i want to buy a ps3 for the blue ray player and the occasional game. i have a 360 so most of my games will still be on that....but i really want a ps3...now is the 80g better than the 40g....i dont care about the backwards compatibility because i dont like to play older games on new systems...but i heard the 40g is a lot quieter, is this true? and does that make it worth getting over the 80g?

If you don't care about backwards compatibility, then go for the 40 gb. Especially if you are primarily looking for a bluray player. The 80 gb offers nothing that the 40gb can't give you (in your case). I doubt the hard drive difference affects you, and if it does, you can always upgrade it on your own.

Don't forget though, you can play playstation 1 games on the 40 gb ps3 if the need ever arises. As for noise, I have heard many reports that the 40 is the least noisy of them all, but I have no concrete evidence.

Good luck and enjoy!

If the loss of two USB ports, lack of BC, and not having the ability to play SACDs doesn't bother you then buy the 40gb.

I own the 40GB system and it is whisper quiet (especially compared to my 360 which sounds like it might explode). If BC is not an issue for you, go with the 40GB. You can always upgrade the HDD with any 2.5" SATA notebook HDD for well under $100.

One caveat you might want to consider is the rumor circulating about the demise of the current 80GB PS3. It sounds like Sony is going to replace it with a larger HDD (120GB or possibly larger) and the new Dual Shock 3 controller (Sixaxis with rumble). I would expect an announcement (if there is one) to come down at the Game Developers Conference on Feb 18th. If you can wait a few more weeks I would suggest to sit tight until then. I would imagine the 40GB PS3 will also be getting the Dual Shock 3 very soon.

For anyone that does own the 80GB version, how often do you find yourself using its unique features, SACD, memory card readers, additional usb ports, etc?

Never!

But, mine is just as quiet as the 40gb I used to own.
I don't play games on mine, but.....The PS2 games are pretty cheap and MAYBE, SOMEDAY, I might want to play games on it. So for a $100 more for 80gb with BC vs. 40gb without, it was worth it. IMHO

+ I got Motorstorm for FREE. I've actually played it for about 5 min. too!

My friend has an 80GB, and he wishes he would have just saved $100 and gotten the 40GB version.

Why?

1) He doesn't care about MotorStorm, especially because MS2 is coming out this year.
2) He doesn't care about camera card inputs, since you can just throw any pictures on a usb drive.
3) He doesn't care about the extra usb ports, because 99% of the time he has nothing plugged into them anyways.
4) For the extra $100, if he really wanted to, he could have spent on like a 160GB drive.
5) His 80GB PS3 is louder and runs hotter than my 40GB PS3.

The list goes on... Bottomline, we are both happy, but he wishes he would have saved $100 and gotten a 40GB PS3, and I'm perfectly happy with my 40GB version.

My friend has an 80GB, and he wishes he would have just saved $100 and gotten the 40GB version.

Why?

1) He doesn't care about MotorStorm, especially because MS2 is coming out this year.
2) He doesn't care about camera card inputs, since you can just throw any pictures on a usb drive.
3) He doesn't care about the extra usb ports, because 99% of the time he has nothing plugged into them anyways.
4) For the extra $100, if he really wanted to, he could have spent on like a 160GB drive.
5) His 80GB PS3 is louder and runs hotter than my 40GB PS3.

The list goes on... Bottomline, we are both happy, but he wishes he would have saved $100 and gotten a 40GB PS3, and I'm perfectly happy with my 40GB version.

hmm..i am getting a the PS3 either tomorrow or the next day, and i still cant decide which one to get:confused:, all tho i probably wouldnt need all the extras in the 80g. but then it is nice to have all the features you can. the one thing i do worry about tho is if the 80g is actually really louder and hotter than the 40g

I just bought a 40gb. I figured the only ps2 games i'm going to want to player are the god of wars when the 3rd one nears release. In that case i'll pick up a ps2 on ebay or something. Save myself some money and also i don't know if the ps3 is as bad as the 360 at BC but i don't want to deal with that again if possible. If you need BC then the route i'm taking is always an option.

I am getting ready to buy a PS3 sometime this week. For me the choice between the 40gb or 80gb is pretty obvious. I do not own any PS1 or PS2 games...I do not own any SACD.

I have gotten by for over 2years on my XBOX 360 with a 20gb HD that still has 8 or so GB free so 40gb is more than enough.

I am getting ready to buy a PS3 sometime this week. For me the choice between the 40gb or 80gb is pretty obvious. I do not own any PS1 or PS2 games...I do not own any SACD.

I have gotten by for over 2years on my XBOX 360 with a 20gb HD that still has 8 or so GB free so 40gb is more than enough.

yeah that does make sense, i dont own any ps1 or ps2 games either, and i have no SACD's (havent even seen any). i wouldnt mind motostorm with the 80g. but i suppose that could always just be bought seperatly and save money that way if i really wanted it. Does the 40g essentially look the same? just minus the memory card slots and the extra usb's right?

For anyone that does own the 80GB version, how often do you find yourself using its unique features, SACD, memory card readers, additional usb ports, etc?


I use the additional USB ports for playing Rockband, I use the BC to play Madden 08 for PS2 since it's a better game, I've used the memory card readers a few times just because it's more convenient and I've got 50 GB of stuff on my 80 GB drive so it was worth the extra money for me. :D