Sony recently did a soft update to its PS5 console with a new variant known as the CFI-1202 that offers lower temperatures and power input. The new console is lighter, runs cooler and consumes less power, and this is all thanks to the upgraded AMD Obreon Plus SOC that receives the TSMC 6nm process node.
Sony’s “CFI-1202” PS5 Console Variant Features Improved 6nm AMD Oberon Plus SOC – Reduced Die Size, Lower Power Consumption and Cooler Operation
in a recent teardown video posted by Austin Evans, The Techtuber noted that the Sony PS5 console was shipping in a new variant that is lighter, cooler, and consumes less power. This new PS5 variant is labeled “CFI-1202” and now we can get to the bottom of why it’s so much better than Sony’s original PS5 variants (CFI-1000/CFI-1001).
technology output, angstronomy, has confirmed in its exclusive that Sony PS5 (CFI-1202) comes with an improved AMD Oberon SOC known as Oberon Plus that uses the TSMC N6 (6nm) process. TSMC has made its 7nm process node (N7) design rule compliant with the 6nm EUV node (N6). This allows TSMC partners to easily port existing 7nm chips to the 6nm node without running into major complexities. The N6 process node offers an 18.8% increase in transistor density and also reduces power consumption, which in turn lowers temperatures.
That’s why the new Sony PS5 consoles are lighter and feature a smaller heat sink compared to the launch variants. But that’s not all, we can also see a new chip take of the AMD Oberon Plus SOC alongside the 7nm Oberon SOC. The new die measures around 260mm2, which represents a 15% reduction in die size compared to the 7nm Oberon SOC (~300mm2). There is another advantage to moving to 6nm and that is the number of chips that can be produced on a single wafer. The outlet reports that each Oberon Plus SOC wafer can produce around 20% more chips for the same cost.
What this means is that without affecting its cost, Sony can offer more Oberon Plus chips for use in PS5 and that can further reduce the shortage in the market that the current generation consoles have faced since their launch. It is also reported that TSMC will phase out 7nm Oberon SOCs in the future and move entirely to 6nm Oberon Plus SOCs, resulting in 50% more chips per wafer. Microsoft is also expected to use the 6nm process node for its updated Arden SOC in the future for its Xbox Series X consoles.
News source: angstronomy
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