Tech-On attended the 2008 Techno-Frontier convention in Chiba, Japan, and came away with some exciting news courtesy of Furukawa Electric: Sony has a new PS3 heatsink, and it’s lighter, smaller, cheaper, and simpler than any prior heat dissipation solutions.
The third generation of PS3 heatsinks, this new component is composed of only three materials where prior versions had 10-20, and does away with copper heat pipes altogether in favor of aluminum “crimped fin” and “stacked fin” designs, apparently a Furukawa speciality.
But why do you care? Well, aside from an extra roll of the die between you and what’s commonly known on the Microsoft side of the fence as red-ring-of-death syndrome, the fact remains that if there’s a new heatsink, Sony will have to put it into PS3s somehow. And while they could go about it quietly, it’s well known that the old SIXAXIS controller is being replaced by the DUALSHOCK 3.
Aside from the limited-edition Metal Gear Solid 4 bundles set to arrive this June, there’s currently no way for the consumer to buy a new PS3 without getting inferior controllers, and with Sony planning increased digital distribution through their new video service, they’re due for larger hard drives as well.
And that’s all without even considering the fact that the PS3 is an ugly black monolith whose insides are mostly devoted to powering and cooling the Cell processor. Give it an external power brick and this new heatsink, and even a slimline PS3 might not be out of the question.
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