After Hours

Crack open the Xbox 360

By // January 4, 2007, 9:19 PM PST // billdetwiler

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  • Xbox 360 unopened box

    As the Tuesday, November 22, 2005 Xbox launch began, we, like Xbox fans, hardcore gamers, and techies across the U.S., were at the mercy of Microsoft and its retail partners. With no Microsoft-provided test unit, we scored an Xbox 360 system through pure luck. A local Meijer held a raffle for their limited Xbox 360 supply and we were selected. So what did we do with our newly won prize? We began disassembling it of course. This gallery walks you through our experience cracking open the Xbox 360.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 still in the wrapper

    The Xbox 360 is slightly smaller than the original Xbox, but boasts a new sleek concave design. The unit weighs almost 8 pounds.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 and accessories

    Our $399 Xbox 360 came with the 20 GB external hard drive, a single wireless controller, Xbox remote, Xbox Live Headset, Component HD AV Cable, Ethernet cable, power cable, and four AA batteries. The $399 Xbox also sports shiny chrome accents.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 remote

    Unlike the original Xbox, our 360 included a remote. Using the remote you can power on the unit, control the unit's media capabilities, and more.

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  • Xbox 360 component HD AV cable

    You'll need the Xbox component HD AV cable to watch the Xbox 360 in high definition.

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  • Xbox 360 power supply

    The Xbox 360's power block is absolutely massive.

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  • Xbox 360 Xbox Live headset

    The Xbox Live headset connects directly to the Xbox 360 controller.

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  • Xbox 360 power and Ethernet cables

    Our $399 Xbox comes with an Ethernet cable. You can also purchase a wireless adapter that supports dual band 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz 802.11A/B/G.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 wireless controller (1 of 3)

    You can simultaneously connect up to four wireless controllers. The controller's shape and button layout is very similar to the original Xbox controller. Using the green and silver X button in the center you can power on the unit.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 wireless controller (2 of 3)

    The Xbox 360 wireless controller also has a new set of shoulder buttons above the triggers.

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  • Xbox 360 wireless controller (3 of 3)

    The wireless controller takes 2 AA batteries.

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  • Xbox 360 front face

    The Xbox 360 has two memory card slots below the DVD drive, two USB 2.0 ports (hidden beneath a spring-loaded window on the unit's right side), a small connect button for the wireless controllers (to the right of the memory card slots), a large power button, a sensor for the remote controller, and the DVD drive's tray and eject button.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 AV, Ethernet and rear USB

    On the back of the Xbox 360, you'll find a third USB 2.0 port, an RJ45 Ethernet port, and the proprietary A/V port.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 power port

    The Xbox 360's proprietary power block also connects to the unit's back.

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  • Xbox 360 test setupt

    Before dissembling the 360 we had to try it at least once. We connected the unit to a Dell LCD projector using the composite video output on the Component HD AV Cable.

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  • Xbox 360 initial setup screen

    The Xbox 360's initial setup screen prompted us to select a language. We'll have more pictures of using the Xbox 360 in future galleries.

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  • Xbox 360 hard drive (1 of 9)

    The Xbox 360's external hard drive was our first target. This 20 GB drive was included with our $399 Xbox 360, but must be purchased separately for the $299 Xbox 360 Core System.

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  • Xbox 360 hard drive (2 of 9)

    The back of the external hard drive unit has air holes and the connector.

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  • Xbox 360 hard drive (3 of 9)

    I hate protective labels that leave an annoying gunk when removed. I will definitely need to clean the hard drive unit's chrome accents.

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  • Xbox 360 hard drive (4 of 9)

    To open the hard drive unit you must remove the four torx screws.

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  • Xbox 360 hard drive (5 of 9)

    One of the torx screws is located under a Microsoft tamper resistant label. When removed the label leaves a silver residue.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 hard drive (6 of 9)

    With the torx removed you can detach the back of the hard drive unit.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 hard drive (7 of 9)

    Another set of screws must be removed to access the drive. This image shows the underside of the hard drive.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 hard drive (8 of 9)

    As you remove the unit's cover, be careful not to lose the small spring that keeps pressure on the unit's catch.

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  • Xbox 360 hard drive (9 of 9)

    The Samsung 20 GB Serial ATA hard drive and all the external unit's components.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 face plate removed

    The first step in Xbox 360 surgery is removing the face plate. Squeeze the right and left ends of the face plate (or upper and lower if you stand the unit on end) and pull forward gently. It helps to place your thumb inside the USB compartment. The face plate should come lose with minimal force.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 side panel

    Once the face plate has been removed, you can remove the side panels. The small tabs that attach the side panels to the top and bottom white case panels are delicate and you must be careful not to break them. To release the tabs, insert a thin, round screwdriver or punch into the holes on either end of the white case panels and gently push.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 side panel removed

    With the side panels removed you can see the Xbox 360's metal chassis.

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  • Xbox 360 bottom removed

    With the side panels removed, you can remove the bottom white case panel. Apply gentle pressure with a flathead screwdriver to release the tabs on the front and back. You'll need to insert the screwdriver between the white panels to detach the back tabs.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 bottom removed from the front

    After you remove the bottom panel, you can begin to remove the top panel.

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  • Xbox 360 case screws (1 of 2)

    To remove the top panel of the white case, you must remove six silver torx screws located on the metal chassis. The screws are located near the four corners and center of the chassis.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 case screws (2 of 2)

    The torx screws that secure the top panel of the white case are longer than other screws within the Xbox. These screws also secure the DVD drive.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 top removed

    With the screws removed, you can detach the top panel to the white case. Be careful not to break the DVD drive's eject button. For the first time, you can now see the Xbox 360's internal components. You can clearly see the CPU's heatsink, but the GPU is still hidden under the DVD drive.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 uncovered power button and RF unit

    The Xbox 360's front panel contains the power button, four controller lights, and RF unit.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 DVD drive

    Having already removed the long torx screws, you can easily remove the DVD drive.

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  • Xbox 360 DVD drive mother board connections

    Disconnect the DVD drive's power and data cables to fully remove the drive.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 DVD drive removed

    With the DVD drive removed, we get our first view of the heatsink for the Xbox 360's GPU. Check out the massive, white cooling duct designed to improve airflow around the CPU and GPU heatsinks.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 cooling duct removed

    Gently lift the cooling duct to expose the fans and more of the motherboard.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 motherboard

    Looking at the Xbox 360's from an angle, you can see just how large the CPU heatsink is. The 360 has two fans to keep the machine cool.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 Microsoft motherboard label

    You'll find Microsoft labels throughout the Xbox 360's internal components. Unlike the original Xbox, Microsoft has taken significant steps to ensure it owns the design for many of the Xbox 360's internal components.

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  • Xbox 360 CPU heatsink

    The Xbox 360 CPU has three separate PowerPC core processors that run at 3.2 GHz each. To keep the CPU cool Xbox, engineers designed a water-cooled heatsink.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 GPU heatsink

    The Xbox 360 has a custom ATI GPU that runs at 500 MHz.

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  • Xbox 360 south bridge and SATA interfaces

    The chip with the silver Microsoft/Xbox 360 label is the south bridge. Below the south bridge is the SATA interface for the DVD-ROM drive. To the right of the DVD drive interface is the back of the external hard drive's SATA port.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 unidentified chip

    An unidentified chip on the Xbox 360's motherboard. Some speculate that this chip contains either the Ethernet interface, audio codec, or the Xbox 360's DRM technology.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 hard drive port

    The Xbox 360 has a custom connector for the external SATA hard drive unit.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 front USB ports

    The two front USB 2.0 ports let you quickly connect a variety of supported USB devices, such as USB flash drives.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 AV, Ethernet, and rear USB ports (1 of 2)

    Unfortunately, the Xbox 360's AV output doesn't support HDMI.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 AV, Ethernet, and rear USB ports (2 of 2)

    Here are the AV, Ethernet, and rear USB ports from the inside.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 front memory card ports (1 of 2)

    The Xbox 360 has two ports for the external memory cards.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

  • Xbox 360 front memory card ports (2 of 2)

    Here are the front memory card ports from the inside.

    Photo by Bill Detwiler

Xbox 360 unopened box

As the Tuesday, November 22, 2005 Xbox launch began, we, like Xbox fans, hardcore gamers, and techies across the U.S., were at the mercy of Microsoft and its retail partners. With no Microsoft-provided test unit, we scored an Xbox 360 system through pure luck. A local Meijer held a raffle for their limited Xbox 360 supply and we were selected. So what did we do with our newly won prize? We began disassembling it of course. This gallery walks you through our experience cracking open the Xbox 360.

Photo by Bill Detwiler

Related Topics:

After Hours Innovation Hardware Tech & Work

By Bill Detwiler

Bill Detwiler is Editor in Chief of TechRepublic and Tech Pro Research and the host of Cracking Open, CNET and TechRepublic's popular online show. Prior to joining TechRepublic in 2000, Bill was an IT manager, database administrator, and desktop supp...