XBOX 360 Elite

[lordofduct]

if you type "xbox 360 65nm" in google tons of links will come up.

I personally watch engadget.com and xbox-scene.com for information related to the 360

gamespot.com and ign.com are other sources you can use as well.


The only news of the chip I know of is that the 65nm chip will be out sometime late 2007, if not then early 2008. Most likely in time for the Xmas season.

[wyatt]

Microsoft tested a $100 price drop around christmas with offers and coupons through various retail chains. The MS rep that comes to the store I work at says he belives it will drop by $100.

[Saraph]

The Elite is the epitome of a rip-off. Anyone with a premium might as well stay there. The hard drive will be sold separately for $180.. when the actual drive is only $100. I recently read a news article on what the hard drive is and how much it goes for on such sites as Newegg. $80 for a plastic case? Here's the full article, plus a follow up I just read.

Earlier this month, Microsoft claimed that $180 is a reasonable price for the Xbox 360 120GB HDD, but dissecting the new hard disk indicates otherwise.

Shortly after announcing the Xbox 360 Elite and its 120GB hard disk, Microsoft responded to users' dissatisfaction with the $180 price tag for the hard disk by claiming that the drive is actually " a 120 gig self-powered external PC drive" which "retail at anywhere from $160 to $200".

But several fan sites have managed to get an Xbox 360 Elite and dissect it, just to discover that the new 120GB hard disk is a Fujitsu MHW2120BH which retails for about $100 only. It seems that Microsoft has just wrapped the Fujitsu drive in a plastic casing with a SATA to 360 connector.

The drive is definitely not a "self-powered external" hard disk, as instructions on Xbox 360 official site clearly ask the user to " Be sure to power down the system before inserting or removing the hard drive".

We are still waiting for Microsoft's explanation for the hefty price difference.

After reports indicated that Microsoft might be overcharging for the new Xbox 360 120GB hard disk, a hacker called TheSpecialist released a tool that allows Xbox 360 owners to replace their 20GB hard disks with a Western Digital one, for a $100 less than what Microsoft charges.

The tool, called HDDHackr v0.90 can be found in the downloads tab.

HDDHackr works with Western Digital SATA BEVS-LAT hard drive only. And the user will have to dump hddss.bin firmware file from his 20GB hard drive onto a floppy and then flash his new 120GB hard drive with the firmware.

On the other hand, Ps3 owners don't face any trouble with hard disk sizes since Sony has made its PlayStation 3 and open platform and users can add any 2.5” hard drive they like to their console without the fear of voiding the console’s warranty.

Well, there you go. If you want sources, let me know.