Which Next Gen Console Generates The Most Heat?
By Peench
Overview
Heat. We drive it away with air conditioning during the summer and huddle around items that generate it during the winter. While heat drives our actions as humans it also destroys our electronics. One need only spend a short amount of time surfing the net to see complaints of 360 owners talking about a buildup of heat giving their 360 a Red Ring of Death. What if you wanted a console that either didn’t increase your air conditioning bill during summer or one that lowered your heating bill during the winter months? Which console would you choose?
After my highly scientific study into which console generated the most noise (
link), I figured it was time to delve into another study that was so scientific that NASA could rely on the figures when deciding which console to send with the Astronauts on the Space Shuttle to address heating issues. That’s right folks; you can take this one to the bank.
I am sure there will be naysayers. Some of you may claim I’m full of ish, or that I did not factor in the relative weather patterns of various parts of the country. Others may complain that I did not have a control group or did not wear a lab coat and pocket protector while conducting these studies. Well all of you would be correct. But that doesn’t make these observations any less… well, observant. Take them for what they are and perhaps use the information I gathered over the prior several months for some light reading over the next few minutes. Better yet, take into account all of the information presented here when determining where to place your existing or next console. Remember, heat is bad for electronics. Putting your console in an enclosed media cabinet will only serve to exacerbate the problems caused by the heat generated by these high-tech machines
The Setup
Let’s say you wanted to fry an egg on your console. Which console would you think generated the most heat? Would the high revving Microsoft Xbox 360 be the best candidate? Would the high gloss of the Sony PS3 serve as a better cooking surface? Or would the Nintendo Wii, with its Wiimote perfectly designed for flipping your egg be the best choice?
When I started logging the heat generated by the various consoles, I had a few preconceived notions about which one generated the most heat. My ideas turned out to be correct, but a few measurements really surprised me. In fact, one of the consoles was actually warmer while off (technically in standby) than while on. Of all the measurements I took, this one, while consistent every time I measured, was the most strange.
To keep my study extremely scientific, I placed each console in an entirely different area of my home. I did not build a dedicated heat box, nor did I leave my PS3 running for 70 hours in a freezer (that’s just crazy! Hehe).
I took the temperature measurements over the span of several months. The temperature in my home ranged anywhere from 65 to 80 degrees. There was no controlled lab with beakers and bunson burners. In fact, the temperature in my home did not make any difference. The consoles all heated up consistently to about the same temperature each time I measured.
I took three different measurements involving each console. I measured the temperature of the disc itself before it was inserted and after it was removed. I also measured the temperature of the outside of the console and the ambient temperature surrounding the console.
One measurement was taken with a Radio Shack IR non-contact thermometer (
link). This device measures the exact temperature (to .5 degrees) of the area in front of the IR beam. You simply point at the area you want to measure, click and read the temperature.
Aside from knowing how hot discs and the outside of each consoles got, I also wanted to know how each one heated up the air around it. For this measurement I used a highly scientific, completely uncalibrated thermometer from a desktop clock/calendar. This device measured temperatures up to 120 degrees. I only know this because at one point the PS3 made the air around it over 120 degrees and the measurement gave me only a dashed line (--).
The Results
The results can be broken down into two areas. First, the console that heated up the game discs the most. Second, the console that heated up itself and the surrounding area the most.
Oddly, the console that heated up the discs the most did not create the most heat in the surrounding area. I say “oddly,” but this might actually make sense. If a console is evacuating its insides of heat (i.e. heating up the surrounding areas more), then in theory its innards should be cooler (thereby reducing the temperature of the game disc). I’m not pretending to know the reason for the results, but regardless of how they can be explained, the results were fairly clear.
Disc Heat-up
Over the span of several months I measured the temperature of movies and game discs both before I inserted them and immediately after I ejected them. The results were interesting.
I tested the Xbox 360 with game discs and DVD movies. I tested the PS3 with Bluray movies and games. I tested the Wii with game discs only. On average, the results were consistent between movies and games.
The numbers represented in this chart are averages. On average the discs coming out of the Xbox 360 were 6 degrees hotter than the discs coming out of the PS3, and 15 degrees hotter than the discs coming out of the Wii. I added the HDA1 averages for comparison purposes with a non-console CE device.
The numbers represented above take into account the fact that I have an Antec Laptop cooler (link) below my Xbox 360. It plugs into the front USB port and simply provides added airflow through the Xbox 360. Before taking these measurements I was not sure whether it really made a difference in reducing the heat generated by the Xbox 360. Justifying my $15 purchase (I got it on sale, it is normally around $40), I found that the Antec Laptop cooler actually made a difference of three (3) degrees per disc on average.
For those of you concerned about heat dissipation within your Xbox 360, you may want to consider adding an Antec laptop cooler or similar device to increase airflow through your Xbox 360. Based purely on the numbers, it does make a difference. Certainly enough of a difference to justify its price tag.
All data aside, discs typically do not die of heat exhaustion. Your game discs are more likely to be destroyed by your 2 year old son, your 5 year old little brother or your 20-something roommate than by the temperatures to which they are subject while in your console. So what does the study above prove? Well, simply that the Xbox 360 heats up its game discs more, on average, than the other two consoles.
There are a variety of possible explanations for this phenomenon. First, the Xbox 360 has a faster spinning DVD drive than the competing consoles. Physics teaches us that friction creates heat. This is why the Space Shuttle must ensure that the ceramic tiles on its underbelly are undamaged before returning to Earth. Moving quickly through the atmosphere creates friction, which in turn creates heat. The results above could simply be a result of the fact that the game discs inside of an Xbox 360 spin at a faster rate than any of the other consoles. I cannot say for certain why there are differences. I can only state that there are differences.
However, if you ask me whether I am worried about my game discs melting inside of my Xbox 360 as opposed to my Wii, I will respond with a resounding no. Do I worry that the heat buildup inside my Xbox 360 is perhaps lessening its longevity? If the results of this highly scientific, government-sponsored study (* not), demonstrate that things are hotter in my Xbox 360, then the answer is yes, I am more concerned.
Ambient Temperatures
But let’s get back to pragmatics. Winter is approaching and I wanted to know which console to play more to lower my heating bills. I am going to be gaming anyway, I may as well kill two birds with one stone, right?
Ambient temperatures were a bit more difficult to measure. While I could (and did) point my Radio Shack IR thermometer at the items surrounding my consoles, the results simply provided me with a pinpoint temperature. This pinpoint temperature was, on average, much higher than the surrounding average temperature measured with my highly scientific plain old thermometer. While the consoles were generating quite a bit of heat, most of it seemed to be dissipating before heating up the air surrounding the console. Thankfully, for the sake of my upcoming heating bill, not all of the heat dissipated.
I also measured these temperatures over a series of months. I used both the Radio Shack IR meter as well as the standard desktop thermometer. I placed the standard thermometer around each console in various locations: each side, the top and the back. I also measured the temperature of these areas with the Radio Shack meter.
To keep things simple I have averaged all of these numbers together into a single average temperature for each console. The measurements included games played on physical media, as well as games played from the hard drive or flash memory of the console. I also measured the relative temperatures of each console while performing non-gaming functions such as streaming music, watching a slideshow or Folding At Home.
While taking the measurements, however, I did notice a few things. First, the Xbox 360 vents from the rear. The temperature measurements taken at the back of the Xbox 360 were consistently higher than either of the sides or the top. Second, the PS3 vents mainly from the right side. These measurements were higher than the left side, top or rear. Third, and most oddly, the Nintendo Wii registered a higher temperature (using the IR meter) on its left side (or underside if you are laying it flat), while in standby than while playing. Using this information should give you a sense of where to place your console for optimum heat dissipation.
So how do the consoles stack up against each other? Having played each of the consoles for the prior year or two, I had a sense of which one I could rely on to generate the most amount of heat. My measurements proved me correct.
While this chart shows that the Wii measures at 108 degrees on average, these measurements include the measurements I took while the Wii was off/standby. For whatever reason, the surface of the bottom (or left side while standing upright), was very hot to the touch while the Wii was off, but cooled off while the Wii was on. The average for the RS meter is 108 likely because of this fact.
While the Xbox 360 and the PS3 offered a much warmer ambient temperature than the Wii, the PS3 clearly leads the pack as a heater replacement. Anything placed near the PS3 while it was on was measurably warmed to the touch after only a short time. While I initially stored my PS3 remote and controller near the PS3, I quickly learned that doing so would force me to let them cool down for some time before being able to use them.
There was quite a difference between the various highs and lows for both the PS3 and the Xbox 360, while the Wii was generally consistent in its heat output.
It should be noted again that my ambient temperature thermometer maxed out at 120. The PS3 made it hotter than 120 on more than one occasion. Most of these instances resulted in the temperatures coming back down to 120 fairly quickly thereafter so I estimated the ambient high at 121. It could have been a tad bit higher, but I did not want to estimate any higher for fear of ruining the scientific integrity of this highly scientific study.
Conclusion
If I wanted to optimize my gaming and heating dollars, I would likely play my Wii more during the summer and my PS3 more during the winter. I would play my Xbox 360 at random intervals just to keep everything in check (and also because there are simply more games for the Xbox 360 right now).
To summarize my findings , the Xbox 360 heats up game discs more than either the Wii or the PS3. The PS3, on the other hand, heats up everything around it more consistently than either the Wii or the Xbox 360. If you haven’t yet purchased a console and want both a heater and a high-tech gaming console, pick up a PS3. If, however, you live on the equator and want to ensure that your gaming console does not heat up your home any more than necessary, pick up a Wii. If you can’t make up your mind and want to simply hedge your console-heating bets, pick up an Xbox 360.
Many of my comments here have been somewhat tongue-in-cheek. The combination of heat and electronics, however, is anything but a joke. Heat kills electronics. This is why companies like Zalman and Nyko spend millions of dollars on R&D to develop products that better cool our electronics. It is also why you should ensure there is plenty of ventilation surrounding all of your consoles and other electronics. By taking simple steps such as leaving plenty of room around your console and allowing air to pass over or through your console, you can lessen the heat generated by your console and possibly increase its lifespan. Good luck!
Link to all photos including Full Resolution Versions Digg this story here.
[/IMG]
