Xbox 360 hardware
Encyclopedia
The hardware of the Xbox 360
includes several parts, both in the console itself and as separate pieces of kit, or accessories.
at Microsoft and "Waternoose" at IBM, is a custom triple-core 64-bit PowerPC
-based design by IBM
. The CPU emphasizes high floating point
performance through multiple FPU
and SIMD
vector processing
units in each core. It has a theoretical peak performance of 115.2 gigaFLOPS and is capable of 9.6 billion dot product
s per second. Each core of the CPU is simultaneous multithreading
capable and clocked
at 3.2 GHz
. However, to reduce CPU die size, complexity, cost, and power demands, the processor uses in-order execution in contrast to the Intel Coppermine128-based Pentium III
used in Xbox which used more complex out-of-order execution. The original chip used a 90 nanometer process
, although a newer 65 nanometer process
SOI
revision is currently in the market. A 21.6 GB/s front side bus
, aggregated 10.8 GB/s upstream and downstream, connected Xenon with the graphics processor/northbridge
. Xenon was equipped with a 1 MB
Level 2 cache on-die running at half CPU clock speed. This cache is shared amongst the three CPU cores. The CPU also contains ROM storing Microsoft private encrypted keys, used to decrypt game data. The heat sink implemented to cool the CPU is composed of aluminum fins with copper
base heat pipe
s. The heat sink is cooled by two 70 millimeter fans at the back of the console. There are several types of fan used in the 360 from manufacturers Nidec
, Sunon and Delta Electronics.
was produced by NVIDIA
, the Xbox 360 had a chip designed by ATI
called Xenos. The chip was developed under the name "C1" and "R500" was often used to refer to it. The GPU package contains two separate silicon dies, each built on a 90 nm process with a clock speed of 500 MHz; the GPU proper, manufactured by TSMC
and a 10 MB eDRAM
daughter-die, manufactured by NEC
. Thanks to the daughter die, the Xenos can do 4× FSAA, z-buffering
, and alpha blending with no appreciable performance penalty on the GPU. The GPU also houses additional capabilities typically separated into a motherboard
chipset
in PC systems, effectively replacing the northbridge
chip. Due to the GPU frequently overheating in early motherboard models, Microsoft revised the GPU heat sink
in order to better move heat away from the GPU die.
The console features 512 MB of GDDR3
RAM clocked at 700 MHz with an effective transmission rate
of 1.4 GHz on a 128-bit
bus. The memory is shared by the CPU and the GPU via the unified memory architecture
. This memory is produced by either Samsung
or Qimonda
.
The Xbox 360 has an extensive amount of bandwidth
in comparison to its competition; however this statistic includes the eDRAM
logic to memory bandwidth, and not internal CPU bandwidths. The eDRAM
internal logic to its internal memory bandwidth is 256 GB/s. The high bandwidth is used primarily for z-buffering
, alpha blending, and antialiasing; it saves time and space on the GPU die. Between the eDRAM
die and the GPU, data is transferred at 32 GB/s. The memory interface bus has a bandwidth of 22.40 GB/s and the southbridge
a bandwidth of 500 MB/s.
5.1 surround sound
. The console works with over 256 audio channels and 320 independent decompression channels using 32-bit
processing for audio, with support for 48 kHz 16-bit sound. Sound files for games are encoded using Microsoft's XMA audio format
. An MPEG-2
decoder is included for DVD video playback. VC-1
or WMV is used for streaming video and other video is compressed using VC-1 at non-HD
NTSC
and PAL
resolutions or WMV HD
. The Xbox 360 also supports H.263
and H.264 MPEG-4
videos. Unlike the original Xbox, voice communication is handled by the console, not by the game code, allowing for cross-game communication. There is no voice echo to game players on the same console; voice only goes to remote consoles.
Initially there were no digital video outputs such as DVI
or HDMI
on the Xbox 360; instead, HD-quality output could only be produced over YPBPR
component video
(used by both the 3 RCA component cable and the Japanese D-terminal cable) and later VGA (via a software update). An HDMI
port was introduced to the Xbox 360 by July 2007 with the introduction of the Elite model. All Xbox 360 SKUs currently manufactured feature an HDMI port. A wide array of SDTV
and HDTV
resolutions are supported by the console hardware; up to 1080p after the October 2006 software upgrade. While most games are rendered natively at 720p, the video from all games can be scaled
by the hardware to whatever resolution the user has set in the console's settings; from 480i NTSC and 576i PAL all the way to 1080p HDTV.
Games are stored on standard dual-layer DVD-ROMs with 7.8 GB
on the older XGD2(Xbox game disc 2)but the newer XGD3 games contain 8.5GB of usable space available for game content. The option to apply a regional lockout
to games is available to publishers, although DVD region code
s are always enforced for movies. Microsoft has implemented methods to prevent hacking through the drive. Later drive models have the external debug triggering removed and black hard glue added to cover all the chip and controller pins. The drive is able to read both DVD±R
and DVD±RW in addition to being able to play DVD-Video out of the box
, unlike its predecessor, which required the purchase of an add-on
remote. The system is also capable of playing standard CDs along with CD-R
/RW
, CD-DA
, CD-ROM
XA, CD-Extra, WMA
-CD, MP3
-CD, and JPEG
Photo CD
. Some users reported problems with the disc drive, as when a user changes the console's orientation, the inserted disc may brush against the drive's pickup assembly and incur scratches to it. The users manual advises against changing the console's position while there is a disc in the drive. Other users report experiencing disc scratching during normal horizontal usage.
Announced at CES
2006 and first publicly shown at E3 2006, an external HD DVD drive
was released in North America on November 7, 2006 (for US$199.99) and in Japan on November 17, 2006 (for ¥19,800). In the UK, France and Germany, the HD DVD drive was released for €199.99/£129.99. The HD DVD drive was bundled for a limited time with an Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote, as well as an HD DVD copy of Peter Jackson's King Kong
. The drive plays HD DVD movies, although all Xbox 360 games will remain on the DVD format. Microsoft has no plans to include an internal HD DVD player in future Xbox 360 designs. The drive connects to the Xbox 360 via USB and contains two integrated USB ports on the rear. Games can not be played on the HD DVD drive.
Microsoft has since discontinued the HD DVD add-on since the format was officially dropped by Toshiba. All remaining drives on store shelves have been drastically reduced in price by an average of US$50.00 to US$129.00 Some retailers have lowered it to as low as US$50.00 to clear it from their inventory.
hard disk drives (HDDs) held within custom enclosures. These units have a custom connector to facilitate connection to the Xbox 360 and the drives themselves feature custom firmware (making stand-alone drives incompatible). The drives are detachable, making it possible to move data from one console to another, and to upgrade the size of drive on a console. The hard drives themselves are manufactured by various companies, including Fujitsu
, Seagate
, Samsung
, Hitachi
and Western Digital
.
The original Pro configuration of the system came with a 20 GB hard drive, which was also available to purchase separately (for the Core model, and later the Arcade model, which did not include an HDD). This was upgraded to 60 GB in September 2008, and the 60 GB HDD was also made available at retail. In April 2007, Microsoft released the Elite console, which included a black 120 GB HDD; a grey 120 GB drive was also later made available at retail. In November 2009, Microsoft released the "Super Elite" console, as a bundle with the highly anticipated game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
. This console was like the typical black Elite, but with Call of Duty graphics added and for the first time included a 250 GB hard drive (which holds up to 228 GB of data after system information is stored). This was followed by various other 250 GB special/limited edition bundles. No standard (non-special edition) configuration of the original console ever included a 250 GB drive, but they were later made available at retail.
In June 2010, Microsoft announced a new version of the console, the Xbox 360 S, which used a new form factor for its 250 GB hard drives. As such, original style hard drives cannot be used in Xbox 360 S consoles, and vice versa, without modification. In June 2011, Microsoft announced a specially branded "Gear of War 3 Limited Collector's Edition" Xbox 360 S console to coincide with the launch of Gears of War 3
. At 320 GB, the included hard drive is the largest available for/with any Xbox 360 model.
Approximately 7 GB of a 60 GB drive is reserved for system use (4 GB of that portion is reserved for game title caching and other hard drive specific elements in games that support the hard drive, and an additional 2 GB is reserved for use by the Xbox 360 backwards-compatibility software). This leaves just under 54 GB of free space, rounded down to 53 GB in the dashboard, for saving game files, Xbox Live Arcade
downloadable content, and media files (such as music and video). Similar figures apply to other hard drive sizes.
Other independent companies have manufactured 250 GB hard drives using hacked firmware since 2008. Many of these allegedly infringe trademarks of Microsoft
, including the Microsoft logo, Xbox 360 logo, and the likeness of the removable hard drive design.
802.11n and 802.11g adapters can be purchased separately. The Xbox 360 S, or slim, has built in wireless N networking.
and to prevent purchaser delay. However, several major (and many minor) motherboard revisions are introduced in an attempt to build systems more cheaply (and thus increase profits), and to allow them to run cooler and on less power. Note that there is no clear divide between the appearance of motherboard revisions in retail. Due to individual stock production, distribution and rotation, it may become difficult to find specific versions.
The initial motherboard version was known as "Xenon" and used a 203 W
power supply. The "Zephyr" revision was largely the same aside from the addition of an HDMI
port. "Falcon" incorporated a 65 nm CPU, new 80 nm GPU, and came packaged with a 175 W power supply. "Jasper" (released late August or early September 2008) used both a 65 nm CPU and GPU, as well as 256 MB of flash memory on-board (this was to help run a then-recent Dashboard update. Without this internal memory, a hard drive or memory card was required). The power supply was also reduced to 150W in the "Jasper" revision. The power connector on the back of the system incorporated a "keying" system that will prevent plugging a lower-rated power supply into an older system. Some stores used to exclusively carry units with the Jasper motherboard. Xbox 360 S introduced a new motherboard version called "Trinity" with a 45 nm integrated CPU
, GPU, and eDRAM
(i.e. all in the same chip package).. In 2011 a second model of the Xbox 360 S motherboard has been released known as "Corona" which integrates the HANA chip into the southbridge chip.
, the wireless networking adapter, the Xbox Live Vision camera and USB storage devices. Although the number of wired controllers is limited by the number of ports, up to four may be used through the use of a USB hub
.
The Xbox 360 also features wireless connectivity of accessories via a proprietary 2.4 GHz radio system. This is mainly used to connect the official wireless controllers, but is also used for other devices such as the wireless racing wheel and wireless headsets
. With the exception of some rhythm game
controllers, this wireless connectivity is limited to first-party Microsoft accessories.
The Xbox 360 can connect to Xbox Live over the internet through the built-in 100 megabit ethernet
connector or an optional wireless network
adapter. These can also be used to connect two consoles together directly for LAN
play on supported games.
The console also has two front-mounted memory card
slots for the system's proprietary Memory Unit. These can be used to transfer profile and game data from one Xbox 360 to another. Memory Units up to 512 MB are available from Microsoft. The "Arcade" model formerly came with a 256 MB Memory Unit, but with the Jasper motherboard revision of September 2008, the "Arcade" model began to include 256 MB of built-in flash memory. This was later increased to 512 MB.
The Universal Media Remote can be used to control several functions of the console, including the Windows Media Center
functions if connected to the network. It communicates with the console via infrared
through a receiver port on the front of the console.
All standard controllers for the system feature a 2.5 mm headset jack
to allow the use of wired headsets for voice chatting. They also feature a custom USB connector, which is currently only used for connection of the chatpad keyboard accessory.
Various other accessories for the console exist, such as decorative faceplates to change the physical appearance of the console.
× 80 mm × 268 mm (12 in
× 3 in × 10 in; width × height × depth) when placed horizontally and is similar in form factor
to its predecessor. It is slightly slimmer in every dimension and is slightly concave, while the original Xbox was noticeably convex. It comes as standard in either black or white, with other colors available as special editions. It was designed by Astro Studios in cooperation with Hers Experimental Design Laboratory. In June 2010 a redesign of the console, known as the Xbox 360 S, was announced. This version of the console retains the same basic shape but is noticeably smaller and more angular than the original version. It comes as standard in either matte or glossy black; like its predecessor, other colors are available as special editions. The front of the console features a "ring of light", which displays 4 illuminated quadrants either in red or green (green only on the redesigned console). When the lights turn red, the console has encountered an error
, with the number of sectors illuminated informing the user what category the error falls into. Since the redesign of the console removed the red LEDs, this error reporting system is no longer used. The original Xbox 360 weighs approximately 3.5 kg
(7.7 lb
), about 350 grams lighter than the original Xbox. The console uses an external power supply
with a 10 A
/100–120 V
or 5 A/220-230 V (AC
) input and DC
output rated at 203/175/150 W
(depending on revision). An estimated 2 W of power are used while the console is in standby mode
giving a yearly usage of approximately 17.5 kWh
. Saving the console size and weight, the power supply displaces 1300 cm³
.
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
includes several parts, both in the console itself and as separate pieces of kit, or accessories.
Central processing unit
The Xbox 360 takes a new approach to hardware compared to its predecessor. The XCPU, named XenonXenon (processor)
Xenon is a CPU that is used in the Xbox 360 game console. The processor, internally codenamed "Waternoose", which was named after Henry J. Waternoose III in Monsters Inc. by IBM and XCPU by Microsoft, is based on IBM's PowerPC instruction set architecture, consisting of three independent processor...
at Microsoft and "Waternoose" at IBM, is a custom triple-core 64-bit PowerPC
PowerPC
PowerPC is a RISC architecture created by the 1991 Apple–IBM–Motorola alliance, known as AIM...
-based design by IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
. The CPU emphasizes high floating point
Floating point
In computing, floating point describes a method of representing real numbers in a way that can support a wide range of values. Numbers are, in general, represented approximately to a fixed number of significant digits and scaled using an exponent. The base for the scaling is normally 2, 10 or 16...
performance through multiple FPU
Floating point unit
A floating-point unit is a part of a computer system specially designed to carry out operations on floating point numbers. Typical operations are addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and square root...
and SIMD
SIMD
Single instruction, multiple data , is a class of parallel computers in Flynn's taxonomy. It describes computers with multiple processing elements that perform the same operation on multiple data simultaneously...
vector processing
Vector processor
A vector processor, or array processor, is a central processing unit that implements an instruction set containing instructions that operate on one-dimensional arrays of data called vectors. This is in contrast to a scalar processor, whose instructions operate on single data items...
units in each core. It has a theoretical peak performance of 115.2 gigaFLOPS and is capable of 9.6 billion dot product
Dot product
In mathematics, the dot product or scalar product is an algebraic operation that takes two equal-length sequences of numbers and returns a single number obtained by multiplying corresponding entries and then summing those products...
s per second. Each core of the CPU is simultaneous multithreading
Simultaneous multithreading
Simultaneous multithreading, often abbreviated as SMT, is a technique for improving the overall efficiency of superscalar CPUs with hardware multithreading...
capable and clocked
Clock rate
The clock rate typically refers to the frequency that a CPU is running at.For example, a crystal oscillator frequency reference typically is synonymous with a fixed sinusoidal waveform, a clock rate is that frequency reference translated by electronic circuitry into a corresponding square wave...
at 3.2 GHz
GHZ
GHZ or GHz may refer to:# Gigahertz .# Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state — a quantum entanglement of three particles.# Galactic Habitable Zone — the region of a galaxy that is favorable to the formation of life....
. However, to reduce CPU die size, complexity, cost, and power demands, the processor uses in-order execution in contrast to the Intel Coppermine128-based Pentium III
Pentium III
The Pentium III brand refers to Intel's 32-bit x86 desktop and mobile microprocessors based on the sixth-generation P6 microarchitecture introduced on February 26, 1999. The brand's initial processors were very similar to the earlier Pentium II-branded microprocessors...
used in Xbox which used more complex out-of-order execution. The original chip used a 90 nanometer process
90 nanometer
The 90 nm process refers to the level of CMOS process technology that was reached in the 2002–2003 timeframe, by most leading semiconductor companies, like Intel, AMD, Infineon, Texas Instruments, IBM, and TSMC....
, although a newer 65 nanometer process
65 nanometer
The 65 nm process is an advanced lithographic node used in volume CMOS semiconductor fabrication. Printed linewidths can reach as low as 25 nm on a nominally 65 nm process, while the pitch between two lines may be greater than 130 nm.. For comparison, cellular ribosomes are...
SOI
Silicon on insulator
Silicon on insulator technology refers to the use of a layered silicon-insulator-silicon substrate in place of conventional silicon substrates in semiconductor manufacturing, especially microelectronics, to reduce parasitic device capacitance and thereby improving performance...
revision is currently in the market. A 21.6 GB/s front side bus
Front side bus
A front-side bus is a computer communication interface often used in computers during the 1990s and 2000s.It typically carries data between the central processing unit and a memory controller hub, known as the northbridge....
, aggregated 10.8 GB/s upstream and downstream, connected Xenon with the graphics processor/northbridge
Northbridge (computing)
The northbridge has historically been one of the two chips in the core logic chipset on a PC motherboard, the other being the southbridge. Increasingly these functions have migrated to the CPU chip itself, beginning with memory and graphics controllers. For Intel Sandy Bridge and AMD Fusion...
. Xenon was equipped with a 1 MB
Megabyte
The megabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage or transmission with two different values depending on context: bytes generally for computer memory; and one million bytes generally for computer storage. The IEEE Standards Board has decided that "Mega will mean 1 000...
Level 2 cache on-die running at half CPU clock speed. This cache is shared amongst the three CPU cores. The CPU also contains ROM storing Microsoft private encrypted keys, used to decrypt game data. The heat sink implemented to cool the CPU is composed of aluminum fins with copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
base heat pipe
Heat pipe
A heat pipe or heat pin is a heat-transfer device that combines the principles of both thermal conductivity and phase transition to efficiently manage the transfer of heat between two solid interfaces....
s. The heat sink is cooled by two 70 millimeter fans at the back of the console. There are several types of fan used in the 360 from manufacturers Nidec
Nidec Corporation
is a manufacturer of electric motors in Japan. Their products are found in hard-disk drives, household electric appliances, commercial and manufacturing equipment. The two product groups with the largest sales are hard-disk drive motors and electrical and optical components . The paid-in capital...
, Sunon and Delta Electronics.
Graphics processing unit
While the first Xbox's graphics processing unitGraphics processing unit
A graphics processing unit or GPU is a specialized circuit designed to rapidly manipulate and alter memory in such a way so as to accelerate the building of images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display...
was produced by NVIDIA
NVIDIA
Nvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles...
, the Xbox 360 had a chip designed by ATI
ATI Technologies
ATI Technologies Inc. was a semiconductor technology corporation based in Markham, Ontario, Canada, that specialized in the development of graphics processing units and chipsets. Founded in 1985 as Array Technologies Inc., the company was listed publicly in 1993 and was acquired by Advanced Micro...
called Xenos. The chip was developed under the name "C1" and "R500" was often used to refer to it. The GPU package contains two separate silicon dies, each built on a 90 nm process with a clock speed of 500 MHz; the GPU proper, manufactured by TSMC
TSMC
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Limited or TSMC is the world's largest dedicated independent semiconductor foundry, with its headquarters and main operations located in the Hsinchu Science Park in Hsinchu, Taiwan.-Overview:...
and a 10 MB eDRAM
EDRAM
eDRAM stands for "embedded DRAM", a capacitor-based dynamic random access memory integrated on the same die as an ASIC or processor. The cost-per-bit is higher than for stand-alone DRAM chips but in many applications the performance advantages of placing the eDRAM on the same chip as the processor...
daughter-die, manufactured by NEC
NEC
, a Japanese multinational IT company, has its headquarters in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. NEC, part of the Sumitomo Group, provides information technology and network solutions to business enterprises, communications services providers and government....
. Thanks to the daughter die, the Xenos can do 4× FSAA, z-buffering
Z-buffering
In computer graphics, z-buffering is the management of image depth coordinates in three-dimensional graphics, usually done in hardware, sometimes in software. It is one solution to the visibility problem, which is the problem of deciding which elements of a rendered scene are visible, and which...
, and alpha blending with no appreciable performance penalty on the GPU. The GPU also houses additional capabilities typically separated into a motherboard
Motherboard
In personal computers, a motherboard is the central printed circuit board in many modern computers and holds many of the crucial components of the system, providing connectors for other peripherals. The motherboard is sometimes alternatively known as the mainboard, system board, or, on Apple...
chipset
Chipset
A chipset, PC chipset, or chip set refers to a group of integrated circuits, or chips, that are designed to work together. They are usually marketed as a single product.- Computers :...
in PC systems, effectively replacing the northbridge
Northbridge (computing)
The northbridge has historically been one of the two chips in the core logic chipset on a PC motherboard, the other being the southbridge. Increasingly these functions have migrated to the CPU chip itself, beginning with memory and graphics controllers. For Intel Sandy Bridge and AMD Fusion...
chip. Due to the GPU frequently overheating in early motherboard models, Microsoft revised the GPU heat sink
Heat sink
A heat sink is a term for a component or assembly that transfers heat generated within a solid material to a fluid medium, such as air or a liquid. Examples of heat sinks are the heat exchangers used in refrigeration and air conditioning systems and the radiator in a car...
in order to better move heat away from the GPU die.
Memory and system bandwidth
GDDR3
Graphics Double Data Rate 3 is a graphics card-specific memory technology, designed by ATI Technologies with the collaboration of JEDEC.It has much the same technological base as DDR2, but the power and heat dispersal requirements have been reduced somewhat, allowing for higher performance memory...
RAM clocked at 700 MHz with an effective transmission rate
Double data rate
In computing, a computer bus operating with double data rate transfers data on both the rising and falling edges of the clock signal. This is also known as double pumped, dual-pumped, and double transition....
of 1.4 GHz on a 128-bit
128-bit
There are currently no mainstream general-purpose processors built to operate on 128-bit integers or addresses, though a number of processors do operate on 128-bit data. The IBM System/370 could be considered the first rudimentary 128-bit computer as it used 128-bit floating point registers...
bus. The memory is shared by the CPU and the GPU via the unified memory architecture
Shared Memory Architecture
In computer architecture, Shared Memory Architecture refers to a design where the graphics chip does not have its own dedicated memory, and instead shares the main system RAM with the CPU and other components....
. This memory is produced by either Samsung
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
or Qimonda
Qimonda
Qimonda AG, was a memory company split out of Infineon Technologies on 1 May 2006, to form at the time the second largest DRAM company worldwide, according to the industry research firm Gartner Dataquest...
.
The Xbox 360 has an extensive amount of bandwidth
Bandwidth (computing)
In computer networking and computer science, bandwidth, network bandwidth, data bandwidth, or digital bandwidth is a measure of available or consumed data communication resources expressed in bits/second or multiples of it .Note that in textbooks on wireless communications, modem data transmission,...
in comparison to its competition; however this statistic includes the eDRAM
EDRAM
eDRAM stands for "embedded DRAM", a capacitor-based dynamic random access memory integrated on the same die as an ASIC or processor. The cost-per-bit is higher than for stand-alone DRAM chips but in many applications the performance advantages of placing the eDRAM on the same chip as the processor...
logic to memory bandwidth, and not internal CPU bandwidths. The eDRAM
EDRAM
eDRAM stands for "embedded DRAM", a capacitor-based dynamic random access memory integrated on the same die as an ASIC or processor. The cost-per-bit is higher than for stand-alone DRAM chips but in many applications the performance advantages of placing the eDRAM on the same chip as the processor...
internal logic to its internal memory bandwidth is 256 GB/s. The high bandwidth is used primarily for z-buffering
Z-buffering
In computer graphics, z-buffering is the management of image depth coordinates in three-dimensional graphics, usually done in hardware, sometimes in software. It is one solution to the visibility problem, which is the problem of deciding which elements of a rendered scene are visible, and which...
, alpha blending, and antialiasing; it saves time and space on the GPU die. Between the eDRAM
EDRAM
eDRAM stands for "embedded DRAM", a capacitor-based dynamic random access memory integrated on the same die as an ASIC or processor. The cost-per-bit is higher than for stand-alone DRAM chips but in many applications the performance advantages of placing the eDRAM on the same chip as the processor...
die and the GPU, data is transferred at 32 GB/s. The memory interface bus has a bandwidth of 22.40 GB/s and the southbridge
Southbridge (computing)
The southbridge is one of the two chips in the core logic chipset on a personal computer motherboard, the other being the northbridge. The southbridge typically implements the slower capabilities of the motherboard in a northbridge/southbridge chipset computer architecture. In Intel chipset...
a bandwidth of 500 MB/s.
Audio and video
All games made for the Xbox 360 are required to support at least Dolby DigitalDolby Digital
Dolby Digital is the name for audio compression technologies developed by Dolby Laboratories. It was originally called Dolby Stereo Digital until 1994. Except for Dolby TrueHD, the audio compression is lossy. The first use of Dolby Digital was to provide digital sound in cinemas from 35mm film prints...
5.1 surround sound
Surround sound
Surround sound encompasses a range of techniques such as for enriching the sound reproduction quality of an audio source with audio channels reproduced via additional, discrete speakers. Surround sound is characterized by a listener location or sweet spot where the audio effects work best, and...
. The console works with over 256 audio channels and 320 independent decompression channels using 32-bit
32-bit
The range of integer values that can be stored in 32 bits is 0 through 4,294,967,295. Hence, a processor with 32-bit memory addresses can directly access 4 GB of byte-addressable memory....
processing for audio, with support for 48 kHz 16-bit sound. Sound files for games are encoded using Microsoft's XMA audio format
XMA audio format
XMA is the native Xbox 360 compressed audio format, based on the WMA Pro architecture.-Implementation:The Xbox 360 system Southbridge contains a full silicon implementation of the XMA decompression algorithm, including support for multichannel XMA sources. XMA is processed by the south bridge into...
. An MPEG-2
MPEG-2
MPEG-2 is a standard for "the generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information". It describes a combination of lossy video compression and lossy audio data compression methods which permit storage and transmission of movies using currently available storage media and transmission...
decoder is included for DVD video playback. VC-1
VC-1
VC-1 is the informal name of the SMPTE 421M video codec standard, which was initially developed as a proprietary video format by Microsoft before it was released as a formal SMPTE standard video format on April 3, 2006...
or WMV is used for streaming video and other video is compressed using VC-1 at non-HD
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
NTSC
NTSC
NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as...
and PAL
PAL
PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in many countries. Other common analogue television systems are NTSC and SECAM. This page primarily discusses the PAL colour encoding system...
resolutions or WMV HD
WMV HD
Windows Media High Definition Video is the marketing name for high definition videos encoded using Microsoft Windows Media Video 9 codecs...
. The Xbox 360 also supports H.263
H.263
H.263 is a video compression standard originally designed as a low-bitrate compressed format for videoconferencing. It was developed by the ITU-T Video Coding Experts Group in a project ending in 1995/1996 as one member of the H.26x family of video coding standards in the domain of the ITU-T.H.263...
and H.264 MPEG-4
MPEG-4
MPEG-4 is a method of defining compression of audio and visual digital data. It was introduced in late 1998 and designated a standard for a group of audio and video coding formats and related technology agreed upon by the ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group under the formal standard ISO/IEC...
videos. Unlike the original Xbox, voice communication is handled by the console, not by the game code, allowing for cross-game communication. There is no voice echo to game players on the same console; voice only goes to remote consoles.
Initially there were no digital video outputs such as DVI
Digital Visual Interface
The Digital Visual Interface is a video interface standard covering the transmission of video between a source device and a display device. The DVI standard has achieved widespread acceptance in the PC industry, both in desktop PCs and monitors...
or HDMI
High-Definition Multimedia Interface
HDMI is a compact audio/video interface for transmitting uncompressed digital data. It is a digital alternative to consumer analog standards, such as radio frequency coaxial cable, composite video, S-Video, SCART, component video, D-Terminal, or VGA...
on the Xbox 360; instead, HD-quality output could only be produced over YPBPR
YPbPr
' is a color space used in video electronics, in particular in reference to component video cables. is the analog version of the YCBCR color space; the two are numerically equivalent, but YPBPR is designed for use in analog systems whereas YCBCR is intended for digital video. cables are also...
component video
Component video
Component video is a video signal that has been split into two or more component channels. In popular use, it refers to a type of component analog video information that is transmitted or stored as three separate signals...
(used by both the 3 RCA component cable and the Japanese D-terminal cable) and later VGA (via a software update). An HDMI
High-Definition Multimedia Interface
HDMI is a compact audio/video interface for transmitting uncompressed digital data. It is a digital alternative to consumer analog standards, such as radio frequency coaxial cable, composite video, S-Video, SCART, component video, D-Terminal, or VGA...
port was introduced to the Xbox 360 by July 2007 with the introduction of the Elite model. All Xbox 360 SKUs currently manufactured feature an HDMI port. A wide array of SDTV
Standard-definition television
Sorete-definition television is a television system that uses a resolution that is not considered to be either enhanced-definition television or high-definition television . The term is usually used in reference to digital television, in particular when broadcasting at the same resolution as...
and HDTV
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
resolutions are supported by the console hardware; up to 1080p after the October 2006 software upgrade. While most games are rendered natively at 720p, the video from all games can be scaled
Image scaling
In computer graphics, image scaling is the process of resizing a digital image. Scaling is a non-trivial process that involves a trade-off between efficiency, smoothness and sharpness. As the size of an image is increased, so the pixels which comprise the image become increasingly visible, making...
by the hardware to whatever resolution the user has set in the console's settings; from 480i NTSC and 576i PAL all the way to 1080p HDTV.
DVD storage
Early production runs of the Xbox 360 are equipped with a 12x DVD drive, capable of a maximum read rate of 15.85 MB/s. The original production DVD drives were manufactured by both LG and Toshiba. Beginning in November 2006, a new model the BenQ VAD6038 was introduced, which is said to run faster than the previous models and, in addition, is much quieter. There is a new drive by LiteOn.Games are stored on standard dual-layer DVD-ROMs with 7.8 GB
Gigabyte
The gigabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage. The prefix giga means 109 in the International System of Units , therefore 1 gigabyte is...
on the older XGD2(Xbox game disc 2)but the newer XGD3 games contain 8.5GB of usable space available for game content. The option to apply a regional lockout
Regional lockout
Regional lockout is the programming practice, code, chip, or physical barrier used to prevent the playing of media designed for a device from the country where it is marketed on the version of the same device marketed in another country.-Video games:...
to games is available to publishers, although DVD region code
DVD region code
DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
s are always enforced for movies. Microsoft has implemented methods to prevent hacking through the drive. Later drive models have the external debug triggering removed and black hard glue added to cover all the chip and controller pins. The drive is able to read both DVD±R
DVD±R
DVD±R is not a separate DVD format, but rather is a shorthand term for a DVD drive that can accept both of the common recordable DVD formats . Likewise, DVD±RW handles both common rewritable disc types DVD±R (also DVD+/-R, "DVD plus/dash R", or "DVD plus/minus R") is not a separate DVD format,...
and DVD±RW in addition to being able to play DVD-Video out of the box
Out of the box
Out of the box is the term used to denote items, functionalities, or features that do not require any additional installation. In addition to being used for tangible products, the phrase is often used in a less literal sense for software, which may not be distributed in an actual box but offer...
, unlike its predecessor, which required the purchase of an add-on
Video game accessory
A video game accessory is a distinct piece of hardware that is required to use a video game console, or one that enriches the video game's play experience. Essentially, video game accessories are everything except the console itself, such as controllers, memory, power adapters , and audio/visual...
remote. The system is also capable of playing standard CDs along with CD-R
CD-R
A CD-R is a variation of the Compact Disc invented by Philips and Sony. CD-R is a Write Once Read Many optical medium, though the whole disk does not have to be entirely written in the same session....
/RW
CD-RW
A CD-RW is a rewritable optical disc. It was introduced in 1997, and was known as "CD-Writable" during development. It was preceded by the CD-MO, which was never commercially released....
, CD-DA
Red Book (audio CD standard)
Red Book is the standard for audio CDs . It is named after one of the Rainbow Books, a series of books that contain the technical specifications for all CD and CD-ROM formats.The first edition of the Red Book was released in 1980 by Philips and Sony; it was adopted by the Digital Audio Disc...
, CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
XA, CD-Extra, WMA
Windows Media Audio
Windows Media Audio is an audio data compression technology developed by Microsoft. The name can be used to refer to its audio file format or its audio codecs. It is a proprietary technology that forms part of the Windows Media framework. WMA consists of four distinct codecs...
-CD, MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
-CD, and JPEG
JPEG
In computing, JPEG . The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and image quality. JPEG typically achieves 10:1 compression with little perceptible loss in image quality....
Photo CD
Photo CD
Photo CD is a system designed by Kodak for digitizing and saving photos in a CD. Launched in 1992, the discs were designed to hold nearly 100 high quality images, scanned prints and slides using special proprietary encoding. Photo CDs are defined in the Beige Book and conform to the CD-ROM XA and...
. Some users reported problems with the disc drive, as when a user changes the console's orientation, the inserted disc may brush against the drive's pickup assembly and incur scratches to it. The users manual advises against changing the console's position while there is a disc in the drive. Other users report experiencing disc scratching during normal horizontal usage.
Announced at CES
Consumer Electronics Show
The International Consumer Electronics Show is a major technology-related trade show held each January in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Not open to the public, the Consumer Electronics Association-sponsored show typically hosts previews of products and new...
2006 and first publicly shown at E3 2006, an external HD DVD drive
Xbox 360 HD DVD Player
The Xbox 360 HD DVD Player is a discontinued accessory for the Xbox 360 console that enabled the playback of movies on HD DVD discs. Microsoft offered the drive for sale between November 2006 and February 2008....
was released in North America on November 7, 2006 (for US$199.99) and in Japan on November 17, 2006 (for ¥19,800). In the UK, France and Germany, the HD DVD drive was released for €199.99/£129.99. The HD DVD drive was bundled for a limited time with an Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote, as well as an HD DVD copy of Peter Jackson's King Kong
King Kong (2005 film)
King Kong is a 2005 fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson. It is a remake of the 1933 film of the same name and stars Naomi Watts, Jack Black and Adrien Brody. Andy Serkis, through performance capture, portrays Kong....
. The drive plays HD DVD movies, although all Xbox 360 games will remain on the DVD format. Microsoft has no plans to include an internal HD DVD player in future Xbox 360 designs. The drive connects to the Xbox 360 via USB and contains two integrated USB ports on the rear. Games can not be played on the HD DVD drive.
Microsoft has since discontinued the HD DVD add-on since the format was officially dropped by Toshiba. All remaining drives on store shelves have been drastically reduced in price by an average of US$50.00 to US$129.00 Some retailers have lowered it to as low as US$50.00 to clear it from their inventory.
List of DVD drives
| Manufacturer(s) | Model | Firmware version(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toshiba-Samsung Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology Corporation Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology Corporation is an international joint venture company of Toshiba and Samsung Electronics . Toshiba owns 51% of its stock, while Samsung owns the remaining 49%. The company specialises in optical disc drive manufacturing... |
TS-H943 | MS25 MS28 |
|
| Hitachi-LG Hitachi-LG Data Storage Hitachi-LG Data Storage is a joint venture between Hitachi and LG. The company was established in November 2000, started operation in January 2001, and shipped its first product, the HL-DT-ST GCC-4120B combo drive, on June 2001.... |
GDR-3120L | 0032 0036 0040 0046 0047 0058 0059 0078 0079FK |
|
| DL10N (Xbox 360 S) | 0500AA | ||
| Philips & BenQ Digital Solutions (AKA BenQ/Philips) | VAD6038 | 62430C 64930C 04421C |
New FW after System Update 2.0.13146.0 version. (04421C) |
| Lite-On Lite-On Lite-On is a conglomerate of individual companies that primarily manufacture consumer electronics, including LEDs, semiconductors, computer chassis, monitors, motherboards, DVD & CD devices, and other electronic components... |
DG-16D2S | 74850C 83850C v1 83850C v2 93450C 02510C |
New FW after System Update 2.0.13146.0 version. (02510C) |
| DG-16D4S (Xbox 360 S) | 9504 0225 0401 0272 1071 1214 |
New FW after System Update 2.0.13146.0 version. (9504 → 0272) | |
| DG-16D5S (Xbox 360 S) | A445 | ||
Hard drive storage
The Xbox 360 uses standard 2.5" SATASata
Sata is a traditional dish from the Malaysian state of Terengganu, consisting of spiced fish meat wrapped in banana leaves and cooked on a grill.It is a type of Malaysian fish cake, or otak-otak...
hard disk drives (HDDs) held within custom enclosures. These units have a custom connector to facilitate connection to the Xbox 360 and the drives themselves feature custom firmware (making stand-alone drives incompatible). The drives are detachable, making it possible to move data from one console to another, and to upgrade the size of drive on a console. The hard drives themselves are manufactured by various companies, including Fujitsu
Fujitsu
is a Japanese multinational information technology equipment and services company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is the world's third-largest IT services provider measured by revenues....
, Seagate
Seagate Technology
Seagate Technology is one of the world's largest manufacturers of hard disk drives. Incorporated in 1978 as Shugart Technology, Seagate is currently incorporated in Dublin, Ireland and has its principal executive offices in Scotts Valley, California, United States.-1970s:On November 1, 1979...
, Samsung
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
, Hitachi
Hitachi
Hitachi is a multinational corporation specializing in high-technology.Hitachi may also refer to:*Hitachi, Ibaraki, Japan*Hitachi province, former province of Japan*Prince Hitachi and Princess Hitachi, members of the Japanese imperial family...
and Western Digital
Western Digital
Western Digital Corporation is one of the largest computer hard disk drive manufacturers in the world. It has a long history in the electronics industry as an integrated circuit maker and a storage products company. Western Digital was founded on April 23, 1970 by Alvin B...
.
The original Pro configuration of the system came with a 20 GB hard drive, which was also available to purchase separately (for the Core model, and later the Arcade model, which did not include an HDD). This was upgraded to 60 GB in September 2008, and the 60 GB HDD was also made available at retail. In April 2007, Microsoft released the Elite console, which included a black 120 GB HDD; a grey 120 GB drive was also later made available at retail. In November 2009, Microsoft released the "Super Elite" console, as a bundle with the highly anticipated game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 video game consoles and the Microsoft Windows operating system. Officially announced on February 11, 2009, the game was released worldwide on...
. This console was like the typical black Elite, but with Call of Duty graphics added and for the first time included a 250 GB hard drive (which holds up to 228 GB of data after system information is stored). This was followed by various other 250 GB special/limited edition bundles. No standard (non-special edition) configuration of the original console ever included a 250 GB drive, but they were later made available at retail.
In June 2010, Microsoft announced a new version of the console, the Xbox 360 S, which used a new form factor for its 250 GB hard drives. As such, original style hard drives cannot be used in Xbox 360 S consoles, and vice versa, without modification. In June 2011, Microsoft announced a specially branded "Gear of War 3 Limited Collector's Edition" Xbox 360 S console to coincide with the launch of Gears of War 3
Gears of War 3
Gears of War 3 is a third-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Studios exclusively for the Xbox 360. Originally due for release in April 2011, the game was delayed and eventually released on September 20, 2011....
. At 320 GB, the included hard drive is the largest available for/with any Xbox 360 model.
Approximately 7 GB of a 60 GB drive is reserved for system use (4 GB of that portion is reserved for game title caching and other hard drive specific elements in games that support the hard drive, and an additional 2 GB is reserved for use by the Xbox 360 backwards-compatibility software). This leaves just under 54 GB of free space, rounded down to 53 GB in the dashboard, for saving game files, Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
downloadable content, and media files (such as music and video). Similar figures apply to other hard drive sizes.
Other independent companies have manufactured 250 GB hard drives using hacked firmware since 2008. Many of these allegedly infringe trademarks of Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, including the Microsoft logo, Xbox 360 logo, and the likeness of the removable hard drive design.
Networking
All versions of the Xbox 360 come with a built in 10/100 Ethernet network adapter. Proprietary USB WiFiWIFI
WIFI is a radio station broadcasting a brokered format. Licensed to Florence, New Jersey, USA, the station is currently operated by Florence Broadcasting Partners, LLC.This station was previously owned by Real Life Broadcasting...
802.11n and 802.11g adapters can be purchased separately. The Xbox 360 S, or slim, has built in wireless N networking.
Motherboards
Microsoft avoids outright announcements of new motherboard production runs and their subsequent appearance in the market in part due to uneven distribution causing buyer's remorseBuyer's remorse
Buyer's remorse is the sense of regret after having made a purchase. It is frequently associated with the purchase of an expensive item such as a car or house...
and to prevent purchaser delay. However, several major (and many minor) motherboard revisions are introduced in an attempt to build systems more cheaply (and thus increase profits), and to allow them to run cooler and on less power. Note that there is no clear divide between the appearance of motherboard revisions in retail. Due to individual stock production, distribution and rotation, it may become difficult to find specific versions.
The initial motherboard version was known as "Xenon" and used a 203 W
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
power supply. The "Zephyr" revision was largely the same aside from the addition of an HDMI
High-Definition Multimedia Interface
HDMI is a compact audio/video interface for transmitting uncompressed digital data. It is a digital alternative to consumer analog standards, such as radio frequency coaxial cable, composite video, S-Video, SCART, component video, D-Terminal, or VGA...
port. "Falcon" incorporated a 65 nm CPU, new 80 nm GPU, and came packaged with a 175 W power supply. "Jasper" (released late August or early September 2008) used both a 65 nm CPU and GPU, as well as 256 MB of flash memory on-board (this was to help run a then-recent Dashboard update. Without this internal memory, a hard drive or memory card was required). The power supply was also reduced to 150W in the "Jasper" revision. The power connector on the back of the system incorporated a "keying" system that will prevent plugging a lower-rated power supply into an older system. Some stores used to exclusively carry units with the Jasper motherboard. Xbox 360 S introduced a new motherboard version called "Trinity" with a 45 nm integrated CPU
Xenon (processor)
Xenon is a CPU that is used in the Xbox 360 game console. The processor, internally codenamed "Waternoose", which was named after Henry J. Waternoose III in Monsters Inc. by IBM and XCPU by Microsoft, is based on IBM's PowerPC instruction set architecture, consisting of three independent processor...
, GPU, and eDRAM
EDRAM
eDRAM stands for "embedded DRAM", a capacitor-based dynamic random access memory integrated on the same die as an ASIC or processor. The cost-per-bit is higher than for stand-alone DRAM chips but in many applications the performance advantages of placing the eDRAM on the same chip as the processor...
(i.e. all in the same chip package).. In 2011 a second model of the Xbox 360 S motherboard has been released known as "Corona" which integrates the HANA chip into the southbridge chip.
List of revisions
| Codename | CPU | GPU | HDMI | Power Supply | In Production | Date Released | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xenon | 90 nm | 90 nm | 203 W | November 2005 | Original release. | ||
| Zephyr | 90 nm | 90 nm | 203 W | July 2007 | Introduced HDMI port | ||
| Falcon | 65 nm | 90 nm | 175 W | Late September 2007 | Introduced 65 nm CPU. Power consumption lowered. | ||
| Opus | 65 nm | 90 nm | 175 W | June 2008 | Available as a replacement for Xenon motherboards which have been sent in to Microsoft repair centers. | ||
| Jasper | 65 nm | 65 nm | 150 W | September 2008 | Introduced 65 nm GPU. Introduced on-board flash based memory. Further reduced power consumption. | ||
| Trinity | 45 nm (combined "Vejle" chip) | 135 W | May 2010 | Motherboard redesign used in the Xbox 360 S (not used in other console versions). Two versions; one with 4 GB on-board storage, one without. | |||
| Corona | 45 nm (combined chip) | 115 W | August, 2011 | No more HANA Chip; integrated into southbridge. PSU is 9.86A, down from 10.83A - Cannot use Reset Glitch Hack (relied on HANA for timing). | |||
Connectivity to accessories
The Xbox 360 features three USB 2.0 ports (two on the front, one on the back). The new Xbox 360 S, however, has five USB 2.0 ports (two on the front, three in the back) along with a dedicated Kinect port. These are used for connection of accessories such as wired controllersXbox 360 Controller
The Xbox 360 Controller is the primary controller for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console and was introduced at E3 2005. The Xbox 360 controller comes in both wired and wireless versions. Original Xbox controllers are not compatible with the Xbox 360...
, the wireless networking adapter, the Xbox Live Vision camera and USB storage devices. Although the number of wired controllers is limited by the number of ports, up to four may be used through the use of a USB hub
USB hub
A USB hub is a device that expands a single USB port into several so that there are more ports available to connect devices to a host system.USB hubs are often built into equipment such as computers, keyboards, monitors, or printers...
.
The Xbox 360 also features wireless connectivity of accessories via a proprietary 2.4 GHz radio system. This is mainly used to connect the official wireless controllers, but is also used for other devices such as the wireless racing wheel and wireless headsets
Xbox 360 Wireless Headset
The Xbox 360 Wireless Headset is a wireless headset designed for the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live; it is manufactured by Microsoft. It can be used for in game voice chat, private chat, audio for video chat and in game voice recognition. Up to four wireless headsets can be used simultaneously on a single...
. With the exception of some rhythm game
Rhythm game
Rhythm game or rhythm action is a genre of music-themed action video game that challenges a player's sense of rhythm. Games in the genre typically focus on dance or the simulated performance of musical instruments, and require players to press buttons in a sequence dictated on the screen...
controllers, this wireless connectivity is limited to first-party Microsoft accessories.
The Xbox 360 can connect to Xbox Live over the internet through the built-in 100 megabit ethernet
Ethernet
Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks commercially introduced in 1980. Standardized in IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has largely replaced competing wired LAN technologies....
connector or an optional wireless network
IEEE 802.11
IEEE 802.11 is a set of standards for implementing wireless local area network computer communication in the 2.4, 3.6 and 5 GHz frequency bands. They are created and maintained by the IEEE LAN/MAN Standards Committee . The base version of the standard IEEE 802.11-2007 has had subsequent...
adapter. These can also be used to connect two consoles together directly for LAN
Local area network
A local area network is a computer network that interconnects computers in a limited area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, or office building...
play on supported games.
The console also has two front-mounted memory card
Memory card
A memory card or flash card is an electronic flash memory data storage device used for storing digital information. They are commonly used in many electronic devices, including digital cameras, mobile phones, laptop computers, MP3 players, and video game consoles...
slots for the system's proprietary Memory Unit. These can be used to transfer profile and game data from one Xbox 360 to another. Memory Units up to 512 MB are available from Microsoft. The "Arcade" model formerly came with a 256 MB Memory Unit, but with the Jasper motherboard revision of September 2008, the "Arcade" model began to include 256 MB of built-in flash memory. This was later increased to 512 MB.
The Universal Media Remote can be used to control several functions of the console, including the Windows Media Center
Windows Media Center
Windows Media Center is a digital video recorder and media player developed by Microsoft. It is an application that allows users to view and record live television, as well as organize and play music and videos...
functions if connected to the network. It communicates with the console via infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
through a receiver port on the front of the console.
All standard controllers for the system feature a 2.5 mm headset jack
TRS connector
A TRS connector is a common family of connector typically used for analog signals including audio. It is cylindrical in shape, typically with three contacts, although sometimes with two or four . It is also called an audio jack, phone jack, phone plug, and jack plug...
to allow the use of wired headsets for voice chatting. They also feature a custom USB connector, which is currently only used for connection of the chatpad keyboard accessory.
Various other accessories for the console exist, such as decorative faceplates to change the physical appearance of the console.
Physical appearance
The physical outline of the original style Xbox 360 is 310 mmMillimetre
The millimetre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one thousandth of a metre, which is the SI base unit of length....
× 80 mm × 268 mm (12 in
Inch
An inch is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, and United States customary units. There are 36 inches in a yard and 12 inches in a foot...
× 3 in × 10 in; width × height × depth) when placed horizontally and is similar in form factor
Comparison of computer form factors
In computing, a form factor specifies the physical dimensions of major system components. Specifically, in the IBM PC compatible industry, standard form factors ensure that parts are interchangeable across competing vendors and generations of technology, while in enterprise computing, form factors...
to its predecessor. It is slightly slimmer in every dimension and is slightly concave, while the original Xbox was noticeably convex. It comes as standard in either black or white, with other colors available as special editions. It was designed by Astro Studios in cooperation with Hers Experimental Design Laboratory. In June 2010 a redesign of the console, known as the Xbox 360 S, was announced. This version of the console retains the same basic shape but is noticeably smaller and more angular than the original version. It comes as standard in either matte or glossy black; like its predecessor, other colors are available as special editions. The front of the console features a "ring of light", which displays 4 illuminated quadrants either in red or green (green only on the redesigned console). When the lights turn red, the console has encountered an error
Xbox 360 Technical Problems
The Xbox 360 video game console is subject to a number of technical problems and failures that can render it unusable. Many of the issues can be identified by a series of glowing red lights flashing on the face of the console; the three flashing red lights being the most infamous...
, with the number of sectors illuminated informing the user what category the error falls into. Since the redesign of the console removed the red LEDs, this error reporting system is no longer used. The original Xbox 360 weighs approximately 3.5 kg
Kilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
(7.7 lb
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
), about 350 grams lighter than the original Xbox. The console uses an external power supply
Power supply
A power supply is a device that supplies electrical energy to one or more electric loads. The term is most commonly applied to devices that convert one form of electrical energy to another, though it may also refer to devices that convert another form of energy to electrical energy...
with a 10 A
Ampere
The ampere , often shortened to amp, is the SI unit of electric current and is one of the seven SI base units. It is named after André-Marie Ampère , French mathematician and physicist, considered the father of electrodynamics...
/100–120 V
Volt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
or 5 A/220-230 V (AC
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
) input and DC
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
output rated at 203/175/150 W
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
(depending on revision). An estimated 2 W of power are used while the console is in standby mode
Sleep mode
Sleep mode refers to a low power mode for electronic devices such as computers, televisions, and remote controlled devices. These modes save significant electrical consumption compared to leaving a device fully on and idle, but allow the user to avoid having to reset programming codes or wait for a...
giving a yearly usage of approximately 17.5 kWh
Watt-hour
The kilowatt hour, or kilowatt-hour, is a unit of energy equal to 1000 watt hours or 3.6 megajoules.For constant power, energy in watt hours is the product of power in watts and time in hours...
. Saving the console size and weight, the power supply displaces 1300 cm³
Cubic metre
The cubic metre is the SI derived unit of volume. It is the volume of a cube with edges one metre in length. An alternative name, which allowed a different usage with metric prefixes, was the stère...
.