Ben Heck looks under the 60GB Xbox 360's hood

by Alexander Sliwinski on Aug 7th 2008 12:30PM

Tech guru Ben Heck has taken a sledgehammer and hacksaw to the new 60GB Xbox 360 to see what changes have been made inside. What he found was ... well, pretty much the same stuff that's been there for a bit. Sure, there's the bigger hard drive, but the only other main difference seems to be the placement of some (allegedly) heat-tastic memory chips.

There may be some other differences for those looking further back into the Xbox 360's past, but it seems like Heck is jumping off from the point where the extra heatsink had been added. If you've got an original Xbox 360 from way back in the day, there may be a few other changes, but all the cool kids have had their RRoD by now and gotten newer Xbox 360 iterations.

Source

Tags: ben-heck, ben-heckendorn, benjamin-heckendorn, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (42)

If only you got a new iteration when your machine RRoDed. My most recent 360 is the loudest one I've had yet. Nothing like the later models that actually are fairly quiet as long as the optical drive is not spinning.

Funny, I've got a launch Xbox and still no problems at all! Probably sees about 2h a use per week though.

Mine was a launch model and it just died this past weekend. It got probably about 2 hours usage everyday.

...And I thought I was immune.

:P

The POWARRR of Geometry Wars 2 was too much I guess lol!

Me too, I did have overheating issues at one point, but I just took it apart and there was a blanket of dust, (about a cm thick) covering nearly the entire mobo.

I still have a launch day Xbox 360 as well, and it's never given me any problems. Well, that's not exactly true, I've had blue dot screen artifacts before (which is, you guessed it, a symptom of overheating or of a power supply that isn't keeping up). It was on a 100+ degree day though, after hours of playing, so I'd say it was more my fault than anything.

It's a shame that isolated cases of RROD thrown into the internet echo chamber have basically defined the first couple of years of the 360. While others were complaining about the RROD, I've been playing some of the best games that have probably ever come out (in 3D anyway) on the 360. I'd call myself lucky to have never gotten the RROD, but I think it's safe to say that I can't afford to jinx it as this point.

Truely BAM I'd force it to break now before the warranty gets hairy. It WILL break... just depends on when.

Good to see MS is really trying to put RRoD to an end all around but If I ever HAVE to get another 360. It will be an Elite.

I got an Elite when they came out in May (my first 360). I used it quite a bit (as much as my job would allow). Less than a year later it failed due to a disc read error. It couldn't read the disc and it would make a noise like a fork stuck in a garbage disposal. Apparently a magnet in the drive mechanism had come lose and was rattling around in there. Luckily it didn't damage my discs at all. I sent it in (for free) and the replacement has been fine so far, and the drive is noticeably quieter as well.

I am wary of it happening again after a year, so I'm excited about the fall update adding the ability to copy games to the hard drive. It should cut down on drive wear and tear, as well as some of the heat.

Still, I haven't had a RROD yet, so that's good.

Thats what I got. An Elite. No problems here. I have had it for a year now. I play around 3-4 hours a day.

But I am not taking any chances. I have 2 intercoolers hooked up to it. They both are powered by their own power supply, and an additional fan pointing to the hottest point on the 360. (which is the lower right hand corner.) I use it standing up.

There is so much air flowing through that 360 that the case doesnt even warm up. :P

PS: The good thing is that once I power down the xbox 360 I still leave the intercoolers on so they keep sucking out the hot air from within until the air comes out completely cold.

This should make it RROD free.

@ John n Cyro n Fenix

Damn man, your comments has freaked my out about turning on my 360 again. I bought my 360 during the major time of the RROD CRISIS (back in late 07) and that purchase worried me shitless. John, hearing about your Elite crapping out due to that disc tray thing and Fenix about your RROD, gets me thinking about all of that again. I have the HDMI model but like no protection (external fan) and hearing that my 360 can K.O. not just from RROD has my scared once again.

Yeah. I just got one of the Dark Knight 360s in the mail the other day (ONE OF THE JOKER ONES!!!!) and its loud as hell compared to my older one.

too bad it will still RROD since its the same 90nm GPU. its basically a falcon with 60GB and new liteon crappy drive.

It's that the NetScape logo on your icon? Haven't seen that in years!

+1

It haz Bleu Rayz?!?!?!

Still on 360 #1 since Feb 06, HAH!*

*just fucked myself

Maybe...lol

I'm actually glad my 360 crapped out when it did. Other than GeoWars 2 and Braid coming I was in a gaming drought. I was really just rotating playing B:BC, Halo3, COD4 and Gears. Come next month and on through the end of the year all the heavy hitters are coming so I just re-opened my Gamefly account. Actually I got my wife to open one so I can get the XBL free 400 MSpoints offer. Theres about 25 games in my Queue for 360 and PS3 titles.

:D

Yep, your Kool-Aid avatar will be shouting "OHHNOOZ!" soon enough.

O YEAH!

Fenix,

How can you play 25 titles in so little time? D:

Do you try to get 100% on every game? man, the only game that I haven't gotten 100% on was MGS4 and Rogue Galaxy (but that has more to do with the fact that there is just too much shit to do on Rogue Galaxy that even after 200hrs+ I haven't finished it D: )

Noshino

Not all 25 of those games come out this year. Basically I'll try to beat all the games I play and enjoy. I usually have a target mark of at least 600-1000gp on every game I play. If I really end up liking it of course.

Not sure how the trophies would work out but I guess I would do my best to get the platinum one if possible or at least 60 to 80% of them. Most titles only require a week or weekend to do this if you really look at it.

See, I'm usually always asking people or reading on "how long is the game?" or "how many hours did it take you to beat it?" and I'll work those hours into my schedule. Weekends (if we dont have plans) are a main playing time for me though.

'but all the cool kids have had their RRoD by now and gotten newer Xbox 360 iterations.'

Mine has RRoD'd twice and 2 ringed now as well because some idiot at the repair center left a sheet of stickers inside of my system. TWICE. They left them in, I sent it back - they STILL left them in after they were supposed to remove them.

I'd be charting out a trip, pitchfork in hand, if I wasn't being promised a console exchange with one that "all the modern revisions and hardware changes" (ie an Opus). I've sent my system in twice in the last month, and what have I gotten back? The same Xenon system I've had since November 2006.

Only they gave me free stickers these last two times.

My 360 that was manufactured in 11/05 finally RRoD'd the other week. I thought I was also immune to it. It was played about 10 hours a week on average.

I have much respect for Mr. Ben Heck so I'm not trying to dis anybody here, but with all of this hardware hacking people are doing, how come we still don't have a way to upgrade the hard drive yet?

I wish there was a way to crack open the casing and slap in your own 2.5" SATA HDD in there. : (

Uhh..... we do have a way to upgrade the hard drive? Google HDDHackr ;)

Dunno, for some devices you get used to being able to do what you please. Probably some brilliant person already figured out how to shoehorn in a standard drive. However, hacks for the masses seem to depend on a glaring security flaw that's easy to exploit. DeCSS for example.

At least Microsoft had the grace to make hard drives replaceable without a service center.

My Falcon 360 is running in a cabinet below my TV, no problems so far in the three months I've had it, whereas my PS3 lasted a wonderful two week! XD

i've had my ps3 about a year now and run it like mad nearly every day. only problem was a corrupt file that made my system reboot while i was trying to arrange my video clips. my podcast and movies were all out of order.

pretty sure that your ps3 would be under warranty. First I have heard about a hardware failure in that console.

Why is your model working at all relevant to that his doesn't? Neither are indicative of overall reliability, and the "week or two" scenario is always going to happen to somebody in electronics.

A friend of mine bought an HP PC that must've looked fine in testing, but kicked the bucket after mere days. His replacement was fine. And I myself imported a DS lite when it came out in japan, with a weak power switch that broke after a month (not particularly spectacular I know) and I only got a replacement after it had come out in the UK.

And the 360 is reliable now, so why are we still talking about a redundant issue?

I'm planning on buying a 360 come Spring. I really, really hope that models available then are engineered to last. I haven't heard as much RRoD chatter, but is that because the new models are better or because everyone's tired of talking about it?

Pretty certain you'll be ok. Especially with this new 60gb unit.

It's because the RROD turned out to be an engineering error, which they've since corrected. Any 360 you buy new these days is not susceptible to the RROD.

Don't worry about it, the new 360s are pretty damn safe and reliable. Now as for the PS3, I'm worried about its Blu-Ray drive crapping out in some units.

"I'm worried about its Blu-Ray drive crapping out in some units."

Mine's fine, and I bought it near launch! Huh, why did I feel a sudden sense of deja vu?

Intercolers on 360 is a sure way to burn your unit out fast.

I am waiting for my second 360 to come back from MS. Actually getting it back tomorrow. The unit was bought 8 months ago, was out in the open getting air, and was taken great care of. So, if you think your immune to a RROD, you are one hundred percent wrong. My nephews 360 RROD'ed on him after having it for six months!! So much for the "FALCON" chipset.

And MS isn't extending my warranty which F-ing sucks!!!

My fear of RROD and my lack of HDTV are the only reasons keeping away of an Xbox 360...Also I don't have a way to play online :(.

Shame those newer Xbox 360 iterations are still pretty flakey. Wait for jasper, or buy a PS3. Xbox is still unreliable junk, sadly...

Yes, because a ps3 does everything the 360 buyer wanted, just more reliably.

Hearing all these horror stories, I just have to wait for confirmation that the jasper MoBo is in all 360's.

Does anybody know if the power supply rating is on the outside of the box anywhere?

I've already have 360 which I bought on 01/31/07.
3 times had the RRoD. Im kinda fed'up with microsoft.
Maybe I'll wait until all the 360 have jasper mobo.
Im still wondering when is this going to happen.

Sorry, you must be logged in to leave a comment.

Breaking News

The most popular posts
in the last 7 days

Vita 'UMD Passport' won't be offered in US 221 comments
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning review: A tempting fate 161 comments
Blizzard taking Valve to court over 'DOTA' trademark 117 comments
David Jaffe leaves Eat Sleep Play, layoffs hit developer [Update] 107 comments
Don't call it a remake: Final Fantasy X is a 'remaster,' to be clear 95 comments

Ben Heck looks under the 60GB Xbox 360's hood

Reader Comments (42)

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 12:38PM spin cycle said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 12:41PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 12:44PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 1:04PM Tiptup300 said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 3:20PM BananaBoat said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 3:38PM Ghen said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 12:41PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 12:53PM SpacePenguinBot said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 2:18PM Cyro 117 said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 3:06PM philmcfail said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 12:51PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 12:59PM eilegz said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 1:18PM dabamf said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 1:01PM D3m0sthenes said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 1:03PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 1:11PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 1:14PM iFester said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 1:18PM juju187 said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 1:41PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 2:20PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 1:19PM zero2dash said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 1:24PM jron said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 1:48PM breaklaw said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 1:57PM RKN said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 2:01PM AoE said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 2:08PM borland502 said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 1:57PM RKN said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 2:15PM jhowlett said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 5:33PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Aug 8th 2008 7:24AM Ethan said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 2:01PM borland502 said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 2:22PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 2:23PM AoE said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 3:04PM RKN said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 4:35PM borland502 said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 3:41PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 4:34PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 7:24PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Aug 8th 2008 7:09AM Ethan said

Posted: Aug 7th 2008 7:56PM fanboykilla said

Posted: Aug 8th 2008 7:07AM Ethan said

Posted: Sep 11th 2008 4:00PM (Unverified) said

Info

Description

MSRP

Release Date

Genre

Developer

Publisher

Rating

Breaking News

Double Fine Kickstarter passes $1 million in under 24 hours, breaking yet another record

Featured Stories

Barricading 'Dead Souls' within Yakuza's red-light district

WRUP: All the Reckoning

Xbox Live Indie Gems: Nyan Cat Adventure

The most popular postsin the last 7 days

Engadget

TUAW

Massively

WoW

The most popular posts
in the last 7 days