Unbeknownst to many, Sony has been quietly rolling out a slightly updated model of its current home gaming console, the Playstation 4. Dubbed the CUH-1200 or 'C-Chassis', it features a number of performance and cosmetic tweaks over the original variant which launched in November 2013.

Back in July, first news of the new model began circulating in Japan. Improvements found in the device included better energy consumption, less heat generation, and a much quieter running state. Hardware wise, some subtle tweaks have been made to the internal components such as tweaking the RAM configuration from 16 512mb modules to 8 1 GB ones. In the looks department, the CUH-1200 does away with the original's glossy exterior finish in favor of an all-matte look.

This September, C-Chassis models have begun hitting western shores so reviewers have finally been able to put the new PS4 through its paces. Does it bring all the reported improvements? Here's what the critics think:

Eurogamer says that the new PS4 does bring marked improvements as far as noise is concerned. Their tests indicate that the CUH-1200 is at least 12 decibels quitter than the original when under a full gaming load.

The power consumption also has improved, with the C-Chassis consuming up to 15 watts less than its predecessor.

Their review contains a considerable amount of testing and information on the new model so be sure to check it out if you're in the market for a PS4.

One thing to note is the fact that the 1TB Playstation 4 model Sony is advertising is still running under the old CUH-1000 specification. Prospective buyers looking to enjoy the benefits of the new 1200 model while still retaining 1TB storage are better of upgrading the hard drive on their own.