PS3 Slim Slower and Faster Than Old, Fat PS3

The new PS3 Slim certainly is thinner and lighter than the outgoing original launch form factor PS3, but has the new packaged gained any athleticism thanks to its new build?

If the results from a user-performed test are to believed, the PS3 Slim is slower than the old model when it comes to system boot times and loading of Blu-ray Disc movies, but the newer console comes out ahead when it's time to game.

A limited edition Metal Gear Solid 4 80 GB PlayStation 3 was pitted against one of the new 120 GB PS3 Slims. The older PS3 held a significant 7 second lead in terms of Blu-ray movie loading, while the new PS3 Slim loaded Batman: Arkham Asylum just a couple seconds quicker.

The conductor of the test says that both consoles ran the same speed hard drives, but there are various factors at play here, such as Blu-ray Disc drive speed and the large differences in hardware – even if functionality is identical.

From this test, however, it seems that unless you plan to be using a PlayStation 3 as just a Blu-ray Disc player, the new one is a more efficient gaming machine.

Marcus Yam is a technology evangelist for Intel Corporation, the latest in a long line of tech-focused roles spanning a more than 20-year career in the industry. As Executive Editor, News on Tom's Guide and Tom's Hardware, Marcus was responsible for shaping the sites' news output, and he also spent a period as Editor of Outdoors & Sports at Digital Trends.