iFixit

Flip the PS3 over.

Wait for it, wait for it...

MEGA FAN revealed!

This 12V, 1.3A monster rivals the best fans found in desktop PC machines. Sony spared no expense.

Closeup of the massive fan and controller antennas.

This is a brushless DC motor, which is fairly standard for fans in devices like this. Brushless motors are quieter than more traditional fans, but require fine computer control to function. It is not a maglev fan like Apple is known to use, however.

The Bluetooth and WLAN antennas, intentionally three-dimensional in design, are attached to the lower case with Phillips screws.

Disconnecting two power supply cables.

The AC inlet cable is devoid of a third 'ground' pin, surprising for a unit that draws nearly 250W.

Removing the power supply. This is quite a bit smaller than the original PS3's power supply, and presumably has better thermal characteristics.

Much to the relief of users worldwide, the power supply is designed for inputs ranging from 100V to 240V AC.

Digging a little deeper into the new power supply.

This is a startlingly compact unit. It will be interesting to see what the thermal dissipation is like.

This puppy cranks out 18 amps at 12V DC! Fingers beware.

This is the largest fan we've come across in a consumer electronics device of this size.

Sony is really taking cooling quite seriously.

The ~95 mm diameter 17 blade impeller was definitely designed with quiet in mind. It is extremely stiff and presumably made of ABS plastic.

Tape holding down antenna and power cables.

That tape is just begging to be ripped off.

We indulged.

A tug at the plug, a twist of the screwdriver...