Sony PlayStation 3

Tecolote said:
"PlayStation 3 Offers Supercomputer Performance at PC Pricing"

this is a big lie a computer with only 512 MB of RAM runs like crap (it may be true in the 60s)
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Try running a game that looks as good as PS3 games on that PC with 512mb RAM then
 
ThomasGOAL said:
PlayStation 3 Offers Supercomputer Performance at PC Pricing, iSuppli’s Teardown Analysis Reveals


November 16, 2006

From delivery delays, to technology hurdles, to missed production targets, to cancelled pre-orders, to an apparently exorbitant price tag—we’ve all read the bad news regarding Sony Corp.’s much-anticipated new PlayStation 3 video-game console.

Now for the good news: iSuppli Corp.’s dissection reveals the PlayStation 3 is an engineering masterpiece that sets a new high mark for computing price/performance—even when considering it is more expensive than its nearest rival, the Xbox 360 from Microsoft Corp.

“With the PlayStation 3, you are getting the performance of a supercomputer at the price of an entry-level PC,” said Andrew Rassweiler, teardown services manager and senior analyst for iSuppli.

Table 1 below presents iSuppli’s estimate of major component and subsystem cost drivers for the PlayStation 3.

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PlayStation 3 costs

The combined materials and manufacturing cost of the PlayStation 3 is $805.85 for the model equipped with a 20Gbyte Hard Disk Drive (HDD), and $840.35 for the 60Gbyte HDD version, according to iSuppli’s Teardown Analysis service’s preliminary estimate of expenses in the fourth quarter. This total doesn’t include additional costs for elements including the controller, cables and packaging.

At these costs, Sony is taking a considerable loss on each PlayStation 3 sold. Materials and manufacturing costs for the 20Gbyte model exceed the suggested retail price of $499 by a total of $306.85, iSuppli’s Teardown Analysis service estimates. For the 60Gbyte version, costs exceed the $599 price by $241.35.

With Sony taking a smaller loss on the higher-end model, it’s not a surprise the company is steering customers to the 60Gbyte version.

In contrast, the HDD-equipped Xbox 360 has a manufacturing and materials total of $323.30, based on an updated estimate using costs in the fourth quarter of 2006. This total is $75.70 less than the $399 suggested retail price of the Xbox 360.

Table 2 below presents a comparison of costs between the PlayStation 3 models and the Xbox 360.

It’s common for video-game console makers to lose money on hardware, and make up for the loss via video game-title sales. Still, the size of Sony’s loss per unit is remarkable, even for the video-game console business.

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Cutting-edge design

Despite this, iSuppli’s Teardown Analysis shows that with the PlayStation 3, Sony has delivered an amazing level of performance for the cost.

“The reason why the PlayStation 3 is so costly to produce is because it has incredible processing power,” Rassweiler said. “If someone had shown me the PlayStation 3 motherboard from afar without telling me what it was, I would have assumed it was for a network switch or an enterprise server.”

Some of the more advanced features of the PlayStation 3’s design include:

- The dual Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), i.e. the RSX Reality Synthesizer from Nvidia Corp. and the Emotion Engine & Graphics Synthesizer from Toshiba Corp. The RSX Reality Synthesizer delivers cutting-edge high-definition graphics—while the Emotion Engine provides backward compatibility with PlayStation 2 game titles. With their design wins, Nvidia and Toshiba control 12 percent and 11 percent of the total PlayStation 3 materials and manufacturing costs respectively.

- The Cell Broadband Engine from IBM, which serves as the central processing unit of the PlayStation 3, provides the equivalent computing power of eight individual microprocessors. The Cell is what endows the PlayStation 3 with its supercomputer-like power, Rassweiler observed. IBM’s Cell processor accounts for 11 percent of the PlayStation 3 costs.

- The use of four Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. 512Mbit DRAMs that employ high-speed memory interface technology from Rambus Inc. This marks the first use of the advanced XDR DRAM technology that iSuppli has detected. Samsung’s memory represents 11 percent of PlayStation 3 costs. Samsung and Elpida Memory Inc. are dual sources for the XDR DRAM.

Table 3 below presents the top-10 suppliers who control the most semiconductor value inside the PlayStation 3.

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The PlayStation 3 exhibits a very advanced design in general.

“To give an example of how cutting-edge the design is, in the entire history of the iSuppli Teardown Analysis team, we have seen only three semiconductors with 1,200 or more pins. The PlayStation 3 has three such semiconductors all by itself,” Rassweiler noted. “There is nothing cheap about the PlayStation 3 design. This is not an adapted PC design. Even beyond the major chips in the PlayStation 3, the other components seem to also be expensive and somewhat exotic.”

Rassweiler cited the PlayStation 3’s inclusion of a power supply that packs a whopping 400-watts—yet uses a very compact, low-profile design. At $37.50, this power supply costs about twice as much as an average unit found in a PC.


Other component winners

While many of the major components found in the PlayStation 3 were already known, iSuppli’s Teardown Analysis team reported some surprise part selections in the game console that could boost the fortunes of their suppliers. These include:

- International Rectifier Corp., which contributes several power-management devices to the PlayStation 3. This gives International Rectifier a 3 percent share of total PlayStation 3 materials and manufacturing costs.

- Marvell Technology Group Ltd.’s 802.11 b/g module chipset, which provides wireless local area networking capabilities. With this design win, Marvell owns 2 percent of the PlayStation 3’s costs.

- CSR plc’s BlueCore 4 solution, which supports version 2.0 of the Bluetooth wireless standard, plus Enhanced Data Rate technology, giving it a transfer speed three times faster than current Bluetooth devices, according to CSR. This gives CSR a 1 percent share of the PlayStation 3 cost.

- Spansion Inc, which contributed an 8Mbit NOR flash memory chip for the PlayStation 3’s Bluetooth module, and a 16Mbit NOR flash part for the console’s Blu-Ray module. This gives Spansion ownership of less than 1 percent of the PlayStation 3’s costs.


A component glitch

Sony has suffered some well-publicized problems meeting its PlayStation 3 production and delivery goals.

Production problems meant that only 100,000 PlayStation 3 machines were ready in time for the console’s debut in Japan on Nov. 11, according to Chris Crotty, senior analyst, consumer electronics for iSuppli. When it goes on sale in the United States on Nov. 17, about 400,000 PS3 consoles will be available. Meanwhile, the console’s European launch has been pushed back until March of 2007.

Crotty said the reduction in shipments was due to yield problems at Nichia Corp., which supplies blue laser diodes for the PlayStation 3’s Blu-ray DVD. This slowed PlayStation 3 production.

Blues for Blu-Ray

Sony’s Blu-Ray DVD read only optical device in the PlayStation 3 has dual purposes: up-converting the game console’s output to high-definition resolution, and allowing viewers to watch high-definition movies using the console, according to Krishna Chander, senior analyst, storage devices, for iSuppli.

Sony’s strategy was not lost on Microsoft, which plans to offer a separate add-on high-definition DVD system for the Xbox 360. This should be available around the holiday season this year. Nintendo has no plans to offer a next-generation DVD system in its game consoles.

Given that more studio movie releases now are supported by Blu-Ray disks, Sony’s PS3 has a slight advantage. However, Microsoft plans to offer some network television movies for download into the Xbox 360 system.

PlayStation’s HDD

The PlayStation 3’s HDD is a 2.5-inch, 20Gbyte capacity drive supplied by Seagate Technology Inc. The reason a HDD is included in the PlayStation 3 is to store the mathematical modeling based on physics for the motion and impact of the various game objects. The DVD media produces the objects that are manipulated by the game player and for each scenario; the most realistic situations are replicated using the Cell processor and mathematical models.

Not so expensive after all

While many fret over the high cost and price of the PlayStation 3 compared to the competition, iSuppli believes the console provides more processing power and capability than any consumer electronics device in history. Because of this, the PlayStation 3 is a great bargain, well worth its $599 price and $840.35 cost, iSuppli believes.

For more information, please contact:

Jonathan Cassell
Editorial Director and Manager, Public Relations
iSuppli Corporation
Office: 408.654.1714
Mobile : 408.921.3754
www.isuppli.com

link : http://www.isuppli.com/news/default.asp?id=6919
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No more doubt about the power of the PS3 :rock:
 
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The Dreamcast was significantly more powerful than the PS1 but still took a beating from it, Betamax vs VHS, etc, there's many examples. The only thing that matters is the games, and there is absolutely nothing on PS3's launch list that makes it worth buying.

Resistance? I can't believe some of the scores it's been lavished with, I've seen a ton of PC shooters recently which aside from how they play, just look far prettier and run better at the same time. I know it's down to the individual talent of each development team, but how can a console heralded as a "supercomputer" produce such a bland-looking game and still only achieve a framerate of 30fps? Regardless of what format it's on, these days a first-person shooter that runs at 30fps is a joke IMO - if you released it on PC it'd get laughed at. PCs have been doing HD FPS at 60fps+ for years, whilst at the same time providing the most impressive graphics seen at the time of release.

Given the specs both Sony and Microsoft have been at pains to reel off whenever possible, their machines should be more than capable of equalling what current PCs are capable of, the argument that a PC costs more doesn't even apply here. It amuses me how people fall over themselves to praise 'yet another' console FPS which is just piddled over by numerous PC alternatives.
 
Won't the xbox 360 be half the price of a ps3 when it comes out? Can't see it being worth twice the price...
 
ThomasGOAL said:
Normal, need time, good tools and experience ;)
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Whats the point? It took about 5 years for Sony to finally produce the type of graphics that they promised on launch. By the time that happens, we might be looking forward to the next Xbox and PS4. :roll:
 
ClassicD said:
The Dreamcast was significantly more powerful than the PS1 but still took a beating from it, Betamax vs VHS, etc, there's many examples. The only thing that matters is the games, and there is absolutely nothing on PS3's launch list that makes it worth buying.

Resistance? I can't believe some of the scores it's been lavished with, I've seen a ton of PC shooters recently which aside from how they play, just look far prettier and run better at the same time. I know it's down to the individual talent of each development team, but how can a console heralded as a "supercomputer" produce such a bland-looking game and still only achieve a framerate of 30fps? Regardless of what format it's on, these days a first-person shooter that runs at 30fps is a joke IMO - if you released it on PC it'd get laughed at. PCs have been doing HD FPS at 60fps+ for years, whilst at the same time providing the most impressive graphics seen at the time of release.

Given the specs both Sony and Microsoft have been at pains to reel off whenever possible, their machines should be more than capable of equalling what current PCs are capable of, the argument that a PC costs more doesn't even apply here. It amuses me how people fall over themselves to praise 'yet another' console FPS which is just piddled over by numerous PC alternatives.
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madden? madden in the states is what PES/fifa is in europe..

all of the ps3's in the US are probably sold out by now, also you have to rememebr classic, HD has been in the states for 5 years now, alot of people can justify the purchase alone for that reason... a

also how many people are going to buy a 60 inch HD tv to hooke up to your computer... not many
 
I was speaking purely from a personal POV mate, I understand others may find something in the launch line-up that floats their boat. I'd also point out the scores for Madden haven't exactly been comparable to the type of scores PES gets over here (despite the deserved criticism it receives on this and other boards, it seems to consistently achieve an average of 90%+ in review). American Football isn't my game, but when I see IGN hand out an 8.3 my gut instinct is it's not a triple-A game, because IGN are possibly the most generous, hype-following website out there.

PC gaming doesn't require a 60" HDTV, you're far closer to the screen in the first place. This is a seperate argument I guess, the pros/cons of console vs PC gaming. My point was that console FPS' seem to be given a lot of slack, they're often really only compared to other console FPS' and as such review scores are pretty skewed when placed alongside PC shooters. What someone on a console would consider a great FPS, a PC gamer would probably see as average. That's certainly how I feel anyway.
 
I will check on this consoles growth in about a nother year right now abig waste of tiem and money. you guys are really better off getting it in march maybe SOME good games will be out then right now the games are rehash port and semi-good
 
Two armed thugs tried to rob a line of people waiting for the new Playstation 3 game system to go on sale early Friday and shot a man who refused to give up his money, authorities said.

In other states, customers pushed and shoved their way to the shelves to get at the limited supply, and in Kentucky, four people were hit by BBs in an apparent drive-by shooting as they waited for a Best Buy store to open.

The two gunman in Putnam confronted 15 to 20 people standing outside a Wal-Mart store shortly after 3 a.m. and demanded money, said State Police Lt. J. Paul Vance.

"One of the patrons resisted. That patron was shot," Vance said.

He said the two gunmen fled after shooting a 21-year-old Massachusetts man in the chest and shoulder. The victim was taken to University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester. There was no immediate word on his condition.

Vance said police were searching for the suspects, both believed to be in their teens. He said one was wearing a ski mask and brandishing a handgun, and the other had what appeared to be a shotgun.

Aside from the police tape, things had returned to normal by midmorning at the Wal-Mart store in rural Putnam, a town of about 9,000 residents near the Massachusetts and Rhode Island borders.

Short supplies of the PS3 and strong demand led to lines of buyers, some waiting for days, outside stores across the country.

In Palmdale, Calif., authorities shut down a Super Wal-Mart after some shoppers got rowdy late Wednesday. In West Bend, Wis., a 19-year-old man was injured when he ran into a pole racing with 50 others for one of 10 spots outside a Wal-Mart.

In Lexington, Ky., police were investigating a drive-by shooting that hit four people with BB pellets outside a Best Buy store, causing minor injuries, according to WKYT, whose own reporter was hit as she interviewed buyers in line.

A Best Buy in Boston, aware it had only 140 of the consoles, got smart about the big sale - its employees gave out tickets to the first 140 people in line so everyone could go home until the store opened
 
I've saved up enough for a ps3, but will it be ok on an average tv, 'cos i can't afford an hdtv. Is the picture quality really that much better? From what people are saying it's like you HAVE to get an hdtv, Am i going to be like "AAAAAAARGH, MY EYE'S, I can only see fuzz!" " I. CAN'T. SEE!!! "
 
No one knows yet, just save up more. Or buy some shares in Newcaslte PLC, they are going to get sold soon I think, get rich quick...
 
The funniest past of the Xbox 360 one was when that guy in the end came up to them and asked "Can I keep your controller?" :lol:
 
Why don't we all wait and see how many people complain about PS3 performance. So far all XBOX 360 forums have mostly threads about people's 360 being defected, over-heating, freezing, locking etc. Give it a few weeks and this will determain which console has more problems.

I bought 360 .. 2nd day or so it started freezing, locking up..scratching discs.. I returned it and got another one.. SAME SHIT! Finally I got sick of it and returned it, got my money back. Fuck MIKROSOFT..They rushed 360. Don't get me wrong, 360 is an excelent gaming console but most consoles are defective out of the box or waiting to be defective.
 
Played Ridge Racer 7 today in Toys'r'us. It was ok but as mentioned before it was nothing special. I don't think I'll be buying one until at least next spring, if then. All the other games for sale were pretty poor too.
 
Apparently not! I've played PGR3 on an SDTV and it was great. Apparently the PS3 isn't. But then if you go and buy a third party cable sometime in 2007 I'd bet it fixes the problem.
 
well i was playing my 360 in a normal tv..now i got vga cables so i cna play in my pc monitor... and now i really see the next gen games.!! (and notice i had component cables in my normal tv... but still crap compared to the quality with my vga monitor)
 
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