RRoD Solved by the Jasper Chip
Submitted by D15AV0W3D on Sat, 01/03/2009 - 11:37pm.
Has the RRoD problem been solved? It's too early to tell, but someone over at AnandTech believes it's a good probability w/ Microsoft's new internal board, code-named "Jasper".
Article: http://play.tm/wire/click/2267129/
In short, the new Xbox 360 "Jasper" features a 65nm CPU, and a 65nm GPU. This, in contrast to the 90nm CPU/GPU found in Xenon/Zephyr units, and a 65nm CPU paired w/ an 80nm GPU found in Falcons.
What this means for us? A quieter system, lower power draw, cooler temps, and less stress on the solder joints that had a tendency to break down, causing the unrecoverable hardware failures, known as the RRoD, which, as most of us already know, has plagued Xbox 360s since they launched.
Now for the information you really want, and probably what drew you to this article in the first place. How to spot a Jasper-equipped 360 in the wild?! There are a few ways to determine that you PROBABLY have a Jasper, such as Lot # and Manufacture Date, but the sure-fire way is simple, and doesn't even require you to open the box. Microsoft included a side window in the retail box that allows clerks to scan the serial number when selling a 360. Look in this window, and search for 12.1A next to the 12V power requirement. It'll be on the left, and may be hidden at first, but try shifting the box around a bit, or even poke a finger in the window to shift things around. You may only see the 12.1A, but that's enough. 12.1A on the 12V rail means it has the 65nm GPU/CPU die, i.e. Jasper. FYI, it'll actually read "12,1" (comma instead of period). 14,2 = Falcon/Opus, and 16,5 = Xenon/Zephyr.
Also, from what I've read, if you're ordering online (like I did), then the new Arcade bundle ($199 retail price) seems to be the surest way to get a Jasper. The shrunken die size has reduced the manufacturing cost, which seems to reflect in the low price point of Arcade systems right now. I recently purchased an Arcade system from Dell.com ($199 - 15% off coupon = $169, not bad if you ask me), and it is a Jasper.
Bonus: the Jasper boards appear to have a built-in 256MB memory module. They are advertised as coming with 256MB of memory, in lieu of a HDD, but I was expecting a memory stick, not an on-board addition. Pretty cool. Microsoft is also doing a memory upgrade program for owners of 360s w/out HDDs. $30 nets a refurbished 20GB HDD, and a 3-month XBL card. I already ordered mine. So, an arcade unit (Xbox 360, 256MB memory, no HDD, wireless controller, standard A/V cable, HDMI port) and a 20GB HDD (essentially turning it into a Pro, minus the ethernet cable and headset) can be had for ~$200. Link for HDD upgrade: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/hardware/hddoffer/default.htm
Good pic from the article on confirming the version of a box you already own:
Turns out my Xbox360 (the one MS replaced my original with) is a 1st gen Xenon/Zephyr. Interesting, considering they gave me the replacement ~Dec. 2007
Hopefully they will ship me a Jasper!
I didn't read the article. Is it possible they replaced your broken mobo with a 2nd gen mobo, and just left the 1st gen power supply?
I guess one would have to open their 360 to be definitive.
I'm going to put a small mark on my xbox before I send it in and see if they actually repair the system or just send you a new one.
Jason, my theory is that mobo replacement is the most common method of repair. Both of my repaired xboxen have come back with different MAC addresses, so I know the mobo is different, but my first one came back with the same serial number, which tells me they kept the case. I haven't checked the serial on the second repair.
Heck of a deal on the Arcade to Pro "upgrade" price.
According to this post the RRoD is caused by a failing solder connection. The guy repairs the 360 for a small fee.
EA, I hope you don't mind me sharing this, but I couldn't help but notice that, on the box you gave me to ship my Xbox, there was a sticker the repair center affixed to the outside, which read: "Falcon ELITE". I don't know if you originally had a Zephyr or a Falcon when you sent yours in, but you got a Falcon back, according to the repair center sticker. I don't know how accurate that is. Is your new DVD drive (I'm assuming they don't repair those) any quieter than your old one?
If we keep just 1 or 2 of the Microsoft provided boxes (coffins) circulating then we'll never have to wait for one to arrive before shipping out our broken 360s.
Yeah that would be nice, still waiting on my box to show up. I will hold on to the return box for sure.
They said they replaced the console instead of fixing it. So I suppose they could've done what you said, but that would make them liars.
Yeah, I'll definitely keep my coffin once my 360 gets back.
I received two coffins yesterday via UPS for some reason.. sweet
Xboxer goes out today after work, let the PC gaming still commence!
Also WTB TF2 Achievement partner! We could unlock all the new weapons in a few hours. Brian will help as well so with three of us on a server alone we should be able to get all the guns quick. I haven't looked at all the achievements yet, but we should be able to get at least first two tiers done for the medic,heavy, and pyro with ease. I'm 2 achievements from the medic uber saw! mmm
@Midnight: The box you gave to me went to Disavowed so that he could save a few days on his shipping.
Looks like I got one of the new Jaspers, but all is not well. It is relatively quiet (especially after updating to NXE) but I keep experiencing game freezes and unreadable disc errors. I've only had the 360 for a couple days but so far Half-Life 2 freezes 25% of the time and I'm already on my second GoW 2 disc as the 360 had tons of problems reading the first one and is now having issues with the second one too. I'm hoping it's just a case of the system getting broken in but have a feeling it's gonna need to go back, probably multiple times like all previous 360 iterations.
Adam, it seems yours has a faulty DVD drive. It happens.
I've been using my new Jasper 360 for a few weeks now. I've noticed it runs alot cooler, and quieter. The DVD drive on this one isn't nearly as loud as my other one (to be fair, it had a faulty DVD drive). I gamed on it for about 4 hours straight the other night, and it was cool to the touch. On my old Zephyr Elite, 4hrs of gaming would make it noticeably hot to the touch.
I also used to rely on my 360 to heat my gaming room upstairs during the winter, as I don't run the heat up there. About half an hour w/ it and my PC running, and I'd be comfortable. Now, I am having to turn on my heat sometimes. Bad for my heating bill, but good for my console.
Why on earth MS decided to cram so much high-end hardware into a tiny little box, I'll never know. I always liked the original Xbox case. It even LOOKED tough! And my OG box is still running right along, after 8+ years. They should have stuck with something like that. And, of course, higher-quality solder. But on the bright side, if they had, I wouldn't have had the RRoD problem to use as an excuse to get my faulty DVD drive repaired beyond the standard 1yr warranty period.
I just got my first 360 last week and it supposedly has the jasper chipset. Power info claims the 12.1A. But it is still loud as hell. I cant even imagine how loud they were before.
Louder than my gaming pc with 3 80mm fans, a fan on my 8800gt, a very large fan in my power supply, a small fan on the mobo, and a 60mm or maybe smaller fan on the cpu. But the 360 doesnt even get warm unlike my desk heater.
Cheese
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