PS4 teardown by iFixit


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lol @ "it's all the Killzones and Banjo Kazooie's"

 

Still impressed how compact the PS4 considering its specs. Worried it's going to backfire with hardware issues though.

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Secret tidbit that the PS4 is built no better than the PS3 Slim. Various reasons:

a) They're still routing hot air from the APU (CPU & GPU SoC) through the power supply, which itself runs hot as its voltage rectifiers have heatsinks to dissipate heat. I'd rather have the external brick than overheat my already hot internal supply.

b) The case is still cramped. and the innards are bolted straight to plastic, the only heat removal is the heatspreader over the board which will actually spread heat to cold areas. The Xbox One still has everything in a sturdy metal box chassis, the plastic body is just an exterior, the CPU fan has tons of airy room around it.

c) The optical drive's mechanical parts are exposed on the top of the drive, god help you if you drop anything on the console, all those cogs and levers are gonna go boing! The Xbox drive is a standard LiteOn and has its drive load mechanics hidden safely.

Just three points, I could go on, but no doubt the PS fanboys are gonna flame me. I work in console and consumer electronics repair, and go down to intimate component level repair, so before you say I don't know what I'm talking about, I've been doing it 23 years. The PS3 FAT was back when Sony actually cared about build quality, and before they started copying Apple's style over substance "gotta make it smaller!!" ######.

I am an Xbox man, and unashamedly so, all the Sony crap I've ever owned has died, my original Xbox still runs, although modded with an 160GB HDD and XBMC. Try doing that with a PS2! Microsoft won't take away features over the One's lifetime, either, their build quality has NEVER changed, it's always been top notch, you can't say that for Sony!

As for iFixit, they're just a bunch of nerds who think they're experts because they can use a screwdriver to take something to bits, they've not been doing it long, since 2006 IIRC. I'd run a tornado round them! I'd like to see them design and make a circuit from breadboard to PCB, they probably don't even understand a schematic diagram!

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But the PS3 slim has less hardware issues than the fat???

I like how you use the Xbox as MS' staple of build quality, but completely forget about the 360?

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But the PS3 slim has less hardware issues than the fat???

I like how you use the Xbox as MS' staple of build quality, but completely forget about the 360?

The PS3 slim doesn't have less issues in my experience. My personal slim died of faulty VRAM after 8 hours of use over 2 years, it hardly got used and still crapped out playing GT5. I get all kinds of Sony stuff in for laser trouble, they couldn't organize a laser show in a nightclub!

When I mentioned MS build quality I was including all their consoles, including the original X shaped Xbox, the 360, and the One. I just don't like Sony, had too many failed consoles. 3 dead PS2's, 2 PSP's, and 3 PS3's including my Slim. I tried to like them, but the failures and cost stopped me, Not to mention their stuff I do at work, that's a different kettle of fish.

They say "this is for the GAMERS!" More like "This is for the shareholders!". Their firmware fiasco annoyed me, removing features and causing bugs with existing ones, like the 3D stuff.

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My ps3 slim and original xbox are probably the most reliable consoles I have ever owned since my SNES (NES required way too much air blowing :laugh:). The 360 elite (last revision before the 360 slim) comes in close behind those two. The ps2 was my most unreliable console and then the first revision 360 is after that, simply down to number of consoles I replaced.

The funny thing is, even when a console has failed on me, it has not deterred me from getting back into it. I guess that is a testament to the power of gaming in general. I know a lot of people that will put up with a fair amount of crap as long as they get good games to play.

I think the current gen has started out fairly well considering the lack of widespread day one failures. Of course there is always the worry of a linger defect or flaw of some kind. This is the first gen I decided to buy extended warranties for my consoles. Thankfully they both offer fairly cheap options and I'm covered for 3 years.

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The PS3 slim doesn't have less issues in my experience. My personal slim died of faulty VRAM after 8 hours of use over 2 years, it hardly got used and still crapped out playing GT5. I get all kinds of Sony stuff in for laser trouble, they couldn't organize a laser show in a nightclub!

 

When I mentioned MS build quality I was including all their consoles, including the original X shaped Xbox, the 360, and the One. I just don't like Sony, had too many failed consoles. 3 dead PS2's, 2 PSP's, and 3 PS3's including my Slim. I tried to like them, but the failures and cost stopped me, Not to mention their stuff I do at work, that's a different kettle of fish.

 

They say "this is for the GAMERS!" More like "This is for the $hareholders!". Their firmware fiasco annoyed me, removing features and causing bugs with existing ones, like the 3D stuff.

 

You repair consoles though, the most popular model is going to be the one arriving at your door stop everyday or else you wouldn't have a business in that line of work. You're not going to see many fats these days as most people have moved onto a slim after the YLOD fiasco. If there was only one model ever, and statistically failure rates were within the norm over a 10 year span, would you still be saying I repair this model all the time, it's unreliable? 

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I am an Xbox man, and unashamedly so, all the $ony crap I've ever owned has died, my original Xbox still runs, although modded with an 160GB HDD and XBMC. Try doing that with a PS2! Microsoft won't take away features over the One's lifetime, either, their build quality has NEVER changed, it's always been top notch, you can't say that for Sony!

 

Every console I own still works today apart from 360s. I've bought 4 new at retail, 2 had hardware failures; DVD drive died in one and RRoD in another. Your experience is subjective just like any other owner of consoles. None are 100% reliable, so to argue otherwise is pointless.

 

And what makes you so sure X1 won't have cost cuts in the future? All 3 consoles last generation had features removed.

 

Back on topic guys. No need to turn this into a PS4 vs X1 topic. It's a teardown video.

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And what makes you so sure X1 won't have cost cuts in the future? All 3 consoles last generation had features removed.

Did the 360 have features removed over its lifespan?

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All 3 consoles last generation had features removed.

 

The 360 didn't, it was always a DVD based gaming console, that actually had Multimedia features ADDED! It never tried to be something at first that it realized it couldn't be, ala PS3. On PS3 the card reader disappeared, OtherOS disappeared, the USB ports became less, PS2 backwards compatibility diminished.... Need I go on? The 360 obtained HDD based game installs, Netflix and other apps etc, it gained more USB, and support for USB drive saving amongst other stuff. The 360 STILL runs some original Xbox games! It stayed almost the same size whereas PS3 got smaller and smaller until the cheap plastic crap that was the Super Slim with its tacky 80's cheap plastic sliding disc door.

 

It's a teardown topic, so technically I am ON topic, discussing the build quality merits of each, you can't discuss one without a comparison :)

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Did the 360 have features removed over its lifespan?

 

The 360 didn't, it was always a DVD based gaming console, that actually had Multimedia features ADDED! It never tried to be something at first that it realized it couldn't be, ala PS3. On PS3 the card reader disappeared, OtherOS disappeared, the USB ports became less, PS2 backwards compatibility diminished.... Need I go on? The 360 obtained HDD based game installs, Netflix and other apps etc, it gained more USB, and support for USB drive saving amongst other stuff. The 360 STILL runs some original Xbox games! It stayed almost the same size whereas PS3 got smaller and smaller until the cheap plastic crap that was the Super Slim with its tacky 80's cheap plastic sliding disc door.

 

It's a teardown topic, so technically I am ON topic, discussing the build quality merits of each, you can't discuss one without a comparison :)

 

 

Most recent revision lost optical audio. Believe they also removed a USB port and changed the AV port to non-HD.

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Most recent revision lost optical audio. Believe they also removed a USB port and changed the AV port to non-HD.

Ah ok, cool I had no idea. I didn't realize that latest revision changed so much.

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Optical was always provided through an adapter in the multi out port. untill the slim anyway. so removing it isn't really removing anything that was there from the start. I'm guessing their stats say it's not being used and the few that would use it can use the multi AV out adapter.

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ummm. Optical was always provided through an adapter in the multi out port. untill the slim anyway. so removing it isn't really removing anything that was there from the start. I'm guessing their stats say it's not being used and the few that would use it can use the multi AV out adapter. 

 

No, SPDIF was built into the component cable provided in the box. It only became an adapter once the HDMI port was introduced on the Elite. When they released the Slim it was built into the console. Now it has been removed and the AV port has been changed, so the old multi AV adapter doesn't work either.

 

This is not a matter of how often it was used, I'm simplying pointing out features were removed. There are a lot of people with pro-headsets like TBs which use the optical audio and are now SOL.

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This is not a matter of how often it was used, I'm simplying pointing out features were removed. There are a lot of people with pro-headsets like TBs which use the optical audio and are now SOL.

Yeah its weird how features get cut and then come back. I mean they remove it from the new 360 design and yet its in the X1. Go figure.

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The PS3 FAT was back when Sony actually cared about build quality

:s

 

I'm wondering what exactly the fix would be for the faulty HDMI ports, short of just doing a complete redesign.

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:s

 

I'm wondering what exactly the fix would be for the faulty HDMI ports, short of just doing a complete redesign.

 

Make sure the guys on the production line press the case together properly...

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Most recent revision lost optical audio. Believe they also removed a USB port and changed the AV port to non-HD.

That still pales in comparison to the total amount of features removed from the PS3,. The component section of the AV cable was removed because HDMI is a more superior revision of component that combines video and audio signals in the same plug. All TV's even cheap Vestel ones have HDMI so that is a non issue.

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:s

 

I'm wondering what exactly the fix would be for the faulty HDMI ports, short of just doing a complete redesign.

 

Make sure they don't use cheap Chinese HDMI sockets, use proper Japanese ones, just like I always replace cheap chinese Chang capacitors in electronics with Japanese Rubycon ones.

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Make sure they don't use cheap Chinese HDMI sockets, use proper Japanese ones, just like I always replace cheap chinese Chang capacitors in electronics with Japanese Rubycon ones.

The Xbox One is made in China and the PS4 is made in Japan right?

Cheap Chinese components you say? Nothing suss about a console repair man recommending it then.

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The Xbox One is made in China and the PS4 is made in Japan right?

Cheap Chinese components you say? Nothing suss about a console repair man recommending it then.

Both consoles are made at the same factory in China!

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The Xbox One is made in China and the PS4 is made in Japan right?

Cheap Chinese components you say? Nothing suss about a console repair man recommending it then.

Yeah, but they're not REALLY cheap Chinese companies. The type of Chinese firm I'm on about are hack-shop-counterfeit outfits, not guys like Foxconn or Hannstar, there is a difference. Some Chinese firms are alright.

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