Xbox 360s with Smaller, Cooler CPUs Hit Shelves

Good news for gamers: a tweaked version of the notoriously glitchy, heat-sensitive Xbox 360 is finally here. The new consoles, now with smaller, cooler CPUs, are reportedly popping up on store shelves, and with any luck they'll be more resistant to the dreaded Red Ring of Death.

According to Engadget, versions of the 360 with the new "Falcon" chipset (which features 65-nanometer chips, compared to the 90-nanometer chips in the older consoles) are starting to ship. Why all the fuss? In addition to being cheaper to make, the new chips run much cooler than the older variety—and that could cut down on the 360's sky-high failure rate, which has been blamed (in part, at least) on a faulty cooling system. And here's some more good news: Engadget is also reporting that even smaller, 45-nm chips could be on tap within the next 18 months.

Unfortunately, the new consoles don't come with a big "65-nm Falcon!" sticked on the box; instead, you'll have to peek inside with a flashlight to see if you have a genuine, Falcon-imbued 360. My guess is that Microsoft is looking to move its remaining stock of 90 nm-chip Xbox 360s while phasing in the new-and-improved consoles, so if you're looking to buy, I'd advise waiting a few weeks until more of the Falcon Xboxes filter into stores.

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Xbox 360 65nm chips out there, 45nm chips in the future [Engadget]