Primed and ready to bare all and prove its worth, the PlayStation 3 Super Slim packs a lot of power in a super compact form factor. Notable specs include:

• HD 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p, and 480i output
• LPCM 7.1ch surround sound, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-HD, AAC
• Cell Broadband Engine™
• RSX® GPU
• 256MB XDR Main RAM and 256MB GDDR3 VRAM
• Available with 12 (flash memory), 250, or 500 GB (upgradable!) internal storage

Not that we're complaining, but we had to get our PlayStation 3 Super Slim in a bundle. It seems that after countless adventures, Nathan Drake finally found a treasure worthy of praise.

What exactly is included in this bundle? Glad you asked:

• 250 GB PlayStation 3 Super Slim System
• DualShock 3 Wireless Controller
• AV Composite Cable (sadly no HDMI cable is included in this bundle)
• AC Power Cord
• USB Cable (required for charging the DualShock controller)
• Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Game of the Year Edition) + Dust 514 (Downloadable content included)

We wanted to see how the PS3 Super Slim stacks up to the standard slim model, the console it replaces.

Call us silly, but our test gave us the results we were expecting. The Super Slim might have gotten a bigger name, but it shed some serious size.

Though the backsides of both consoles look similar, they give us a lot of insight into some of the revisions made for the Super Slim.

For starters, the cooling vents are considerably smaller, which most likely means that the fan itself is smaller and has less heat to deal with.

Secondly, the port layout is shifted ever-so-slightly, answering a question we get a lot about motherboard compatibility: No, you cannot swap Slim and Super Slim motherboards.

Perhaps the biggest change in the new model—and biggest gripe from consumers—is the switch to a manual top-loading disc drive.

• The door is thin, cheap-feeling plastic, and means this PS3 now requires overhead clearance to change the disc. No more cramming the PS3 into a short shelf.

We suspect that ditching the tray was necessary to cut both costs and size in the Super Slim. It's a design choice that has been met with a lot of criticism, though, reminding us of another recent size-conscious change.

In addition to the immediate benefit to Sony's margins, lowering production costs also future-proofs the PS3. When a true successor is finally released, it's almost a certainty that the PlayStation 3 Super Slim will still be sold alongside the new console, but at a much lower price point.

The bottom section of the Super Slim looks similar to its predecessor, with the exception of a missing Wi-Fi indicator light.

Fear not, the lack of a Wi-Fi indicator light does not actually mean that the Super Slim is lacking Wi-Fi.

Still present on the front of the Super Slim are two USB 2.0 ports, a hard drive indicator light, and a plethora of supported logos—including the typical Blu-ray Disc logo.

The PS3 Super Slim's hard drive bay cover pops right off and reveals a bright blue Phillips screw.

After removing said screw, the Hitachi TravelStar Z5K320 2.5" SATA II 3.0Gbps 250 GB 5400 RPM hard drive comes right out.

• In case you weren't keeping track, that's a single Phillips and no more than 5 or 10 minutes for a hard drive swap.

Perhaps the coolest thing about the PlayStation's hard drive is that Sony allows you to upgrade your console with any 2.5" laptop hard drive. No fancy firmware, no wacky enclosures—just you, your console, and as much storage as you can cram in there.

Small rubber feet hide three of the outer case's screws and provide the PlayStation 3 Super Slim with some grip.

• We don't think that these feet are much of a nuisance; they are easy to remove, add function, and clean up the look of the console.

Blocking access to the fourth screw, a wild Warranty Void sticker appears! And, it's gone.

• We think that stickers like this are bogus, and we think you should, as well.

A plastic opening tool makes quick work of the outer bezels.

Located underneath the front outer bezel, we find the ever-tempting laser warning sticker.

Removing the bezels also provides access to the screws we need to remove to get inside the Super Slim.