PlayStation 5 Refresh Boasts New 6nm AMD Oberon Plus SoC
Sony updated its PlayStation 5 console about a month ago. Over the web and social media, game tech enthusiasts are slowly revealing the fundamental changes offered by the CFI-1202 console. A key difference that has helped drive the new compact cooling system and weight savings is Sony’s shiny new Oberon Plus processor inside the updated console.
The first two revisions of the Sony PlayStation 5 used the same AMD semi-custom processor. Next, what the PC world calls the PS5’s “APU” is called Oberon and was manufactured on TSMC’s N7 process.according to Anstronomics Backed up by updated APU comparison images, the report shows that the new Oberon Plus is featured in the CFI-1202 model and is being mass-produced by TSMC on the N6 process. It’s easy to spot the difference in chip packages, sources calculate the die size of the new processors to be less than 260mm^2. This is significantly smaller than Oberon’s approximately 300mm^2.
The new Oberon Plus brings practical benefits to PS5 CFI-1202 models with die shrink. Formally (opens in new tab), TSMC’s N6 not only “provides 18% higher logic density than the N7 process,” but is also fully design-rule compatible with the previously manufactured N7 chips, allowing for an easier transition. However, TSMC’s linked press release does not mention some benefits associated with moving from N7 to N6. Not only is the die smaller, the processor can see lower power consumption with better heat. Especially if the chip designer doesn’t respec other aspects of the chip, such as clock speed. This side of CFI-1202 was part of a teardown video earlier in September. The revised PS5 reportedly used 10% less power for the same gaming experience in its videos. We also learned that the 2022 revision further reduced the bulk of the cooler system and overall system weight, reducing Sony’s bill of materials (BOM).
Unlike many device makers who would have submitted design refinements one after another in parallel with ordering new batches of N6 SoCs, the console industry may shy away from demonstrable performance improvements within the same generation. is unique in that respect. So Sony, as mentioned earlier, was happy that the shrinking of the mold allowed him to reduce the BOM, and had no further ambitions. Granted, a 10% power saving while gaming isn’t a benefit they advertise, but it’s still welcome. Good to know it didn’t hurt (although some say the 2021 revision was a little hotter than the original).
Finally, Angstronomics also notes that the PS5 is the first of three current-gen consoles to feature a 6nm chip, with Sony having roughly 50% more PS5 chips per wafer than Microsoft with Xbox Series X processors. I also observe that Still, Sony recently pushed price increases around the world (except in the US) with cheaper silicon parts and new BOMs.