360 getting a CPU overhaul.

[diskoboy]

It wont effect the overall specs of the system.

They're now going to start using the 65nm manufacturing process instead of the 90nm process.

Less power usage (hopefully, no more 'brick'!), and signifigantly less heat output.

-Other 360 Pre-E3 rumours... The HD-DVD add-on drive will be out in September (still no pics or pricing until E3), and there will be a price drop for the premium and core systems come October - Perhaps as much as $100 off the Premium bundle.

[XYXZYZ]

So they're learning a lesson from Sony- design your hardware, then whip up a faulty version to sell at launch, then release the "real" version to sell for the long run and make the shmucks who got in on the first release buy another one. And of course after that you'll have the obligatory smaller, compact version so people can replace their (conviniently) dying unit.

My first NES still works!

[cityside75]

Oh man, I just had a thought...Microsoft would have made a brilliant move if they had built the 360 with the ability to easily swap the optical drive, maybe have it pop out with a small button or something. Not only would it prevent the need for a bulky add-on for the HD-DVD that will turn some people off to the idea of upgrading, but it would also provide a more elegant solution to the problem of optical drives dying, which was so prevalent in the last generation of gaming systems. It might save Microsoft some money on warranty work too.

Just a thought...

[njiska]

So they're learning a lesson from Sony- design your hardware, then whip up a faulty version to sell at launch, then release the "real" version to sell for the long run and make the shmucks who got in on the first release buy another one. And of course after that you'll have the obligatory smaller, compact version so people can replace their (conviniently) dying unit.

My first NES still works!

Um no.

They are not redesigning it to fix a problem, they're merely moving to a different manufacturing process. Just like all the rest of the industry

Currently it's on a 90nm process which is pretty much standard. In the future it, much like many other processors, will be moving to the 65nm process which reduces power consuption and because of that, it produces less heat.

From Wikipedia:

The 65 nanometer (65 nm) process is the current most advanced mainstream technology for general semiconductor manufacturing as of 2006. Minimum feature sizes can reach as low as 35nm on a "65nm" process. For reference, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is around 120 nm in diameter, a human red blood cell typically 6000-8000 nm in diameter, and a human hair typically 80000 nm in diameter. Companies currently planning 65nm production ramps include AMD, IBM, Texas Instruments, TSMC and Intel. Samsung is already deploying 50 nm process technology for NAND flash memory.

65nm is still pretty new.

[Joker T]

Good thing I've held off buying one. This fall may be the time of purchase.

[Lothars]

Good thing I've held off buying one. This fall may be the time of purchase.

I was thinking the same thing

I was going to buy one in the next couple weeks but now I think I will hold off buying one until fall for the redesign and hopeful price drop but also to save up for one as I get both the ps3 as well so it may end up being really good time to get one.

[diskoboy]

I guess I must be the only one looking forward to the HD-DVD add-on. I saw the first toshiba stand alone model, yesterday in the store...

$500. And that's for the low end version. $800 for the high end model (coming in July). No good movies anytime soon, though.

If microsoft can keep it under $200 (hoping for a $100-150 MSRP). I don't care what it looks like.... I'm down with saving a few hundred bucks over a stand alone model.

And for those of you who wanna wait on the redesigned CPU... They're gonna begin with the 65nm process in January 07. So you've got a while to wait.. And those probably wont start showing up in stores until Feb. or March 07.

[tylerwillis]

MS could have a good thing on their hands if they can use this to make a second design of the 360 - less heat, smaller powersupply, built-in HD-DVD.

Not saying that they will; MS only has one console under its belt, and they never updated the original Xbox.

[s1lence]

Not a big surprise, CPU companies are doing the same thing.

[jdc]

I'm waiting for the HD-DVD add on as well. Spent all of this money on this monster....may as well pimp it out!

[njiska]

I'm waiting for the HD-DVD add on as well. Spent all of this money on this monster....may as well pimp it out!

Looks like $100-150 USD is a reasonable expected Price. YAHOO!

[JPeeples]

It looks like I'll be waiting until the fall or winter before buying the 360. Given that we're already seeing price drops, and they'll only get bigger as time goes on, that seems to be a smart move.

[nik]

cool stuff, glad to see improvments, people who have warrenties have no worries..

[Damion]

Does anyone know when we will see these in stores? I've been sorta holding out to. So it would be nice to know when I can get one.

[hezeuschrist]

When? Eventually.

Will you actually be able to tell without taking the system out of the box? Nope. You'll have to go my serial number and even then it probably won't be readily apparent. The manufacture date is going to be a worthless indicator because certain facilities will move to the 65nm process before others.

[tholly]

im excited about the hd-dvd player, but i need to get a new tv first...right now i only have a 27" RCA w/ Component inputs....i need to update to HDTV...

[nik]

im excited about the hd-dvd player, but i need to get a new tv first...right now i only have a 27" RCA w/ Component inputs....i need to update to HDTV...

Only do so if you will use it for movies and TV...

It's not a huge massive diffrence or anything, just a little crisper.

[tholly]

im excited about the hd-dvd player, but i need to get a new tv first...right now i only have a 27" RCA w/ Component inputs....i need to update to HDTV...

Only do so if you will use it for movies and TV...

It's not a huge massive diffrence or anything, just a little crisper.

im a huge movie buff (besides being a video game buff) so the thought of my movies being just a little bit crisper is amazing to me....so, i will get a lot of use out of a hd-dvd player once i have the right tv

[nik]

im excited about the hd-dvd player, but i need to get a new tv first...right now i only have a 27" RCA w/ Component inputs....i need to update to HDTV...

Only do so if you will use it for movies and TV...

It's not a huge massive diffrence or anything, just a little crisper.

im a huge movie buff (besides being a video game buff) so the thought of my movies being just a little bit crisper is amazing to me....so, i will get a lot of use out of a hd-dvd player once i have the right tv

It's also worth it if you get a bigger size, since for the most part all larger then 30 inch screens have HDTV now.

I myself picked up a 50 inch LCD, beautiful, I fight with my fiance just so I can get to sleep next to its warm glow

[Ed Oscuro]

My first NES still works!

But if you lived in Japan and bought a Famicom at launch, you'd have traded it in for the bugfixed version.

Microsoft isn't breaking any new ground here.