While some may understandably be concerned that Microsoft may have taken its cost-cutting measures a bit too far with its new 60GB Xbox 360, our pal Ben Heck has cracked one of the new models open and found that there's apparently nothing to be worried about. In fact, while the console packs the same 65nm CPU and heatsink seen in the most recent SKUs, and the same old "super" GPU heatsink, it ditches the bottom-mounted memory chips that have been commonplace until now, which some claim to have been the source of a few heat problems. Ben Heck also notes that if you want to make sure you have a 65nm CPU, you can just check out the power supply, which should be marked 175 watts, while any future model with a 65nm GPU would likely be 140 or 150 watts.

A few 60GB Xbox 360s may have already slipped out to retailers (as evidenced above), but if you're not interested in running around trying to track one down, you can now snag one from Amazon and rest assured that it'll ship out post haste. If you've been following this SKU's every move, you'll notice that's a few days ahead of the August 4th date that Amazon once listed, and the August 6th date that Circuit City still does -- but hey, we're not complaining.

[Thanks, Michael]

Update: Microsoft's Major Nelson has now confirmed that there is no official street date for the new 60GB model, "they'll just appear in the retail channels." Is this what happens when Bill G is out of the picture? Next thing we know Microsoft will start showing up late for parties and asking to sleep on our couch.