PS3 60 gig durability question...

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 8:44 pm

I've heard that the reason why Sony removed full backwards compatibility from the PS3, and thus the 60gig model from the market, is that the emotion engine was causing 60 gig models to overheat. Is there any truth to this? Otherwise, a used 60 gig model would be a great buy, IMO.

jonny5 · Post by **jonny5** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 8:49 pm

i was under the impression that they removed backwards compatibility to try and shave costs allowing them to lower the price ever so slightly

i am probably wrong tho

pingis · Post by **pingis** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 10:22 pm

I've had a 60g ps3 since launch and have not had a single problem with it. i really dont' play older games on it though so i don't know if that affects anything. I do use it often though with no issues.

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 11:03 pm

pingis wrote:I've had a 60g ps3 since launch and have not had a single problem with it. i really dont' play older games on it though so i don't know if that affects anything. I do use it often though with no issues.

Ok, thanks for that feedback! I'm pretty sure that jonny5 is correct in that Sony took it out because of the cost.

While we're at it, what causes the Yellow Light of Death on the PS3? I've been told that the RROD on the 360 is caused by the separation of the heat sink from the motherboard.

Ganelon · Post by **Ganelon** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 11:03 pm

There's been no link between the PS3 60GB and any issue; the Emotion Engine supposedly cost quite a bit so taking that out helped them recoup some costs. It's the best model with the most features.

Ex-Cyber · Post by **Ex-Cyber** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 11:18 pm

jonny5 wrote:i was under the impression that they removed backwards compatibility to try and shave costs allowing them to lower the price ever so slightly

That's pretty much it, AFAIK. They were under a huge amount of pressure to do a price cut to increase sales, but at the same time had to cut their losses.

As for the allegation that the EE/GS were making the PS3 overheat, I have no idea how that makes any sense. That's like saying that you built a PC with a Pentium 4 Extreme Edition and a GeForce 9800, and the south bridge was making the system overheat.

pcb_revival · Post by **pcb_revival** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 8:46 am

Yes it was a cost saving action although Sony today still make a loss on every console sold just reduced.

I wonder if we will ever see a hardware PS2 solution return in a future edition of the PS3 tenure of life.

There is talk of a PS2 software emulater or selected recoded PS2 titles available through the PSN - time will tell.

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 7:18 pm

pcb_revival wrote:Yes it was a cost saving action although Sony today still make a loss on every console sold just reduced.

I wonder if we will ever see a hardware PS2 solution return in a future edition of the PS3 tenure of life.

There is talk of a PS2 software emulater or selected recoded PS2 titles available through the PSN - time will tell.

I don't know, I do think that it would help PS3 sales. I mean, at Target and at GameStop, customers would say "So....it plays PS3 games and PS1 games...but not PS2 games?" It made no sense to them and it makes no sense to me, either.

The "old" 40 gig PS3 was about 80% backwards compatible with PS2 games. I was told that what Sony did was remove all of the old sports titles (like NHL 2001, for example), which would make sense.

antron · Post by **antron** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 8:44 pm

dave4shmups wrote: The "old" 40 gig PS3 was about 80% backwards compatible with PS2 games. I was told that what Sony did was remove all of the old sports titles (like NHL 2001, for example), which would make sense.

that might be the 80 G,

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 10:30 pm

The USA region PS3 model no. CECH-A01 with 60GB HDD + 4 USB 2.0 ports, CF slot, MS Pro Duo slot, SD slot, built-in WiFi, built-in Super Audio CD (SACD) player support, PSX/PS2 backwards compatilbility and built-in Bluetooth 2.0 support was listed with a MSRP of $599.99 USD back in November/December of 2006. I managed to score one just a few days before Christmas of 2006 -- it was on a first come, first served basis. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Ka0tiK · Post by **Ka0tiK** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 1:59 am

PC Engine Fan X! wrote:The USA region PS3 model no. CECH-A01 with 60GB HDD + 4 USB 2.0 ports, CF slot, MS Pro Duo slot, SD slot, built-in WiFi, built-in Super Audio CD (SACD) player support, PSX/PS2 backwards compatilbility and built-in Bluetooth 2.0 support was listed with a MSRP of $599.99 USD back in November/December of 2006. I managed to score one just a few days before Christmas of 2006 -- it was on a first come, first served basis. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

I got one too soon after it's release, however, few months later the unit died and sent it back to Sony for a repair. They sent me a replacement, but now I'm not sure if they sent me and 80GB PS3 with a swapped HDD for a 60GB that's no fully backwards compatible.

Anybody has an idea how to find out?

Ex-Cyber · Post by **Ex-Cyber** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 4:59 am

dave4shmups wrote:The "old" 40 gig PS3 was about 80% backwards compatible with PS2 games. I was told that what Sony did was remove all of the old sports titles (like NHL 2001, for example), which would make sense.

It makes sense inasmuch as hardly anyone plays superseded sports games, but I have no idea what it realistically has to do with compatibility. They lost some compatibility because the Emotion Engine was replaced with software emulation, which has some bugs. The approach isn't like 360 where they have specific support for each game; it just tries to run whatever PS2 game you put in. Most games run fine, some don't run full-speed sometimes, some have various other bugs, and some crash/hang.

Specineff · Post by **Specineff** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 8:24 pm

Ka0tiK wrote:I got one too soon after it's release, however, few months later the unit died and sent it back to Sony for a repair. They sent me a replacement, but now I'm not sure if they sent me and 80GB PS3 with a swapped HDD for a 60GB that's no fully backwards compatible.

Anybody has an idea how to find out?

Check the model number and Wikipedia's page. That's what made me decide for my current one.

Ka0tiK · Post by **Ka0tiK** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:22 pm

Specineff wrote:Check the model number and Wikipedia's page. That's what made me decide for my current one.

Very cool, it's fully backwards compatible.

Ganelon · Post by **Ganelon** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 10:05 pm

Not fully. Probably 90% compatible.

Ex-Cyber · Post by **Ex-Cyber** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 11:34 pm

Ganelon wrote:Not fully. Probably 90% compatible.

I think that's a bit low; it's probably at least 95%. At launch there were some bugs (in IOP emulation, I assume), but AFAICT most of them have been fixed.

Matsunaga · Post by **Matsunaga** » Sat Jun 20, 2009 12:37 am

100% of my ps2 games work perfectly.

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Sat Jun 20, 2009 7:25 pm

GAH! The 60 gig's are $429.00 at GameStop!

(Then again, that's only $30 more then a new XBOX 360 Elite.) I'd like to see how much they are at GameCrazy. I wouldn't want a PS3 off of Ebay; the shipping would be ridiculous on that beast.

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Sat Jun 20, 2009 7:40 pm

dave4shmups wrote:GAH! The 60 gig's are $429.00 at GameStop! (Then again, that's only $30 more then a new XBOX 360 Elite.) I'd like to see how much they are at GameCrazy. I wouldn't want a PS3 off of Ebay; the shipping would be ridiculous on that beast.

You get what you pay for, dave4shmups. Just be thankful you didn't have to shell out $599.99 + tax when the PS3 was available at launch in the USA. Not to mention waiting in line for a couple of days in hopes of scoring one. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Mon Jun 22, 2009 12:36 am

PC Engine Fan X! wrote:
dave4shmups wrote:GAH! The 60 gig's are $429.00 at GameStop! (Then again, that's only $30 more then a new XBOX 360 Elite.) I'd like to see how much they are at GameCrazy. I wouldn't want a PS3 off of Ebay; the shipping would be ridiculous on that beast.
You get what you pay for, dave4shmups. Just be thankful you didn't have to shell out $599.99 + tax when the PS3 was available at launch in the USA. Not to mention waiting in line for a couple of days in hopes of scoring one. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Yeah, good points! It wouldn't come with a warranty, but the PS3's is only one year, on new units.

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Mon Jun 22, 2009 12:45 am

antron wrote:
dave4shmups wrote: The "old" 40 gig PS3 was about 80% backwards compatible with PS2 games. I was told that what Sony did was remove all of the old sports titles (like NHL 2001, for example), which would make sense.
that might be the 80 G,
http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/photo ... n_copy.jpg

Interesting Venn Diagram, they messed up on putting $500 in two places though (should be in the crossection). Pretty helpful though!

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Mon Jun 22, 2009 9:10 pm

Ok, so do you just use HDMI cables when you are watching or playing something in 1080p, or at lower resolutions as well?

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Mon Jun 22, 2009 10:14 pm

dave4shmups wrote:Ok, so do you just use HDMI cables when you are watching or playing something in 1080p, or at lower resolutions as well?

Yeah, you would use an HDMI cable on the PS3 for watching standard definition DVDs upscaled to 1080p from 480p and everything else in between: 480i, 480p, 720i, 720p, 1080i and 1080p. You just have to make sure that whatever HDTV monitor that you use is a true 1080p one to truly take advantage of the what the PS3 has to offer in terms of 1080p gaming titles. Playing the PS3 game exclusive of WipeoutHD in 1080p and the upcoming upgrade to WipeoutHD Fury in 1080p with arcade-spec 60fps framerate is pure awesomeness. It doesn't get any better than this. ^_~

There are some PS3 games whose highest resolution is at 720p and thus, the HDTV monitor would select the proper display resolution for it. Both Gran TursimoHD and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue support 1080p quite easily and is absolutely jaw-dropping stunning. I'm using a reasonably priced Monster Cable branded HDMI setup...works like a charm. Of course, I've seen some Monster Cable branded HDMI cables that retail for $149.99 USD...that's assuming if you got money to burn. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

neorichieb1971 · Post by **neorichieb1971** » Mon Jun 22, 2009 11:29 pm

I have 2 60GB machines.

Pros - BW compatibility with PS2 games, 4 USB's and memory card readers

Cons - It overheats easily. Not to the point of breaking, but fan noise levels are much greater than the other models.

I am going to buy a slim model come this fall when its released for the lower power consumption and quieter/cooler inards. PS2 compatibility has been somewhat under used by myself. I don't use any PS2 games on my 60GB machines and they look just as good through component video on my slim PS2. Which uses about 1/10th of the power consumption and does not over heat or make loud fan noise.

If you buy a 40GB machine and a slim PS2 your pretty much getting the best deal imo.

As for the HDMI argument. Its better, but its just convenient as well. One cable does everything and nothing leaves the digital domain.

I am soon selling my UK PS3 60GB machine as I have no PAL games for the PS2 or PS1 and I have other consoles I can play them on anyway.

I hope I have helped.

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Mon Jun 22, 2009 11:38 pm

The only remedy to cool down a 60GB PS3 is to get a 3rd-party PS3 cooling fan accessory that attaches to the back of the PS3 (usually means more fans to draw out the excess heat elsewhere). It sure can heat up a small room in the wintertime quite easily, I'll have to admit that. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

antron · Post by **antron** » Mon Jun 22, 2009 11:44 pm

PC Engine Fan X! wrote:The only remedy to cool down a 60GB PS3 is to get a 3rd-party PS3 cooling fan accessory that attaches to the back of the PS3 (usually means more fans to draw out the excess heat elsewhere). It sure can heat up a small room in the wintertime quite easily, I'll have to admit that. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

unless the power it draws from the PS3 power supply ends up making the whole system hotter. It's like fanning yourself with a hat, it makes you hotter.

I drilled more air holes in my entertainment center, and now my 60GB PS3 does not crank up it's fan.

i may get the thinner one when it comes out, and sell the BC one.
as long as it can run linux, I love the blu-ray ripping and USB HD playback

Specineff · Post by **Specineff** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 12:43 am

neorichieb1971 wrote:II am going to buy a slim model come this fall when its released for the lower power consumption and quieter/cooler inards.

There's a Slim PS3? Or, you mean you'll get a Slim PS2 and forego BC on a PS3?

antron · Post by **antron** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 1:29 am

Specineff wrote:
neorichieb1971 wrote:II am going to buy a slim model come this fall when its released for the lower power consumption and quieter/cooler inards.
There's a Slim PS3?

rumors and leaked photos

Sinneslöschen · Post by **Sinneslöschen** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 6:38 am

The Blu-ray drive of my backwards compatible PS3 died after a few months. That was the only issue I had, but I do not think that was related to an overheating problem - correct me if I am wrong.

The exchange took a while, but it is running fine since then. Get one -for a reasonable price- if you can!

Wavey Pavey · Post by **Wavey Pavey** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 12:38 pm

neorichieb1971 wrote:I have 2 60GB machines.

Cons - It overheats easily. Not to the point of breaking, but fan noise levels are much greater than the other models.

I don't use any PS2 games on my 60GB machines and they look just as good through component video on my slim PS2.

I have 2 too, and 2 PS2's, hooked up through Component (PS3's are HDMI), and don't agree with that statement at all. The BC output is far superior through HDMI, plus you get a wireless controller, and can use VSHG's, so a 40 and a slim PS2 is no substitute (IMO).

As for fan noise, i think that's really subjective, as my US model is virtually silent, my Japanese one a little louder, but no where near a 360 for example.