Is your 360 running a little hot? Is it using more electricity than your microwave? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you’re probably looking forward to a smaller, faster and cooler CPU – the fabled 65nm chip for the 360.
Current 360s use 90nm technology, so the smaller size of the new CPU will make it cooler running and use less power. But the question is when is it coming?
The San Jose Mercury News says that you can expect these juicy little items this fall. The new chip, designated as the "Falcon," will be in the new batches of Xbox 360s.
But of course, although the SJM broke this exclusive news story during E3, Microsoft was quick on the trigger to denounce the story. They said, "Updating components and moving to advanced silicon technologies is common practice within the industry but for competitive reasons, Microsoft does not disclose the components of Xbox 360 consoles."
Ok, so everybody knows about this chip already, the story has been in the news for a long time and Microsoft still refuse to admit it?
According to Dean Takahasi of the SJM News, "…I have confirmed that it is coming… chips are in the first batches of the new consoles that are coming in ships across the Pacific from China, where Microsoft’s contract manufacturers assemble the boxes. If they get here in time, then many of those machines could be ready for fall sales."
Which machines will have the new Falcon chip? Only the new 360s with HDMI ports. But here’s the problem for Microsoft. If gamers are in the market for a new 360 and want that nifty new 65nm CPU, they’ll probably avoid all 360’s that don’t have the HDMI ports since that’s a dead giveaway that the Falcon isn’t in there.
This may translate into warehouses full of old Xbox 360 stock while everyone is holding off until the newer machines come off the ships and into stores. If sales are sluggish, who knows, maybe there will be another price drop coming for the old 360 consoles.
