Microsoft Unveils Sleeker Xbox Series X Models with Enhanced Efficiency and Cooling!

Microsoft has officially launched its highly anticipated discless Xbox Series X today, featuring a distinct white finish and a significant redesign that elevates the gaming experience. This innovative model boasts a sleek exterior sans disc drive, but the real magic is happening under the hood with a complete overhaul of its internal components.

This new iteration of the Xbox Series X has gone through a remarkable transformation, with its motherboard redesigned and the system-on-a-chip (SoC) shrunk down to an impressive 6nm. Renowned YouTuber Austin Evans performed a detailed teardown and noted that this reduction in size allows the new consoles to consume approximately 10 watts less power during idle states compared to their predecessors.

The updates extend beyond just the chip. The new motherboard eliminates the shield covering the SSD and replaces the disc drive area with a blank space on the discless model—making retrofitting a disc drive a complicated task that would require soldering on additional connectors.

Cooling systems have also seen a major redesign. The new models have moved away from the vapor chamber used in earlier versions, opting instead for a more conventional copper heat pipe design. Evans discovered that, despite these changes, the exhaust temperatures and operational noise levels remain consistent with the original model.

To put the power savings into perspective, the original launch Xbox Series X drew around 61 watts at idle, while the newly released 2TB special edition now only consumes about 51 watts. The discless version pushes efficiency even further, idling at approximately 38 watts. When it comes to gaming scenarios, the original model operates at 167 watts, whereas the new discless and 2TB models use 156 and 151 watts, respectively.

While a reduction of up to 16 watts might seem modest, it can lead to substantial savings in power consumption—especially significant for Microsoft's Xbox Cloud Gaming infrastructure. Given that Microsoft is leveraging Xbox Series X-like hardware in its data centers, these advancements in chip design and cooling are likely to be implemented for increased efficiency and lower operational costs.

Interestingly, this redesign doesn't just benefit gamers; it marks a strategic move for Microsoft, potentially reducing manufacturing expenses and enhancing the performance of Xbox Cloud Gaming servers.

For eager gamers, the new discless Xbox Series X is now available for purchase at a retail price of $449.99, while the premium 2TB special edition comes in at $599.99. Don't miss the opportunity to elevate your gaming experience with these cutting-edge consoles!