Copyright © 2010 XBox 360 & PS 3 Video Game Reviews. All Rights Reserved. Snowblind by Themes by bavotasan.com. Powered by WordPress.
- 250GB HDD for storing games, music, videos and photos
- High-Definition Blu-ray player for the best movie experience
- Free PlayStation Network membership
- Plays DVDs and CDs
- Internet ready with built-in Wi-Fi
Product Description
With the PlayStation 3 250GB system, you get free PlayStation Network membership, built-in Wi-Fi and 250GB of hard disk drive storage for games, music, videos, photos and PlayStation Network downloads. And every PS3 system comes with a built-in Blu-ray player to give you pristine picture quality and the best high-definition viewing experience available. Whether it’s gaming, Blu-ray movies, music or online services, experience it all with the PlayStation 3.
What’s Under the Hood
As with previous models, the PlayStation 3 250GB system features an IBM “Cell” processor and a co-developed NVIDIA graphics processor that together allow the system to perform two trillion calculations per second. Yet the 250GB system manages to improve on this with its 45nm version of the processor, which although running at the same 60+nm speed as previous PS3 versions, uses less energy. This makes the unit’s smaller size and quieter fan possible. Along with the traditional AV and composite connections, the 250GB system also boasts an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) port, which delivers uncompressed, unconverted digital picture and sound to compatible high-definition TVs and projectors. (The system is capable of 128-bit pixel precision and 1080p resolution for a full HD experience) … More >>
12/13/2009 at 8:07 pm
< BEGIN REVIEW >
Briefly, the PS3-250 is the exact original PS3 ‘Slim’ with a twice as large hard disk.
I had the opportunity to actually see and use a PS3-250 on the Sunday prior to its launch. As I expected, the only difference between the ps3-250 and the PS3-120 is the larger disk with everything else the same. Many reviews of the PS3-120 are HERE.
< END OF REVIEW >
Once the decision was made to get a PS3, 2 important questions might be:
- Which model to buy? PS3-120 or PS3-250?
- To upgrade or not to upgrade to a 500/640GB PS3?
Based on personal experience and the experience of other PS3 owners that I know, the options are the following – remember, these are my views:
PS3-120, no upgrade
———————
Buy a PS3-120 and do not upgrade if you use it mainly to play movies and you rarely download games from the PSN store. It will take you very far and it should have sufficient room for storing thousands of pictures and a lot of music besides it playing Blu-ray content and CDs.
I found that 120GB would not be enough for me. After a couple of years of use, with a few downloaded games, many more demos, lots of pictures and songs and some videos the kids made with the PS3 Eye we’ve breached the 120GB threshold. I would not worry about that if all I wanted was one of the better Blu-ray players. In addition, anybody comfortable with backing up/restoring the PS3 and upgrading the disk can postpone the upgrade step for later.
PS3-250, no upgrade
———————
Buy a PS3-250 and do not upgrade if you do plan to download a few movies and games but not a lot of them AND/or you don’t feel comfortable with upgrading your PS3 yourself.
Anyone who is not an almost-exclusive movie viewer and doesn’t want to mess with screws and OEM disks should buy the PS3-250. It should have enough capacity to last for quite a few years with good disk space management (delete the demos and downloads you no longer need).
PS3-120 upgrade to 500/640GB
——————————
Buy a PS3-120 and upgrade it to 500/640GB IF you don’t mind swapping the PS3′s disk. You get to upgrade your PS3-120 to quadruple capacity for very little expense and probably for less than a PS3-250 would cost you (see next paragraph). This should buy you peace of mind for the rest of your PS3′s lifespan.
Keep in mind that a 500GB HDD such as the 500GB Scorpio Blue Mobile Sata 5400RPM 8MB 2.5IN or the Western Digital 640 GB SATA OEM Notebook Hard Drive WD6400BEVT (Scorpio Blue) if you don’t mind the extra expense can be had for about 90 dollars at the time I am writing this. That would make a 500GB upgraded PS3-120 appear a little more expensive than the PS3-250 BUT you are left with a brand-new 120GB HDD (the drive originally in the PS3) when you are done and you can either sell it or use it as an external USB-powered backup drive or maybe to upgrade your laptop’s drive. This would effectively set the price of the 500GB upgraded console to match that of the PS3-250.
There are many online guides that detail the process. I will post a couple URL’s in a comment to this review.
PS3-250 upgrade to 500/640GB (not recommended)
————————————————
Do NOT buy a PS3-250 if you are planning to upgrade it to 500/640GB unless you really need a spare 250GB external HDD instead of a spare 120GB HDD and think that the price difference is worth the larger spare drive.
EVALUATION
The PS3-250 while not for everyone, deserves its 5 stars. In my view, there is enough value added by doubling the storage capacity to justify the price difference over the PS3-120.
______________________________________
NOTE: If you want to upgrade you are better off if you upgrade immediately.
This way you avoid the backup/restore hassles and therefore greatly simplify the process. I would include the upgrade HDD on the same order with the new PS3 and maybe add a HDD enclosure if planning to use the drive I removed from the PS3 as an external drive.
Rating: 5 / 5
12/13/2009 at 10:49 pm
As a Whole is an amazing price and value, Ps3 always had this amazing value, previously had an 80GB backwards compatible, but while in a storm a thunder burned it with my DVD. Then this option came out. My 80GB where always full so I had to delete things every week, demos, movies, music etc.. And for these price, I get 250GB!!!! I know I can chage de Hard Drive, but I really dont want to(laizy I know), there for this option was the one for me, both PS3 are excelent price point. Plus, incredibly silent, it doesnt have backwards compatibility sadly, but its not that bad. PS3 games have become for my opinion far better than those on 360, exclusives etc, and some third party also. But its good to have both choices. I just dont like Microsoft products, its far more expensive in the end, always.
Excelent console, specially with a Bravia, using Bravia Sync. Great Plus!
Rating: 5 / 5
12/14/2009 at 12:04 am
I believe that people who own a 360, and people who just own this (a PS3) should just get along and see the real threat…the Nintendo Wii lol. Anyways, I’ve had this system for a good week now, and I am just in awe how rich colors are, and how much fun Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is on the PS3. Sony has yet again out-done themselves. Does this mean that the PS3 is superior than the XBOX 360? No, it just means that it is more versatile than the XBOX 360. Look at it this way, if you’re an advent gamer, who prides his or herself in buying a next-gen console that will fulfill their craving for explosions, high-intense moments, and out-of-this-world graphics, then I suggest both systems, because you’ll never be satisfied owning just one and not the other…kinda like Married w/ Children (cheap pop!).
The PS3 is a must buy this holiday season simply because changes are coming in the form of exclusive titles being port over from *coughs* XBOX 360 (don’t listen to the fan boys about it not happening, it’s a billion-dollar business, and profits must be had…case and point Metal Gear Solid Rising), update to the chat & party system (you’ll experience XBOX Live like chatting and party-gaming), and even more unknown, yet high anticipated titles being released (i.e. Hard Rain and Mag). I’ve own every Playstation that Sony has ever made (some even from Japan), and I’ve been happy with every one of them. What people fail to see is that Sony has set trends that others either improve, meet, and may beat, yet Sony has never made a bad system no one wants to buy. This is a Blu-Ray player, video-game system, web-browser, and media player all-in-one. Your son will never leave his room, your daughter will love Zach Efron and the Twlight Sagas in full 1080P, your husband will secretly be playing Uncharted while you’re sleeping, and your wife won’t admit that she loves Killzone 2 while having unlocked a 100% on it. This is an awesome machine that does it all! I have both a 360 and a PS3 now, and I must say that there’s a slight difference, but nothing huge that makes one system better than the other. This system is perfect for those with an XBOX 360, or just getting a new system. I highly recommend picking this, Uncharted 2, Killzone 2, and Infamous this Christmas…best decision I’ve ever made. I recommend the 250GB PS3 Slim only to those who download a lot of extra content, but not enough to shoot past 100GBs. Another reason why I like the PS3…you can swap-out your hard drive to upgrade to a 500GB hard drive! Just make sure is a SATA notebook hard drive with 5400RPMs, b/c anything else will not work with Sony’s PS3 OS.
BTW! Make sure you pick-up an XtremeMac HDMI cable (or any HDMI 1.3 Category 2 cable will do…I just like XtremeMac’s accessories…BTW do not be too cheap w/ HDMI cables, make sure it’s a Category 2…trust me), or Sony’s Component Cable as Sony was too cheap to give you a Hi-Def cable. To me this was the only negative, but this, taking-out the backwards capability (playing PS1 and PS2 games on the PS3), removing extra USB ports, and taking-out the memory slots helped keep the cost affordable so they could help out us very “thrifty” gamers lol.
Rating: 5 / 5
12/14/2009 at 2:00 am
Hi there,
Let me give you some background:
I purchased a PS3 60 GB model at launch back in November 2006. I have loved everything about it ever since. I even upgraded the hard drive to a 250 GB hard drive about a year and a half ago.
Why did I choose to purchase this new, slim, 250 GB model?
Honestly, it’s a great deal for what you get. It’s cooler (temperature wise), more energy efficient, and it takes up MUCH less space than my previous model. (Not to mention the much nicer, matte black finish as opposed to the older piano black finish which is a scratch/fingerprint magnet.)
Thinking about the new 120 GB vs. this 250 GB model? Maybe this will help:
Originally, I had planned to buy the 120 GB model and upgrade to a 250 GB or 320 GB hard drive myself. However, at the $349.99 price point, there’s no need to perform the upgrade myself. For a quality Western Digital or Seagate 250 GB hard drive, you’ll be spending anywhere from $50 to $70 plus shipping and/or tax, and for a 320 GB hard drive you’ll be spending upwards of $75. Honestly, there really isn’t any reason for that with this model. Why go through the hassle when Sony offers a great package at the perfect price point?
I for one am happy with my purchase which I received today from Amazon and am happily inagurating it with the GI Joe: Rise of Cobra blu-ray. For almost anyone that I can think of, the 250 GB hard drive will be more than enough space. However, should the need arise in a year or two (or three), a 500 GB hard drive will be dirt cheap and easy enough to install.
Rating: 5 / 5
12/14/2009 at 2:20 am
So far everything is good. Purchased the PS3 for my son, 11/08/2009, has not one negative response from my son.
Also, delivery was great, received within two days.
Rating: 5 / 5