40 gig PS3 specs and why Sony went there
Be aware of what Sony has done in the 40 gig version:
It's now well known that the 40-GB PlayStation 3 is the product of design revisions that cut costs. The smaller HDD, removal of the memory card slots and third USB port, and lack of a PS2 Emotion Engine for backwards compatibility (can't play most ps2 games on the 40 gig) were all efforts to allow the console to be sold at lower prices.
According to ComputerBase.com, Sony has quietly shifted from 90-nm production processes for the Cell processor and NVIDIA GPU to more modern and efficient 65-nm production. The change mirrors, to a degree, the recent discovery that Microsoft has shifted to 65-nm production for the Xbox 360's CPU.
Shrinking the production process of a chip results in lower manufacturing costs due to the fact that more chips can be produced in each silicon wafer. The smaller internal architecture of the 65-nm chips also results in lower power consumption and as such less waste heat production. As such, the new 40-GB PS3s should run cooler and draw less power than older models. Though lack of PS2 backwards compatibility may be a downer for some, environmentally conscious gamers might appreciate the smaller energy footprint the new PS3 offers.
Japanese outlet Famitsu is also reporting that their 40-GB PS3 no longer features Super Audio CD support. Though likely not something the average American consumer either knows or cares about, Sony has apparently pulled the decoder chip for the high-grade music format from the revised PS3 as yet another way to shave the machine's production costs.
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