PS3 always seems like it's on the verge of a nuclear meltdown

Same here, the case kinda creak's when it get's hot and I'm worried about it breaking or something. Glad to see they fixed that issue with the PS4, glad to see Sony learning from it's mistakes with the PS3.

 

[CBanana]

I've managed to get an AMD Athlon II X2 220 cooled down below room temperature at full load (and 14K below room temp in idle), so it's not really magic. It just asks for sufficient cooling measures - in my case a good fan and a Scythe Ninja 3 (though you've also pretty much got to have a bit of luck with your CPU, not getting one that was a X2 220 originally, but rather a deactivated because broken quad or hexacore CPU).

Are you sure your sensor wasn't misreading the CPU temperature? Electricity flowing generates heat, it doesn't take away from heat. You'd basically need something like a Freon based coolant system to go below room temperature.

 

[Jamash]

Thats 5 to 35 Celsius for anybody in one of the vast majority of countries not still using a nonsensical temperature scale.

5°C?

My new fridge is set to 5°C, so if the PS4's temperature can drop as low as 5&#176C, wouldn't there be a risk of condensation forming?

I know when I take a bottle of liquid out of my fridge in this summer heat, condensation almost immediately forms on the outside.

 

[The White Hunter]

Thats 5 to 35 Celsius for anybody in one of the vast majority of countries not still using a nonsensical temperature scale.

5&#176C?

My new fridge is set to 5&#176C, so if the PS4's temperature can drop as low as 5&176C, wouldn't there be a risk of condensation forming?

I know when I take a bottle of liquid out of my fridge in this summer heat, condensation almost immediately forms on the outside.

No, I think it's likely the operating temperature of the die that the CPU and GPU live on. There's also the fact air will constantly be flowing through the machine and the fact the temperature isn't going to very suddenly spike from 5 to 30.

It basically means there's a bloody good cooling system in it.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

It would be a surprise if it didn't run cooler. The technology changed quite a lot since the PS3 was released. The parts are smaller, they require less power and they also produce less heat. The original PS3 used a 65nm CPU for crying out loud. That thing produces a lot of heat.


Meanwhile, Microsoft actually had to downclock their GPU because the Xbone had heating issues once they decided to implement eSRAM to try to compete with the insane memory bandwidth of the PS4. Which is probably why they tried to sell us that cloud processing bullshit. And how much bigger is the Xbone compared to the PS4? Xbone is an engineering failure.

So the PS4 is smaller, less expensive, more powerful, produces less heat, has no anti-consumer DRM and mandatory Big Brother gimmicks, supports every headset, embraces indies and has f2p games that don't require payed subscription. Also Sony tends to have better exclusives.

Yeah, I'd say that the Xbone is destined to fail.

 

[Wil213]

This is good news. My room isn't well ventilated/cooled so my PS3 can heat my room to buggery. Least with the PS4 is probably won't.

 

[PoolCleaningRobot]

Hope its quieter too. Trying to play a game that's heavy on dialog while trying not to disturb others in my house is hard when the console's fans kick in and sound like an airplane taking off. Too bad I won't be able heat my room in the winter but I like it cold anyway. And it'll be nice for the thing to use less power

I still can't decide if this generation will be the best ever or so bad it's the last.

On the one hand the hardware looks unusually sensible in it's specs, ambitions and pricing. On the other all parties seem desperate to make their games as expensive as possible and are pushing stuff other than games, which is going to go down well when tablets, laptops and TV can all do what the next gen are so brashly advertising for about $400 as well.

Interesting times.

Fully agree. We have people like Mark Cerny who's designing the ps4 and seems to really get gaming saying things like how he hopes to recapture of the magic of the ps2 era as opposed to saying last gen was the best ever. At the same time, we have dev's and publishers insisting on an all digital future before we mechanisms in place to guarantee us proper rights to our games and the drm apocalypse also being a possibility. Regardless, I'm looking forward to the ps4 for now

 

[mjc0961]

Somebody fucked up or the PS4 is an air conditioner as well as a game console.

According to the FCC, standard operating temperatures for a PlayStation 4 range from 41 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

32 degress Fahrenhiet is the point at which water freezes. There's no way that a powered on PS4 not only runs lower than room temperature, but runs cool enough to almost freeze water. Powered on electrical components generate heat, they do not cool.

That temperature seems more like an operating environment range rather than the range the device would be at. Otherwise, unless the Playstation 4 is doing something really wacky, there's no way that the bottom temperature would be lower than room temperature.

This would be a feasible explanation for the discrepancy. If you go to the FCC filings linked in the article it just states "Operating Temperature 5-35 degrees C". Given that it's next to other stats like the dimensions of the console and the weight of the console, it probably just means the temperatures that the console can operate in rather than the temperatures the console runs at when powered on.

I mean, again, the PS4 would need a built in air conditioner to be able to run at a temperature that's not that much higher than the temperature where water freezes. There's just no way Sony included that kind of tech in there and didn't mention it to everyone.