back to article PlayStation 4 a doddle to fix: Handy if it OVERHEATS, for instance

Electronics repair biz iFixit gave Sony the thumbs-up after finding the PlayStation 4 console to be fairly easy to repair. The screwdriver-wielding bods said a first look at the new Sony games machine turned up a system with components which can easily be accessed by owners to service or repair. Peeling away stickers on the …

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  1. anonomouser

    Hard to find faults with PS4, isn't it?

    OVERHEATS hasn't been a problem, and that custom fan can throw a lot of air if needed to keep the PS4 cool. PSU designs are so efficient now that they don't generate much heat at all, so putting the PSU inside is a great feature that won't cause problems. The PS4 is a design win over the XBone both inside and outside, plus it's cheaper. The only concern I have is will Sony be able to produce at least one or two blockbuster games a year; something at the level of Halo, Far Cry, Tomb Raider, etc.

    1. Comments are attributed to your handle
      Thumb Up

      Re: Hard to find faults with PS4, isn't it?

      The new Uncharted will be the first blockbuster. As for the second? Not sure yet - The Order looks pretty awesome.

    2. kain preacher

      Re: Hard to find faults with PS4, isn't it?

      SO then I guess you must of missed this El reg article then?

      http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/15/playstation_4_on_sale_complaints/

      1. Ojustaboo

        Re: Hard to find faults with PS4, isn't it?

        Of course, there only needs to be say 20 odd users out of thousands to make a forum look like it's full of disgruntled users with faulty units. Not saying that is the case, but most happy users aren't going to be posting on the complaints threads.

        But, I never understand the rush to get these things the day they come out, sure I want a PS4, I will get one some time next year when there's a good selection of games available, and more importantly, the initial bugs have been ironed out and we're on at least version 2. After the Xbox saga, never again..

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Hard to find faults with PS4, isn't it?

          "Of course, there only needs to be say 20 odd users out of thousands"

          Try looking at the hundreds of negative reviews on Amazon...Roughly 40% of owners seem to have issues...

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            On Amazon...Roughly 40% of owners seem to have issues...

            Microsoft have been busy. It's been know for Microsoft to maniupulate Amazon on product launches.

            This time around, word on the street within Microsoft was than over 1000 employees in their viral marketing department actually bought PS4's (so they get a Verified Purchase badge) and told to score 3 or less. They were also given money to buy an Xbox One and review that up.

            America is a nation of fucktards that can't see when they are being manipulated and have no sense of scale, 1000 reported problems out of a million day one sales is insignificant to sane rational people.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: On Amazon...Roughly 40% of owners seem to have issues...

              "It's been know for Microsoft to maniupulate Amazon on product launches."

              Link or it never happened - and you are the one doing the manipulating?

            2. Bobthe2nd

              Re: On Amazon...Roughly 40% of owners seem to have issues...

              There are an awful lot that arent Amazon Verified Purchases... so anybody could be writing a review.

    3. Giles Jones Gold badge

      Re: Hard to find faults with PS4, isn't it?

      To be fair the only fault I remember hearing about with the PS3 was the disc scratching issue.

      1. Michael Habel

        Re: Hard to find faults with PS4, isn't it?

        Well to be fair the RRoD didn't happen overnight either...

        But I think thought that this was more annoying then scratching up a Game Machine while it was still running with the Disc inside it STILL SPINNING! Getting all scratched up...

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Hard to find faults with PS4, isn't it?

          Don't forget, the launch PS3 had the Yellow Light of Death like the launch XBOX 360 had the Red Ring of Death. The PS4 is stumbling a bit, but so will the XBone. Give it a year and both will have bad RAM and failing PSU's.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Hard to find faults with PS4, isn't it?

            When you sell a million units in a day some will have faults and some people will complain about those faults online. If you have afault, take it back or phone sony for a replacement... problem eventually sold annoying but inevitable. How many things ship nowdays with a 100% non failure rate on day 1?

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Hard to find faults with PS4, isn't it?

      "putting the PSU inside is a great feature that won't cause problems"

      Until it fails and you have to send your console off for weeks while Xbox One owners just swap the PSU or buy one off eBay if out of warranty...PS4 reliability is already clearly a major problem.

      "The PS4 is a design win over the XBone both inside and outside"

      The PS4 is much uglier though - with a great big dust collecting slot all the way around. It would look out of place on the average video / amp rack compared to the Xbox One which is a nice square glossy box - looking much like most other pieces of AV equipment....

      " plus it's cheaper"

      Because you don't get an included game or Kinect like you do with the Xbox One, or an HDMI input, or features like DNLA, or even playing MP3s or CDs! The PS4 is basically a crippled PC whereas the Xbox Ones offers something more...

      "The only concern I have is will Sony be able to produce at least one or two blockbuster games a year; something at the level of Halo"

      I doubt you will be seeing Halo on the PS4. The Xbox One line up of exclusives is currently somewhat better than the PS4 offerings.

    5. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Hard to find faults with PS4, isn't it?

      They have a really good launch lineup already.

      I'm loving Killzone shadowfall, Resogun and Knack personally. BF4 looks and plays really well too, 1080p on PS4 of course.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Hard to find faults with PS4, isn't it?

        "BF4 looks and plays really well too, 1080p on PS4 of course"

        Nope - only 900p actually....then upscaled - in software!...Hence the Xbox One hardware upscaled version actually looks better as per the reviews...

    6. Fatman
      FAIL

      Re: Hard to find faults with PS4, isn't it?

      Actually it is quite easy, if you were one of the people affected by this arrogant company's root infected CD's of a few years back.

      It is a Sony, enough said!

      Their arrogance has permanently turned me off to ANYTHING they make.

      Why should I patronize contribute to the exorbitant profits of such a arrogant bunch of assholes!???

      1. Nigel 11
        Linux

        Re: Hard to find faults with PS4, isn't it?

        Perhaps I should say that I'll buy one when I can run Linux on it, and they guarantee that this ability will never again be taken away on a whim.

  2. Awil Onmearse
    Terminator

    I might even consider getting one.

    When the software/firmware becomes that easy to repair.

  3. Tom Samplonius

    Seems to be an error in this article: there is 4GB of RAM on the top of the motherboard, but also another 4GB of RAM on the bottom for a total of 8GB. The article mentions the top RAM, but does not mention the RAM on the other side.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Non issue?

    " has put sharp corners and edges on some of the internal housing components, increasing the risk of gamers cutting their hands when poking about the system's innards"

    I'll worry about that sort of design issue when Sony start making children's playground equipment...

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Micrososft FUD machine in full swing.

    WHilst in public they are pretending to play nice, with tweets congratulating Sony, in the back room, they are playing as dirty as ever, manufacturing FUD like it's going out of fashion.

    If they spent as much energy in their engineering as they do in their FUD campaigns against their competitors products then they might not be in their current mess of trying to flog an overpriced and underspec pile of junk that's twice the size of the PS4, half as powerful and twice as loud.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Micrososft FUD machine in full swing.

      @AC 09:51. I think I hear a stuck record, or is it a broken one?

      1. Fatman

        Re: Micrososft FUD machine in full swing.

        @AC 09:51. I think I hear a stuck record, or is it a broken one?

        No, just a tape loop repeating the same shit, over and over again.

    2. Don Jefe

      Re: Micrososft FUD machine in full swing.

      FUD campaigns are, and always have been, a part of marketing. FUD was part of marketing before people knew that they were marketing. Computer operating systems, mobile phones, game consoles and automobiles have a unique distinction in that their fanbase delivers a better response than a marketing firm ever could.

      For example: You have just participated in furthering Microsoft's name recognition (don't expect a commission check). In marketing it is generally considered a positive if your name is mentioned at all. Even if it is bad. If you really want to have a positive effect on your brand of choice it is best to mention only that brand, not the competing brand. Nothing in (anti)marketing is as effective as silence.

      There's a very old saying: "No matter what they say, so long as they talk". It still holds true today.

  6. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
    Childcatcher

    Sony likes internal PSUs

    Back in the 80s, the "Hit Bit" MSX 8-bit sub-2 MHz machine always had a large heat signature and emitted the reassuring (though probably slightly cancerogenic) smell of heated plastics and electronic board.

    1. P. Lee

      Re: Sony likes internal PSUs

      Oooh, MSX!

      There's a blast from the past!

      1. TheRealRoland
        Happy

        Re: Sony likes internal PSUs

        i had a Philips MSX2 (+) one, managed to order an FM-PAC, and loved to play Salamander and SD Snatcher... Had a guy put in a '+' chip in there as well, so that i could play Metal Gear 2 - Solid Snake as well...

        Ooh, and a flashback to demo parties in NL...

        Ah... bliss...

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Sony likes internal PSUs

          nothing to see here, PS has always had an internal power unit, and I don't think many people would go "ooo I love a giant power brick wedged behind my TV, they're so much fun to sort out when I need to dangle down the back to fiddle with a-another random cable/brick/plug"

    2. Jean Le PHARMACIEN

      re: probably slightly cancerogenic

      I think you will find that is "carcinogenic"....

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    How many people actually attempt to repair their console? these things have warranties for about 2 years in the EU.

    You'd be pretty stupid to attempt to repair something like a fan that you could just get replaced under warranty. The next thing to die might be something soldered to the PCB which you can't get a replacement for.

    I guess the information is more of a long term thing, if your investment in a console will last? but if a console is too badly designed then I imagine you'd see a warranty extension like the Xbox 360.

    1. pPPPP

      Two years isn't that long. How many PS3 users have had their consoles over 2 years?

      Even if the fan doesn't need to be replaced, it may get clogged up with dust. Being able to easily get into there with a vacuum is a massive benefit and could be the difference between fixing an overheating machine or leaving it to fail.

      1. Michael Habel

        I did, and unlike the previous TWO X360s I've had!! My One, and ONLY PS3 is still able to keep up after all this time! Wish I could say that about Microsoft's sh-- Well my old XBOX (i.e. The first One from 2002/3) still works. I use it manly for Emulation now.

        But of the Two X360s not a single One of them actually works!

    2. Don Jefe

      Compared to the number of units sold? Almost nobody. The thing about the Internet though is that a small special interest group can have an enthusiastic enough following that small industries spring up around them.

      It's pretty neat as not too awful long ago if you were part of a special interest group you were basically on your own and there was very little refinement or repeatability in what was done. Now you can be part of a group and some of them actually accomplish some cool stuff.

    3. Lottie

      I did

      My first PS2 came to me from a friend who'd bought a new one after theirs developed the disk read fault.

      One replaced laser carriage later and I had a working PS2. It's all well and good saying "but they have waranties" and so on, but for those of us who are constantly playing catchup, knowing the common faults -and how to repair them - is essential.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    At the risk of resurrecting an old joke ...

    ... will it blend?

    Or have Sony found some way of stopping you doing that?

    1. dougal83

      Re: At the risk of resurrecting an old joke ...

      Already have... It's a bit too big isn't it?

      1. Thomas Whipp

        Re: At the risk of resurrecting an old joke ...

        anything blends if you have access to an industrial grinder for HDD disposal

  9. Piro Silver badge

    Article says it has 4GB

    It actually has 8 - 16 512MB chips. 8 on the top of the board, 8 on the bottom.

    The other 256MB chip is for the "standby" processing background chip!

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "The firm said the fan issue could prove particularly bothersome, as the use of an entirely internal power supply (rather than an outer brick unit) will increase the internal heat in the PS4 and make a smooth-running fan of the upmost importance."

    The PS2 had an internal power supply as did the PS3. The Mac Mini has an internal power as well. The external bricks do not have a fan and many systems use a fan in the internal power supply to remove heat from the inside of the system as well as keep the power supply cooler. So in many cases, an internal power supply is better.

    1. Paw Bokenfohr

      As did the PS1

      PS1 had an internal PSU too. I've owned most all the recent consoles; PS1, PS2, PS3, Xbox, Xbox360, Wii. The only issues I've had were Xbox360 RRoD issues, on two consoles (I'm on my third). The PS1/2/3, Xbox, and Wii all work fine still.

      So, my point is (aside from that individual stories don't really help) that it seems that Sony have the knack of building reliable internal PSUs, so it doesn't seem like it's likely to be an issue.

      Equally, I'm sure that Microsoft know how to build a console that doesn't "RRoD" itself nowadays, so it's not likely the XboxOne will be any less reliable than the latest Xbox360 iteration is (of which I have no experience).

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Sounds like ..

    my desktop ..

    but my desktop has much more memory, much more disk, faster amd cpu's .. blah, blah, blah .. and it can be upgraded lots too ..

    and my desktop can do more besides play expensive silly games ..

    and, my desktop is dead easy to fix too ..

    the hdmi comes with the radeon .. the usb is etron 3.0 .. but we are picking nits here .. anything else ?.

  12. RAMChYLD

    4GB? Surely that's a mistake...

    Wasn't the PS4 hyped to contain 8GB of RAM?

    1. Persona non grata

      Re: 4GB? Surely that's a mistake...

      It has 8GB - 4 mounted on the top and 4 mounted on the underside. You can only see 4 at once without using mirrors. So factually reported, no hyperbole involved.

  13. Winkypop Silver badge
    Trollface

    Meh

    I'm waiting on the Play Station 5

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    My ZX Spectrum is so cool and far more compact than your crappy C64...

    Sorry reading these comments I was transported back, but then it was in the playground, not the playground that is now the comments section of any internet article.

  15. Stretch

    Why sneak in the apple advert at the end?

  16. Alistair MacRae

    Hang on i thought it was 8GB GDDR5 RAM?

    Sorry if im confused but i thought the specs for the PS4 were that it had 8GB of GDDR5 Memory but this teardown says 4GB of GDDR5 and 2GB of DDR3

    I thought they had to use one type of RAM because of the bus design, thats why Xbox One had only DDR3.

    Also doesn't this all add up to 6GB of RAM?

    1. TheVogon

      Re: Hang on i thought it was 8GB GDDR5 RAM?

      "and 2GB of DDR3"

      No - 2Gb of DDR3...

      "Also doesn't this all add up to 6GB of RAM?"

      No - see above...

      1. Alistair MacRae

        Re: Hang on i thought it was 8GB GDDR5 RAM?

        Sorry I'm not following you.

        The article says 2 different values. 4GB of GDDR5, it also has 2GB of DDR3.

        That's still not the 8GB of GDDR5 that's been reported on earlier.

  17. Stu

    Anybody remember when...

    ...buying a brand new games console would trounce any PC available at the time? And would be ahead of the game for around a year or so?

    I worked out my current mid-to-high spec PC is already roughly 20-30% faster graphically than the PS4, and I bought it this summer.

    Yes there's the cost difference, quite significant, but whatever happened to building seriously beefy systems at a marginal loss whilst selling games to make up the difference? I guess Sony realised they could get away with selling the consoles AND games at at profit from day one.

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