NViRT

For some time I’ve been needing another 360 for another entertainment center and I’ve had a voucher for a new unit just sitting in my lap. The thing is, I couldn’t take advantage of the damn thing until Monday because since Christmas it’s been impossible to find 360 Pro units in stock anywhere. Anyway, the local “Sell Shit Now” chain had 360 Pro falcons in stock yesterday so of course I mobilized my ass and got one. My verdict? Frickin’ sweet. Not only does this thing run cooler, it’s a bit quieter too. While still not as quiet as the PS3, the 360 falcon is still noticeably quieter then previous 360 units, especially in idle mode. The previous models made this loud “RRRRRRR” noise that was especially annoying when trying to play a movie on the 360. The Falcon still makes noise in idle mode but now its a much more tolerable “FWWOOOOOOO”. The DVD drive seems to be of noticeably higher quality as well. So if you’ve been undecided, now is the time to buy your first or second Xbox 360.

To make sure you get one of the newer Falcon units your going to have to poke at the boxes a bit. Also, check the barcode sticker on the side of the box. The 65nm chipped Halo 3 console was manufactured from August 24, 2007 from team “FDOU” and part of lot 734. As a bonus, here is some extended falcon identification info ripped from this xbox forums post. Happy falcon hunting.

How to find a 65nm console without opening the box (175W PSU):
This is the easiest and best way to see if you have a 65nm (Falcon) console without opening the box. All you need to do is look at the information label (lot #, team label) on the side of the box and look at the power information.

If the label says 175W, then the console is a Falcon console. If the label says 203W, then use one of the other two methods to see if the console is Falcon.

175W Falcon Label:
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x127/MRCUR/175w.jpg

175W Falcon PSU Label:
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x127/MRCUR/new360brick.jpg

If you find a 175W console, you 100% have a Falcon console. The new 175W PSU will NOT work with old (90nm) console. The plug that goes into the console has been changed to all plastic, and has a different layout then the old plug. There are already multiple revisions of the 175W PSUs, but there is no difference between them.

How to find a Falcon model 360 in stores

Based on the info in this thread, A Falcon model Xbox 360 MUST BE:

1. Lot #0734 (Halo 3) or later (all SKUs)
2. Manufactured on or after 8/24/07(An HDMI Premium manufactured on 8/19 has been reported as 65nm.)
3. Team FDOU (Other teams may be Falcon as well, but none have been reported)

Please note that getting a Falcon console is not guaranteed even if everything matches the above information. Only some new consoles are Falcon, and no Falcon refurb consoles have been reported.

How to find Lot and Team info:
There is a white sticker on the side of the box with the lot # and team. In order to find the manufacturing date without opening the box, there is a flap on the side of the box that allows you to peek inside and see the manufacturing date on the console itself.

If you find a console that is Falcon, please post the console type (Halo 3, Elite, Premium, Arcade), manufacture date, lot number, team, new or old CPU heatsink, number of inductors, and first 3 digits of serial number.