New quieter Xbox 360 disc drive - possibly

[Steven W]

Interesting if true, but weird that Microsoft wouldn't have made it public?

GaryOPA mailed in to let us know Microsoft has finally started using the new BenQ VAD6038 drive for the Xmas'06 production run (MFR date November 06 and up) to replace the Toshiba-Samsung and Hitachi-LG drives Microsoft dropped. Of course they didn't change all production lines to this new drive at the same time...

Check it out here, pics included:
http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.p...&#entry3882837

[Papa Lazarou]

Is there any way of finding out what drive an Xbox 360 uses without opening it up? I have no interest in dismantling it.

My first 360 had a manufacturing date of April 06 and the drive sounded like a small jet idling in the corner of the room. Really, it was the only thing that truly bothered me about the console..

That one succumbed to a "red ring of death" hardware failure over Xmas, and the first thing I noticed about the replacement (re-conditioned unit) delivered last month was the drive is much much quieter. Not silent, noisier than my PS2 drive, but far less annoying than the first one.

[Veles]

I know mine hasn't got one of the new quiet drives. Bought mine around the timeframe of the drive change but I obviously had old stock, or stock from a factory that hadn't changed it's production line.

[dsvarups]

I recently got a 360 and its noisy when the drive spins.
Not too happy with it really so might sell and wait a few months for the revised model with HDMI.

[rover214]

I have to turn up my speakers and annoy everyone else in the house but, I think they would rather listen to the sound effects than drive noise

[Dorza]

I recently got a 360 and its noisy when the drive spins.
Not too happy with it really so might sell and wait a few months for the revised model with HDMI.

Whats wrong with it? How will an updated version (which is still not guaranteed to come out yet*) with an HDMI port change your opinion of it? I'm not nit picking here I'm just curious as to your thinking here.


*Unless the hexus staff have been secretly told otherise

[kalniel]

Isn't it obvious? If his complaint was the DVD drive is noisy, and the new one has a less noisy DVD drive, he has less reason to complain thus changes his opinion

[Dorza]

Its not that obvious to me tbh. Nothing has been said to my knowledge about a quieter drive being put into the Zephyr update - which is the rumored HDMI update version. If an update to a quieter drive happened in Novemeber, which is probable given the picture evidence then it's unlikely Zephyr will have a newer drive. Obviously this depends on when Zephyr might be released, but if this black 360 is to be the Zephyr version (given that it has an HDMI port and a 120GB drive) and MS release it in march/april as rumored then it's unlikely that Zephyr will have yet another new drive just six months after MS changed the older drive for the quieter one above. Thats my thinking anyway and why I posted my first post.

At the end of the day even if this Zephyr version does come it, its still going to be noticeably noisy.

[Corzair]

My sounds like a harrier jump jet also

but is quite playing older xbox gen games

i kind would like areplacemet drive but using headphones
so can get by sometimes

i'd be great if we could download a disc to the HDD
so didnt have to hear all that noise from the dvd

[dsvarups]

Whats wrong with it? How will an updated version (which is still not guaranteed to come out yet*) with an HDMI port change your opinion of it? I'm not nit picking here I'm just curious as to your thinking here.


*Unless the hexus staff have been secretly told otherise

Hoping the new box may be quieter!

[benstation]

Wish list for new xbox 360 update:

HDMI
Quiet fans

[whitebloodcell]

Is there any way of finding out what drive an Xbox 360 uses without opening it up? I have no interest in dismantling it.

You can see which drive you have just by opening the DVD Drive. The Hitachi Drive has a hole on the ride hand side of the tray. The Samsung Drive doesnt. Not sure what the new Benq drive looks like