Tagged for later response.

Should I tag it? I feel I should as everyone else seems to be.

I will have a look later too, but for now I will say this... I THINK the Wii is still 90nm chip process.... likely because switching to a smaller nm takes time, especially when you out-source. And taking time out to do that would mean temporary lowering of Wii production, and they are struggling enough as it is.

So all Wii's are 90nm.

In addition... I am not sure on the actual cost cutting, but in terms of profit per system I think Nintendo is making less now than they did at launch due to the strong Yen.... which means cost reduction will have at least been minimal.

One of Nintendo's focusses when designing the Wii was for the chips to use minimal power and keep cool, so arguably some of Nintendo's cost reduction will have been done before the Wii even launched (ie it was cheap to make initially)

And a last point is the Wii remote tech, which for all we know could be where they have managed to cut the cost the most because the technology inside it is very specific, and I think produced in larger numbers for Wii remotes than for anything else before it... so it was probably the easiest thing to get cheaper now that the Wii means it's needed in vast quantities.

Model no: RVL-001(EUR)
Power rating: 12V 36W
Date and country of purchase: Ljubljana, Slovenia (local store) October 2008
Power brick: Input: 230V 50Hz 52W
Output: 12V 3.7A

@TWRoO

I agree with almost all your points. In fact, I almost didn't tag this thread for that reason alone. But, so far one thing has surprised me is that some people have 45W Wiis, while others have 36W Wiis.

That isn't the power it uses though... Wii's were measured at 19W usage when turned on multiple times.

I have no idea why it says either of those Wattages, nor why they are different. (about to check region for them)
Edit... seems the PAL Wii's are the ones that say 36W, while NTSC-America say 45W.

I'm aware that is only uses 19W, so none of it really makes any sense why they would be rated differently.

Model no: RVL-001(USA)
Power rating: 12V 45W
Date and country of purchase: launch day in Mexico
Power brick: Input: AC 120V 52W 60Hz
Output: DC 12V 3.7A

Fixed, since the OP has Wii from Australia (PAL) and its 45W.

Well I am trying to remember stuff from old physics classes, but I thinnk I muct be going on the wrong track.

Am I right in remembering V=IP.... or equivalent to P=V/I or Watts = Volts/Amps..... exceptall that gets me to is that the PAL and American version also have different Amperes.... unless I remembered the formula wrong (is it I/V?)

Although I may have got confused with the formula V=IR (R being resistance) which renders this whole post void.

Thank Son1x.

didn't notice that.... perhaps it's just European regulation of some kind.

Mine is like all other RVL-001(USA) models, I got it probably June of 07. I'm pretty sure the reason you haven't heard Nintendo talk about cost cutting measures is because they haven't changed the internals at all. They made it as cheap as possible to begin with.