Thermal imaging shows horizontal PS3s are cooler
by Nick Doerr 
{ Nov 28th 2007 at 1:30PM }
Whether you want to act like you're in the armed services or are looking for a new use for those pairs of infrared, night-vision, or thermal goggles lying around the house, why not take images of the PS3 using them? Polygamia did, claiming the thermal images are proof positive that keeping your PS3 in the horizontal position keeps the console cooler.
From the images, it seems accurate that the horizontal position is really the way to go. Anyone else got some dirty jokes in their minds? Keep them to yourselves -- this is totally professional talk here. Having these images is a bit better than conjecture and debate, so if you've got the space and want to prolong your system's life, do the right thing and lay that fine creature down instead of forcing it to stand. Oops, we did it anyway.
[Via PlayStation Forums]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dante @ Nov 28th 2007 1:33PM
thats why my babys on it side!
bo @ Nov 28th 2007 2:39PM
all the vertical temps were done next to a 360 - and we all know how hot those run. maybe the fan is pulling in some of that heat?
mattclarkie @ Nov 28th 2007 3:12PM
I am on my 3rd PS3. This one has been kept Horizontal at all times and runs fine. The first 2 were vertical and had many problems.
My first PS3 gave the flashing over-heat warning the instant I tried to turn it on the first time. It was vertical, but it may have been broken in transit, so it isn't proof.
My second was vertical, and worked for 2 days, then it kept freezing and giving the same overheat warning. Returned dead after just 5 days.
I have had my 3rd for 2months and it has been fine. I think the problem is the HDD in the bottom overheats. Maybe I got 2 dodgey consoles, but I am never risking mine Vertical after the trouble I have had.
All consoles have been on the same unit, on the top near nothing warm, and with so much space around them you could park a Donkey.
Akamaru @ Nov 28th 2007 1:36PM
WOW! I seriously thought that it helped to keep it vertical. Like with disc reading and whatnot. I'll go and lay her down (gently) when i get home tonight.
Jtenma @ Nov 28th 2007 2:22PM
Indeed...I STILL dont believe this...by doing this more hot air is getting out??
I'd like to know more cold hard facts before I kill my PS3.
I do hope its really true because I've been waiting for a good reason to lay the console down.
Wonderflex @ Nov 28th 2007 1:37PM
I rock my sideways too...but only due to the fact that it's about 30 feet tall, and doesn't fit into my TV stand vertically. Glad to know my setup's inconvenience is a benefit.
Sergio Vera @ Nov 28th 2007 1:46PM
But isn't it better if things get hotter? Helps longterm relationships.
jae29one @ Nov 28th 2007 5:28PM
I've all ways had mines vertical.. Im going to try out Horizontal and see how my fan reacts..
Vincent @ Nov 28th 2007 2:02PM
I never let mine stand up, it knows who is the boss
russ99 @ Nov 28th 2007 1:54PM
How long did they run the PS3 and with which games?
Certainly while not in use, or after a small amount of time, the difference is negligable.
But in practical experience, I'm no longer getting skipping or crashes after 2-3 hours of heavy disc-intensive play while currently with a vertical PS3 as I did while the PS3 was horizontal.
Akamaru @ Nov 28th 2007 2:15PM
That's what I mean, are there other aspects that might benefit from the vertical position? We all know that the PS3 deals with heat in a very efficent manner. My 8 hour long Assassin's Creed session can attest to that. But what about some of the other mechanical aspects such as disc reading?
Ryne @ Nov 28th 2007 1:54PM
The thearmal camera isnt even pointed at the same vents in the pictures you can change the vents every experament because the vents expel diffrent temperatures because of the distance to the processor
John @ Nov 28th 2007 1:59PM
I guess i have to say it.
I'd like to see what the results would be for a 360.
Loki047 @ Nov 28th 2007 2:03PM
Anyone notice the color of the table between the two scenarios?
I keep mine horizontally, but i would assume convective heat transfer would be advantageous to the vertical position. I would need a lot more information before i would called this anything more than pretty pictures. IE) did the HVAC kick in causing the increased temperatures seen in the Vertical photos? Was the horizontal taken first, then the vertical causing residual heat? There's too much unanswered for it to be proof. A good idea, just not executed well.
preciousdeath @ Nov 28th 2007 2:08PM
Did they perform this test on the 360. And if so, were both positions completely red?
Ed @ Nov 28th 2007 2:09PM
My horizontal PS3, however, looks much cooler.
Organic_Shadow @ Nov 28th 2007 2:20PM
Mine spun the fans up a lot sooner when vertical. Laying down horizontal it spins them up less, and doesn't usually spin them up at all with F@H that I notice.
Bryan Williams @ Nov 28th 2007 2:24PM
I don't worrie about heat as much with the PS3 I saw a test where it still fuctioned correctly in a sauna. The fans do there job. I worrie about the Blu-ray drive and dust. Putting the drive verticaly helps prevent dust from settling on the lens. That is my major consern as someone who lives in Arizona where dust is a tech killer.
James @ Nov 28th 2007 2:36PM
Actually, I believe this. The only time I actually stood my PS3 vertical was this past Thanksgiving when I brought it home. It froze in the middle of COD 4. I'm going to keep it horizontal going forward.
BananaXtreme @ Nov 28th 2007 3:15PM
How can you judge if you don't have an image of a PS3 standing vertical.. I want more proof !
HAAS599 @ Nov 28th 2007 2:54PM
This reminds me of an inconvienient truth.
dont believe the hype.
vertical is better.
if a building is on fire, smoke will collect in the ceiling an then exit through windows once all the air has been displaced with smoke.
hot air naturally wants to rise and will exit the PS3 faster with it vertical.
the temps were taken just outside the vents, so hot air exiting the vents at a faster rate = hotter temp.
thermal imaging isnt the end all of temp readings, anyone seen predator? think of all that plastic covering on the ps3 as mud. Thermal imaging isn't an acturate internal temp guage.
frankym @ Nov 28th 2007 2:57PM
I've had my PS3 since March and have had it vertical since day 1. A few days ago the circuit board got fried during the middle of a COD4 game. Once I get it back from repair it will be horizontal for me. I am willing to bet it was the vertical position that caused it ti fry (and yes, it has been connected to a top of the line battery back up so it was not a power surge).
Tru-blu @ Nov 28th 2007 3:10PM
That's odd, I play COD 4 for hours on end non-stop and it's never froze up on me. And that's with my PS3 in the vertical position.
It all comes down to an individual's environment. I mean, you could go by what this article says about laying the PS3 in the horizontal option allows it to run it cooler, but if you have a confined space or cabinet or what not, it wouldn't make that much of a difference for the proper ventilation wouldn't be present.
I would of figured it wouldn't have mattered if you stood it up or laid it down, since it was developed to allow both options. But I'm paranoid so I think I'll switch my PS3 to horizontal instead of vertical later today.
Twelve @ Nov 28th 2007 3:12PM
I place mine horizontally, but I also have it elevated on four small plastic stands. That's my tip. Haven't had an overheating problem since January '07.----12
HAAS599 @ Nov 28th 2007 3:15PM
Sony says you can have it vertically or horizontally, it should be safe and not overheat either way.
Do what feels best
Tru-blu @ Nov 28th 2007 3:16PM
HAAS599, those are good points also.
Jason @ Nov 28th 2007 3:20PM
This is rubbish people. Yes it runs a little cooler in the horizontal position, but not enough to make a real difference. The PS3 is designed to be both vertical and horizontal, both are fine. I have been running mine vertically since launch and never had a problem.
Dehshizknight @ Nov 28th 2007 4:09PM
Lol, I actually prefer the vertical setup but had to do it horizontal because of my living room TV stand's lack up vertical space. so its been horizontal since day one. My PS2, on the other hand, used to be horizonal and now I got it vertical to conserve space because my bedroom setup permits (but there aren't problems on the PS2).
Popfrogs @ Nov 28th 2007 4:58PM
I've had mine horizontal since Nov 17th of '06, hasn't overheated once. Then again it's not sitting on the carpet, I don't smoke indoors, and my floor isn't made of dirt. And my A/C seems to work right all year. Also I leave it turned on 24/7. I think Sony knows that a $600 piece of hardware should be able to survive being left on all the time just like a desktop computer...which is basically what it is anyway.
I do, however, want the PS3 to be a little more eco-friendly. I want to set idle times on it, so if I leave in the morning it'll go into sleep mode after an hour and shut off after 2 hours, something to that effect.
JayD-1K @ Nov 28th 2007 5:30PM
i think it does have an auto shut off? or mayby i'm missing something, it is in standby mode all the time when it's off?
Big Al @ Nov 28th 2007 5:58PM
i cant believe this i always thought vertical was so much better for it
Skatox @ Nov 28th 2007 6:18PM
This is wrong, vertical is better cause the hot air exits the console at the upper and back vent , if you put it horizontally the cell procesors' heat air goes slowly to the sides vent.
By logic you can see that hot air goes up, so vertical it's better. Try by yourself and look.
Emophia @ Nov 28th 2007 6:28PM
I'll wait till more reasearch is done, but I hope this isn't true...
Because the PS3 looks pretty ugly horizontal, and good vertical...
sisco @ Nov 28th 2007 6:30PM
That makes perfect sence...Heat rises and it would imbrace the rest of the ps3 when it could just excape through the vents and fan.
snsr @ Nov 28th 2007 6:35PM
I'd like to believe this, but I call B.S. First off, can anybody that wrote this post read polish/czech? (I can't tell the difference..)
It seems that the air exiting the unit in those thermal images is hotter when vertical because of more efficient cooling.
The curved lid of the PS3 makes it necessary, when laid horizontal, for hot air to exit via the side vents or the rear (lower) vent. Unless the BluRay drive blocks hot air significantly on it's way up and out, a vertical orientation seems more efficient.
Brett Boston @ Nov 28th 2007 11:10PM
YAY
Ether02 @ Nov 29th 2007 6:51PM
Yeah, I remember back in the ps2 days somebody did a report on the problems that system had being vertical. So , I always keep my ps3 horizontal and Its harder to actually knock it over. I could not risk that happening to my baby.
Nick @ Dec 1st 2007 4:16PM
I honestly doubt it matters... the fans blow the air out of the vent... it wouldn't matter at all what way the system sits... The fan still moves, the air still goes in the same direction... the way the blu-ray drive is made I doubt it would matter either... The disks seem pretty snug in there.
The system should be running the same regardless though... all it matters is that the air moves out of the console... which it does regardless... The only way it would matter is if the PS3 had a vent where the HDD is... I don't see thermal as accurate in this case... The only thing that should be effected by the stance of the ps3 would probably be the disk drive.
Tyler @ Dec 12th 2007 5:42PM
Well, I had mine since January (old 20gig original HDD), and up until I saw this post (weeks ago) it was vertical. I personally NEVER had a problem with it over heating. Since I turned it Horizontal, it still has had no problems. Mabey I am just lucky? Or mabey Sony built a very good system that can survive any way you want to put it. Who knows, but I think the 2nd one is more accurate
CHRIS FREEZE @ Jan 13th 2008 5:25PM
GET THIS!
I purchased a 60 gig ps3 sometime around July 2007
set it up vertically and it lasted about 6 months.
Turned it on one day and all of a sudden it turned into a blow dryer, i didint know if i should put a game in or place my hair next to it.
The system would still turn on but it wasn't even reading the disk.
Now I just got an 80 gig ps3 with motor storm set it up vertically again.
After reading this topic i layed it down like a 17 year old chick on prom night.
GOOD THING FOR WARRANTIES!
HAHAIGHT!
~ CHRIS FREEZE.