And on a similar theme...

A post on the EG forum I made a while back which might, if you're as tediously dull as me, be of interest:

Before you all start, yes, there are other threads on this, but when I was looking for the answers I wanted I couldn’t really find them on here. So hopefully this will provide a more concise guide for those in the same position.

Never suffered from the RROD myself, but my launch 360 started freezing literally a few seconds after one year warranty had run out, and before Microsoft extended the warranties to three years. After a bit of faffing managed to get that replaced by Microsoft and now my second machine, again almost a year down the line, had started to play up. Started getting the odd disc read error every now and then when Colin McRae came out, and it’s been getting worse – and ever since it started doing it on Mass Effect its started plaguing me on more or less every game. Apparently Mass Effect puts a lot of strain on the DVD drive and can send those prone to failure over the edge.

So rather than risk being without a machine over Christmas (by it either dying or Microsoft taking ages to replace it), I though I’d trade in my existing system against a new one. However, I really wanted to make sure I got one with the new Falcon chipset, and preferably with the BenQ DVD drive which some sources claim to be both quieter and faster than the Toshiba or Samsung drives Microsoft uses in some machines.

After scouring some forums which advised peering in vents and all sorts to try and determine chipset type, it turns out the easiest way is to look at the serial number. If it says 203w, then it’s an old chipset type. If it says 175w, however, it’s the new one – as that uses less power.

Ascertaining the DVD drive type is harder without powering the machine up and looking at the disc tray. But, again, looking at the serial number, you can track one down that is almost certainly of the right type.

So, after the bloke in Gamestation tested my machine for 30 minutes and it thankfully didn’t ‘dirty disc’ on me I had the poor bloke searching through his machines downstairs to try and fine the right type. I wanted HDMI enabled, Falcom chipset and BenQ drive. Was hoping just to buy an Arcade pack as its cheap, or if not a Halo 3 Edition machine, but none of their stock of either was the 175w version. Fortunately, one of their Premiums was 175w, HDMI enabled and of the right batch code to match the BenQ machines. So, after the £145 trade offered on my old machine I ended up paying £105 for a new Premium that will, fingers crossed, last more than a year. And not deafen me.

Anyway, for those in a similar boat this is what you need to know:

1. Look for wattage on the serial code. 203w is old chipset, 175w is Falcon, which basically means it’s cooler and less likely to melt, a la the old machines.

2. To try and fine a BenQ drive machine check out this website – it lists the batch number and manufacturing teams that have to date used the right DVD drive. Once you have your machine you can look here website – it lists the batch number and manufacturing teams that have to to check for certain what drive you’ve got.

And for those who are interested, the new machine is definitely a lot cooler, and arguably more importantly, quieter than the old one. It’s still noisy, for sure, but is a noticeable improvement. I once accidentally kept the glass door on my cabinet closed whilst watching a DVD on my PS3 – after 15 minutes or so its fan went in to full blast – that’s the standard in-game noise level of the new 360. So, not great, but definitely better.

Hope this helps someone.