New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

Ok, ok, I may have been a tad naughty and got myself a 360 Elite!

I wanted one of the new ones with the Falcon chip, so ended up pestering the poor guy at PC world for a gander at a boxed example so I could read the lot number etc.. His face was priceless!

Mine was manufactured on 18 Oct 07, by Team FDU and is from that lot number everyone keeps mentioning, but I've just forgot lol.

I understand this it might still be one of the older ones though, so my question is, are there any wys of telling once the thing is out of the box, short of cracking it open (which I'm not bloomin well doing!)

Thanks for any advice!

ns04

Hanslow

I was looking forward to one of these until I read of someone having the RROD within a few hours Still has potential GPU issues from what I've read as only the CPU was reduced to 65nm. Hopefully you won't have any issues. Any chance you can do a comparison with an old standard one on noise / heat issues?

DJ Dunk

iTrader: (5)

Xbox.com | Xbox 360â„¢ System - How to see if you have a 65nm (Falcon) console... First of all, thank you JWSpeed for doing all of your testing and pulling your Halo 3 console apart. Also, thank you for the great pictures!
Now for the good stuff...
How to see if you have a 65nm (Falcon) console (HEATSINK INSPECTION):
First, get a flashlight that is very bright. Then put your console upside down (HD side down). You should be looking at an black or grey piece of plastic which is the bottom vent. Shine the flashlight directly into the bottom of the console (it works best to sit the flashlight on the plastic).
Then move the flashlight to the right side of the plastic. When you look inside of the console directly below the light, you will see a large white piece of plastic. This is the airflow shroud.
Next, move the flashlight to the left a bit and look into the console again. You are looking for the large silver square that is directly in front of the airflow shroud. This piece will tell you whether or not you have a 65nm console.
Here are pictures of the 90nm CPU Heatsink and the 65nm CPU Heatsink. (Notice that there is no heatpipe on the new 65nm CPU heatsink.)
90nm CPU Heatsink

65nm CPU Heatsink

How to see if you have a 65nm (Falcon) console (INDUCTOR INSPECTION):
This test looks at components on the board rather than the heatsinks and can more definitively tell you whether or not you have the Falcon motherboard (picture courtesy of JWSpeed). The number and orientation (horizontal or vertical) of inductor rings near the CPU heatsink can tell you what version of the motherboard you have.
Here is a comparison shot of the three boards which Microsoft has manufactured so far. Note the removal of one of the inductor rings from Zephyr to Falcon. Also, one can note the removal of three of the black capacitors from both launch to Zephyr, and then again from Zephyr to Falcon. Both of these changes are indications of which motherboard you have, but the capacitors are much harder to see without opening the case, so for all intents and purposes, counting the number of inductors should suffice.

All you will need to count your inductor rings are hands and a good flashlight.
1. Remove your Hard Disk Drive from the top of your console and set aside so as to not damage it.
2. Place the console vertical and upside-down on a flat surface, so the bottom grill of the console is visible.
3. Put your flashlight directly up against the console's bottom grill and look for the 2 or 3 inductor rings (which appear as a small ring wrapped in bare copper wire).
*Two rings laying flat: Congratulations! You have a Falcon board.
* Three rings laying flat: This is a Zephyr motherboard.
* Three rings standing up: This is a launch motherboard.
Again, here is the comparison shot of the 3 board types and how the inductors are oriented on each. Also, I wouldn't read into the color of the inductors too much. Chances are, the colors will change occasionally as prices from different suppliers fluctuate and MS goes from one to the next for the best deal. We will probably see different colors on the same board versions, and therefore they serve no purpose for identifying board types.
How to find a Falcon model 360 in stores:
Based on the info in this thread, A Falcon model Xbox 360 MUST BE:
* Lot #0734 (Halo 3) or later (all SKUs)
* Manufactured on or after 8/24/07(An HDMI Premium manufactured on 8/19 has been reported as 65nm.)
* Team FDOU (Other teams may be Falcon as well, but none have been reported)
Please note that getting a Falcon console is not guaranteed even if everything matches the above information. Only some new consoles are Falcon, and no Falcon refurb consoles have been reported.
How to find Lot and Team info:
There is a white sticker on the side of the box with the lot # and team. In order to find the manufacturing date without opening the box, there is a flap on the side of the box that allows you to peek inside and see the manufacturing date on the console itself.
Other info/Sightings:
(10/5/2007) No Elite SKUs have been reported with the Falcon.
If you find a console that is Falcon, please post the console type (Halo 3, Elite, Premium, Arcade), manufacture date, lot number, team, new or old CPU heatsink, number of inductors, and first 3 digits of serial number.
(Thanks I omg h4x I for posting the how to find info. Thanks DunkelSchatten for keeping track of all the Falcon consoles. Thanks Fancy ketchups for the inductor test. And thank you Boid for editing this thread.)

bob269

You can buy/borrow a power useage gadget thingy, they sell them in aldi, the 65n elite uses a lot less power than the normal 360 elite.

AnandTech: Microsoft's Xbox 360 goes 65nm: Falcon Dissection and Power Consumption

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

Oh Yes: I have a Falcon!!!

Lets just hope it doesn't do an impression of a Phoenix!!!

Many thanks for the very useful info!

spectrum48k

top info Dunk

Ray_li

whats a Falcon model all about?

DJ Dunk

iTrader: (5)

From consumer point of view it means: energy efficient, cooler running chip + smaller, simplified heatsink = happy console and less red ring of death

I guess time will tell though.

swiss scooby

True.
Now... New_scooby_04... just play some games already...
Have fun with your new console.

gotmashed

i bought a 360 3 months ago in the first month it started freezing then i had the ring of death took it back to shop got the new one with hdmi (not elite) month later doing the same then ring of death both in cool place with loads of room around it took that one back and got refund for a ps3 so far no problems and loving the controler movments

RB5-Black

good for you

two launch day 360's no red ring of death for me

gotmashed

Lol that wasnt a trolling post. The second xbox i had was the falcon chiped one just pointing out there not that much better

bob269

It's also been pointed out that the last ps3 update bricked a lot of consoles, also the ones still working aren't hammered as much as the 360 due to the lack of stuff to play

gotmashed

That i will give you the lack of games is a problem

spectrum48k

I would've bought an Xbox360 by now, but for the reliability issues. The fact that the Falcon systems are still exhibiting issues disappoints me, if this is true.

Then there's PS3 with its lack of games, and occasional reliability issues, as bob269 has mentioned.

Going to take the plunge very shortly one way or the other and more than anything it'll come down to games availability. Here's how I'm looking at it.

Games I want for Xbox360
1. Mass Effect
2. Halo 3

Games I want for PS3
1. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

If you're going to get one, I'd suggest sooner rather than later mate.

The 'Jesper' motherboard for the xbox 360 with 65n GFX card isn't scheduled for release untill AUG 2008! The falcon does run significantly cooler than the std box: have a look at the link provided by DJDunk.

Ns04

Hanslow

I'm in the same boat as spectrum48k, apart from I'm not fussed about the games he lists, but am still waiting for reliability on 360 and games on PS3. In the meantime, I've decided to buy a new guitar amp instead and put my time into that a bit more.

Still like to see the hardware and games report from you guys, including the (borderline ) friendly banter, so keep it up!