Dr3v0

VentureBeat reporter and renowned Microsoft digger Dean Takahashi has said that the new 'Jasper' version of Xbox 360 hardware could do away with the Red Ring of Death forever.

Jasper introduces a 65nm version of the graphics chip among other tweaks. "With the new design, Microsoft has a chance to rise above the problems associated with the Red Ring of Death," Takahashi wrote, then hedging: "We'll see if the systems prove reliable."

"The graphics chip will likely consume less power than previous versions, allowing it to fit snugly into its motherboard socket. That should lead to fewer system failures due to the graphics chips coming loose."

Takahashi summarised his previous reporting on the Red Ring of Death to explain Jasper's potential. Old models has 90nm chips that overheated thanks to thermal fatigue, he said, which Microsoft previously attempted to off-set with improved heat-sinks.

Jasper also comes with 256MB of internal flash memory, allowing Microsoft to bundle New Xbox Experience without relying on a hard disk or external memory card.

It's not yet known how you will be able to distinguish a Jasper 360 from its predecessors without ripping it open, but once current retail inventory has been exhausted the new model should take over, and has already appeared in the wild judging by illustrated Xbox-Scene posts linked by the VentureBeat reporter.

Once we get our hands on Jasper, expect Eurogamer's technical guru Rich Leadbetter to rip it apart to get some answers.

Check out our Xbox 360 Elite hardware test feature to see what he made of that back in June last year.

Jasper Xbox 360 to conquer Red Rings? News // Xbox 360 /// Eurogamer - Games Reviews, News and More

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Dr3v0

A tremendous article over at Xbox-Scene has laid out the Jasper board for the Xbox 360 (the board that takes over from Falcon) and seems to indicate that Jaspers are now cropping up in retail boxes.

Stand-out additions include the fact that "the onboard flash chip has grown from 16MB to 256MB. Microsoft included internal memory storage, so the Arcade SKU now ships without (external) Memory Unit and the new NXE dash will install fully on the flashchip (rather than requiring a HDD or external MU). But the internal memory can also be used to store gamesave data, XBLA games, videos or whatever."

One way to check? Well, have a look at the power lead. According to the article: "The new power supply is now 150W (25W less than those used with Falcon boards) and the plug has of course been changed so u can't plugin this PSU into an older motherboard."

See the full piece at Xbox-Scene.

Onboard NXE for Xbox Arcade - News (Xbox 360)

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Dr3v0

THE NEXT VERSION of the Xbox 360 motherboard has been spotted in the wild, and subsequently poked, prodded and pictured.

Code-named 'Jasper', it comes with a 65nm GPU, which Microsoft hopes will further alleviate some of the infamous Xbox 360 RROD problems.

Xbox-scene's forum members have once again come up with the scoop and low-down.

Multiple Arcade Xbox 360 SKUs have been spotted with the new motherboard.

The new power supply is now rated at 150W (25W less than those used with previous Falcon boards) and the plug format has changed so you can't accidentally poke this PSU into an older Xbox 360.

It's reported the system is quieter than original 360s, but the DVD-drive is the same, meaning you'll have to install your games to a separate HDD if you want to get the most out of your quieter console.

It also seems the new 360 design will come with 256mb of built-in storage, up from 16mb, and replacing the need for the Arcade SKU's 256mb memory unit.

This additional memory also allows the New Xbox Experience (NXE) to be fully installed without any additional memory unit being required - a point of contention for the Arcade SKU owners.

It's thought it's likely that all other SKU's will come with the internal memory, so that motherboard designs are similar through-out the SKU offerings.

Xbox 360 Jasper mobo out in wild - The INQUIRER

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