In K0st3yr's videos, it's immediately apparent that while the structural design of the new PlayStation is significantly simpler - and thus easier and cheaper to produce - Sony is still relying upon discrete components for its main processors. Curiously, the integrated metallic heatspreader that sat on top of the RSX is now gone and based on size comparisons with the USB port, it appears that the chip remains identical to that found in the existing PlayStation 3 Slim - fabricated at 40nm. We also see that the GPU retains the four GDDR3 memory modules, again a match for the older model.
Cell itself remains tucked under a heatspreader, so it's difficult to tell if any changes have been made in this regard. However, our feeling is that once again the component is a match for the existing model as the integrated power supply offers peak power output along similar lines to the last Slim, while a smaller component would reduce load significantly. A drop from Cell's current 45nm process chip to 32nm would be the next logical step, but based on the LinkedIn profile of IBM's Elizabeth Gerhard - who "owned delivery" of key console processors at various fabrication nodes - there's a strong suggestion that the chip skips ahead to 22nm at some point in the future instead.
Elsewhere, while the exterior plastics, buttons and slidey lid cover are a step down from premium finish traditionally associated with PS3 build quality, the rest of the innards look reassuringly robust, and the complexity of the construction in general looks more involved than the Xbox 360S (with the original launch 360 looking almost agricultural in comparison). The cooling array looks sufficiently meaty, and just like the existing Slim, the entire top surface of the motherboard is encased in a metallic shield connected directly to the heatsink and fan. The Blu-ray drive appears to be significantly smaller too and overall part-count looks much reduced.
PlayStation 3 'Super Slim' disassembled
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