parrotheads4

I can't seem to find any confirmation on a release date. Is Microsoft going to release this, or are they sticking with the current design. I will be buying an XBox for Halo 3. If the 65nm release is in the ballpark of Halo 3 I'll wait for it.

RichC2

They are planning it but have not announced a date for it.

taffer

That's because Microsoft has never officially said anything about it. Anything you hear about the cooler running chips is purely rumors and hearsay.

im_ryandick

i say wait.

Mok

should be fall, but don't look for Microsoft to acknowledge it.

Matt

So the general thought is that they'll just quietly slip in the new chipsets into the current process, real subtle-like?

No chance of a case redesign then, I guess?

Demontooth

You're really missing a lot of good gaming worrying about this rumored chip.

Fandango

He says he wants one for Halo 3.

Matt

And all that good gaming will still be around when the new chips come out--only many of the games will be cheaper than they are now, and they'll be running on systems that will be cooler and quieter and less-problematic than the current systems are.

I got no problems waiting.

Michael Corvin

Yeah, I kinda doubt there will be any fanfare. It will quietly hit shelves and that will be it.

I'm in the camp of "you're wasting your time waiting for a rumored chip", when you could get in a few great months of gaming instead.

Matt

Are the new chips "rumored" the same way the Zephyr was "rumored" earlier in the year?

I mean, from everything I've read, it's gonna happen--it's just a matter of "when," as opposed to "if."

hail2dking

That's what I think. They still have a stockpile of 90nm chips that have to be sold, if they announce a 65nm release, a lot of people will hold out for it (see OP). I think once the stock of 90nm 360s is close to depletion, they will announce the 65nm model...probably the "rumored" white premium w/ HDMI.

Take this for what it is worth

PrivatePixel

....or less, depending on when the RROD appears.

Groucho

Argh! "?" in the subject header please.

PrivatePixel

More than likely, the CPU based on a smaller fab will be incorporated into regular production units, and unless they revise the SKU, production code and/or rear panel to reflect this, I don't think there's any way of knowing what a customer receives without opening the box or cracking open the case. After all, if there was some way to distinguish the ones out now compared with the 65nm fab units, those based on the original fab will probably need to be discounted as a means of clearing older stock, which isn't a sales approach I see Microsoft adopting.

Michael Corvin

Exactly. I'm betting the only way it will be known is if someone notices it running quieter and not so hot and they decide to crack it open to see.

parrotheads4

I found this article which suggests that they will arrive quietly this fall.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post...-xbox-360.html

pinata242

Of course they'll arrive quietly. The only incentive for Microsoft to do this is cost-saving on their end which they won't likely pass on unless Sony forces them to. Any benefit to the consumer is a side-effect.

They certainly won't claim it'll help with the rampant RROD issues because those don't exist and any failures are well within acceptable tolerances, right?

shumway

Everyone here knows what will happen. Someone will open theirs up, see that it has it, they will take note of the serial number, or, whatever, and then others will do so as well. Pretty soon we will have a confirmed range and the savvier people will be able to pick it out on the shelf without hassle. If this actually helps the life of their console I'll consider getting one. Until they get better or start handing out free extended warranties I won't bother.

Tracer Bullet

If Microsoft was smart, they'd drop the price with the introduction of this new chip to keep the pressure on the PS3.

pinata242

What if they are smart and greedy?

They need to keep making whatever they can per console to offset the initial losses and the cost of repairs. Even with the extended warranty money they pull in, I just can't believe they aren't losing money on each repair.

aj9

if you jump on a 360 now....just make sure you pick one up w/ a 2 year warranty (best buy, etc), and if anything ever goes wrong w/ the unit, swap it out...
if it dies in 6 months, maybe by then the new units will have this newer chipset....?
but with a good extended warranty, you're covered.

mbs

The smaller die chips will come, no doubt. It's in MS's interest to do so (it will save them money, as more CPUs can be made per wafer). It's also in MS's interest to make no noise about it. They want the stock of 90nm CPUs to continue to sell. Until they have gotten rid of all 90nm stock, I doubt they say one word about it.

I doubt the smaller CPUs will really solve any problem for us consumers, however. From what I understand, an overheating CPU is less of an issue with today's 360s (versus the other rampant problems).

parrotheads4

If this is the case (65nm not solving any problems) then maybe I'll skip the 360. A failure rate of 33% is unacceptable.

mbs

I could be wrong about thinking a CPU die shrink won't help. I just know that in my case, I got the RROD from a "general hardware failure" and never saw the overheating error. It just doesn't sound like (to me, at least) that most of the 360 failures are heat related.

Whatever you decide to do, be sure to purchase the extended warranty. You can consider it as part of the cost when factoring whether to get a 360. It would be incredibly foolish to not buy the warranty, new CPUs or not. That said, it is still painful to have to send in my beloved 360 when it craps out (something which should not be nearly as necessary as it is).

One benefit of the smaller CPUs might be fan noise. Less heat should be quieter units. It won't sound like a train is in the room when watching HD-DVDs.