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Microsoft details Vejle, the new Xbox 360's system-on-chip architecture

Vlad Savov — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 04:03:00 EST

There aren't many unresolved mysteries with Microsoft's new console by this point -- apart from perhaps why it wasn't named the Stealthbox, like we were suggesting -- but one thing that hasn't been covered in excruciating detail yet is the new 360's splicing of the CPU and GPU into the same chip. Microsoft has remedied that today, informing us that the 45nm system-on-chip (codenamed Vejle; sorry, Valhalla fans) inside the refreshed Xbox makes do with a relatively minimal 372 million transistors, requiring only 40 percent of the power and less than 50 percent of the die space of its 2005 ancestor. A somewhat bemusing addition, noted by Ars, is the FSB Replacement sector you see in the image above. It's designed to induce lag in the system so that the Vejle chip doesn't run faster than the old stuff, something Microsoft couldn't allow to happen. Facepalm away, good people, facepalm away.

Microsoft details Vejle, the new Xbox 360's system-on-chip architecture originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 04:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Xbox 360 250GB review

Sean Hollister — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 10:33:00 EST

When we first saw its face in a Italian ad, more than one Engadget editor called its bluff: "The top half doesn't line up with the bottom," some said, "that's got to be Photoshopped." While that early image was indeed CG, the form factor was certainly not -- the new Xbox 360 sports enough sleek angles and disappearing curves we've taken to calling it the Stealthbox. As mother always told you, though, it's what's inside that counts; does that glossy exterior house any improvements, or is it hiding just another Xbox? Find out after the break.

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New Xbox 360 250GB review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Jul 2010 10:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Xbox 360 gets a proper teardown analysis: power and noise reductions confirmed

Thomas Ricker — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 05:10:00 EST

Anyone can take a hammer and rib-spreader to a new piece of hardware. But it takes someone like Anand Shimpi, the man behind Anandtech who has personally suffered through four out-of-warranty Xbox 360 failures, to bring sage analysis to a teardown of the new Xbox 360. His reluctant sixth Xbox 360 is the new slimster (codename Valhalla) which, for the first time, combines the CPU, GPU, and eDRAM onto a single chip -- previous Xbox 360 motherboards featured two discrete packages that split the CPU from the ATI designed Xenos GPU and eDRAM. The design allows for a single heatsink to be cooled by a single, larger fan making the new Xbox "noticeably quieter," measured at 45dB when idle or 51dB with the 1.5Gbps SATA Hitachi HTS545025B9SA00 with 8MB buffer spinning at 5400RPM -- that's down from 50dB and 54dB, respectively, as measured on late 2008 through 2010 Jasper-class 360s. Regarding power consumption, Anand measured a 50% reduction from the original 2005 Xbox 360 (25% less than Jasper-class rigs at idle, or 20% to 17% less under load) and pulled just 0.6W when "totally off" compared to the 2W of vampire power pulled by older 360s. Anand speculates that Microsoft might finally be using cheaper 40nm components. However, we shouldn't expect to see a price cut anytime soon as it will take Microsoft awhile to ramp up the material and manufacturing cost savings. Regardless, with Kinect and several new game titles on the horizon, Anand concludes that there's still plenty of life left in the old Xbox 360 platform for those looking to make the jump.

New Xbox 360 gets a proper teardown analysis: power and noise reductions confirmed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Jun 2010 05:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leaked Xbox 360 'Valhalla' motherboard analyzed by Ben Heck

Ross Miller — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:29:00 EST

Sure, you might've seen the purported Xbox 360 Valhalla motherboard leaked yesterday... but have you ever really seen it? There's a subtle difference, one that requires you gaze through the ocular receptors of our dearest old friend (he hates when we call him that) Ben Heck. Joystiq sat down with him to deconstruct the pictures and get his take on all the hardware nuances. First and foremost, there appears to be no connectors that "look remotely like a Xbox 360 memory card reader," which lends credence to the thought process they might be going the way of the dinosaur. WiFi is still missing in action, and as for Project Natal integration, Heck's highly doubtful that's in the cards, though he shares our mindset that a bundle would make sense. The big question is size reduction, and to that our game console laptop guru suggests that, given the constraints due to a DVD drive, the best we can expect is a one-inch drop in height (standing console), 0.5 inches in depth, and just "slightly thinner." Sorry folks, looks like even in your wildest dreams, it'll still tower over the Nintendo Wii. A great read, don your thinking cap, give yourself 15 minutes, and hit up the source.

Leaked Xbox 360 'Valhalla' motherboard analyzed by Ben Heck originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox 360 getting USB storage support in Spring 2010 firmware update

Ross Miller — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:59:00 EST

Are we gazing onto the cusp of a new horizon, one where our Xbox 360 storage needs aren't shackled to overpriced proprietary hard drives? Probably not quite. Our best friends at Joystiq have managed to obtain documents (corroborated with multiple sources) showing that the folks in Redmond are mulling over an option to enable USB mass storage support for its game machine. To elaborate, that means downloaded Xbox Live and Arcade games, DLC, other associated game files, and even installed disc-based games can be saved to an external HDD of your choosing. The documents further elaborate that the storage device itself must be 1GB or more; a system partition of 512MB is required, and by default beyond that the consumer partition (i.e. your games and the like) will occupy the remainder of the drive or 16GB, whichever is smaller -- and unfortunately, that's as much as you're gonna get. This could be another way for Microsoft to, alongside the rumored Valhalla motherboard, trim some fat for a slimmer future... but given the size constraints, we're guessing it's more likely to be a more spacious alternative to Memory Units than the main HDD itself. Word has it the feature will be rolled out in a Spring 2010 firmware update -- that is, if Microsoft keeps to its paperwork here. Excited? We are. Read the full documentation over at Joystiq.

Xbox 360 getting USB storage support in Spring 2010 firmware update originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox 360 'Valhalla' motherboard leaked on Chinese forum?

Richard Lai — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:04:00 EST

Been to the gym lately? If not, then let this be your new motivation. What we're looking at here is a purportedly forthcoming Xbox 360 motherboard redesign that takes aim at slimming down the portly figure of Microsoft's console. Sure, there's a small chance that this diet could be the work of a scarily talented console modder, but it'd still be a near-impossible task to work in what appears to be a CPU / GPU combo chip (pictured after the break) under that greatly reduced heatsink. Note that there's also an extra SATA port at the top left corner. Perhaps this is the "Valhalla" revision that we've all been waiting for? On a related note, Microsoft is currently hiring a Motherboard Design Engineer for the Xbox 360 Console Development team, with such saucy tasks as "specifying, designing, implementing and verifying the mother-board and other various sub-system boards that make up the XBOX 360 product line." Feel free to sign up if you think you can hack out a better motherboard.

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Xbox 360 'Valhalla' motherboard leaked on Chinese forum? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Secret Xbox document tells us absolutely nothing

Paul Miller — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 08:44:00 EST

So, a top-secret document has popped up over at the Cheap Ass Gamer forums from a reliable source, detailing some Xbox 360 name changes. Unfortunately, we have no idea what those names mean for us, since they're fairly idiotic, could just be internal code names, and could be fake altogether. We're trying not to believe Microsoft is going to hit the market with the Xbox Lean, Xbox Granite and Xbox Pure, unless the "Lean" is actually slimmed down, and the "Pure" version is truly the purest of all Xboxes. HEXUS has a theory that these could be names for that 65nm unified-chip Valhalla Xboxen due for the end of the year, which may actually be feasible, but implications that the Pure could be a full-on sequel to the 360 seem preposterous at best.

Update: Turns out this is a fake.

[Via HEXUS.gaming]

Filed under: Gaming

Secret Xbox document tells us absolutely nothing originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Sep 2008 08:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox 360 to get a smaller case revision in 2009?

Nilay Patel — Tue, 13 May 2008 07:23:00 EST

We think we've already got a handle on the various chipset revisions planned for Microsoft's too-beautiful-for-this-world Xbox 360*, but it looks like that planned 45nm "Valhalla" combined CPU / GPU motherboard design we've been hearing about might also come in a redesigned, smaller case. That's certainly news to us, but TG Daily has the refresh happening on the same fall-2009 timeline we've been hearing about, so at least all these sketchy rumors line up. We'll see when we see -- it sounds like the 65nm Jasper units are coming off the line for that August release in the meantime to keep us all warm at night.

*Guess which Engadget ed had his 360 go RRoD over the weekend? You only get one try.

[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]

Filed under: Gaming

Xbox 360 to get a smaller case revision in 2009? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 May 2008 07:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox 360's 65nm Jasper chipset in the works for August release?

Paul Miller — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:53:00 EST

While our primary gripe with the 360 continues to be drive noise, any improvements to the console that might subdue the impression it's eating our games and heating our continent would certainly be welcome. Microsoft's Jasper 65nm chipset has been in the works for the Xbox 360 for a while, and now reports are coming fast and furious that Taiwanese companies are picking up the contracts for the chips, and the new setup will be sucking down less wattage and pumping out less heat by August of this year. After that attention will turn to the rumored Valhalla, to be built by the same Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., which will combine the CPU and GPU into a new super-efficient chip for fall of '09 if these reports are anything to go by.

[Via Joystiq]

Filed under: Gaming

Xbox 360's 65nm Jasper chipset in the works for August release? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 May 2008 11:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are "Opus" and "Valhalla" the next, next Xbox 360s?

Nilay Patel — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 15:33:00 EST

Although word on the street is that Microsoft is planning to release the successor to the Xbox 360 in 2010, the company is still apparently planning on updating the 360 design several more times in the next couple years. Just like the "Falcon" motherboard now on shelves updated the original 360 design with a 65nm CPU, the upcoming "Jasper" revision should take the GPU to 65nm as well -- but that's more or less common knowledge. What we're hearing now is that all those RRoDed 360s sitting in warehouses are going to be retrofitted with the same 65 / 90nm CPU / GPU combo as Falcon, but on a mobo design called "Opus" that fits the original Xbox case molds. That means no HDMI, since pre-Falcon cases didn't have the openings -- but apparently MS is only planning on sending these out as warranty replacements. The real action, however, appears to be "Valhalla," a supposed final rev of the 360 that integrates the GPU and CPU into a single "superchip." Details on that are more than sketchy, and we're definitely skeptical -- especially since we'd been hearing chatter about 45nm CPUs, but nothing about a unified architecture. We'll see when we see -- as long as all these boxes play CoD4, we'll be happy.

Filed under: Gaming

Are "Opus" and "Valhalla" the next, next Xbox 360s? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Feb 2008 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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