Inside of the xbox 360: How Xbox 360 Works | HowStuffWorks

16 ноября, 2022

Xbox 360 S Teardown — iFixit

Written By: Julian Gonzalez
(and 4 other contributors)

Published: April 19, 2018

  • Favorites: 16
  • Views: 63.5k

Written By: Julian Gonzalez
(and 4 other contributors)

Published: April 19, 2018

  • Favorites: 16
  • Views: 63.5k

Teardown

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Introduction

This teardown will show you how to get inside your Xbox 360 S to fix what you need to.

This teardown is not a repair guide. To repair your Xbox 360 S, use our service manual.

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Inside the Xbox 360, part I: procedural synthesis and dynamic worlds

Features —

Hannibal did some digging on the architecture at the heart of the Xbox 360 and …

May 25, 2005 4:55 am UTC

Introduction

When word first got out that Microsoft was planning to get into the game console business, I was skeptical. First, I was skeptical that the rumors were true, and when they turned to be true I was skeptical that the console would have any impact on the market. Today, as an Xbox owner myself, I’m glad to say I was wrong. Microsoft was able to leverage their software expertise and deep pockets to rapidly develop a console that didn’t just have an impact on the console market, but went from zero to second place in terms of market share.

Despite the fact that Microsoft scored a touchdown with the Xbox, there’s no denying that the console was something of a «Hail Mary» pass. With a slim, 19-month gap between the Xbox program’s start to the shipment of the first unit, the Xbox didn’t exactly represent a major investment of resources for the world’s number one software maker. However, things were different this time around.

Microsoft started work on the successor to the Xbox in 2002, and they went into the project gunning for the top spot in the console market. Unlike the original Xbox’s Intel x86 CPU and nVidia-based graphics core, the hardware that powers the Xbox 360 is custom-made from the ground up to run games, high-definition video, and digital audio.

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In a move that surprised all of us, Microsoft tapped IBM to design the microprocessor that powers the Xbox 360. IBM drew on the results of the same Broadband Processor Architecture (BPA) initiative that produced the Playstation 3’s Cell processor in order to furnish the next-generation Xbox with a truly next-generation core that looks set to last at least the five-year life of the average game console.

Codenamed Xenon, the multicore PowerPC CPU that IBM designed for the Xbox 360 boasts a number of unique features that set it apart from any microprocessor seen to date. The present article covers these features in detail, from the processor’s triple-core design, to its caches, deep pipeline, lack of an instruction window, and expected performance.

Before we talk in detail about the way that IBM put together the Xenon CPU, we should first discuss Microsoft’s vision for the role that Xenon should play in powering the next generation of games. Thus Part I of this series will be devoted to exploring the types of applications for which the Xbox 360 was designed, with a particular emphasis on 3D gaming and the real-time procedural synthesis of in-game geometry.

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What’s inside the Xbox 360

Microsoft first created a console that was similar to the PC . It used standard PC components: including a processor from Intel (something between Pentium 3 and Celero n), a video card from NVIDIA , a hard drive from Western Digital and a standard DVD- drive unit. Some have bought the original Xbox in order to take it apart and use its parts to build an inexpensive PC.

Microsoft has had to work hard to ensure that its console does not have so many obvious parallels with the PC. For example, it was programmatically forbidden to use a keyboard and mouse, although a standard USB interface was built into the Xbox. In general, the pioneer of Microsoft in the console market turned out to be quite successful. And although the battle with the PlayStation 2 was lost, the Xbox went down in history as a great gaming system. Thanks to this, the Xbox 360 is sure to be even more successful. In addition, judging by the polls, the Xbox 360 is no longer treated as a «Gaming PC».

Frankly speaking, when creating the Xbox 360, Microsoft could have just taken the usual upgrade of its first system, replacing the processor with a more powerful one, the video card with a more modern one, and so on. And trust me, it would work. But Microsoft this time pursued completely different goals — growth (in the eyes of consumers and developers) and, in fact, a victory over Sony. Now that the Xbox brand has a name and a loyal following, Microsoft can rightly claim to win the console war. And instead of such a black box PC to release a stylish and advanced system.

So, the Xbox 360 is smaller than the Xbox and its wireless nature makes it a pretty nice decoration in, say, your bedroom. But, despite the fact that the system looks like the illegitimate child of an iPod and a DVD player, internally the Xbox 360 is still very similar to the PC and there is no getting around it … its official appearance on sale (which, as you know, will take place tomorrow). Of course, they examined it from all sides and even (you won’t believe it) took apart the first prefix of a new generation. So, the Xbox 360 included:

  • The console itself
  • Hard disc for 20 GB
  • WITHER JOOPAD
  • FAITHS
  • Remote control (for DVD)
  • Ethernet
  • at 399 dollars. As you know, there is also a Core System version for $299. But it does not have a hard drive, headphones, remote control, wireless joystick and Ehternet cable. In the picture in the lower left corner you see a bulky black box. What’s this? This, gentlemen, is an external power supply … In the original Xbox, it was inside the console. Now, due to the increase in system power, it had to be pulled out. In addition, the console, thanks to this decision, has significantly decreased.

    Microsoft is known to learn from its mistakes. Remember the first Xbox, which even a primary school student could easily take apart. Therefore, it was very easy to chip the console. Pirated dixies flooded the markets of many countries … Microsoft tried to counter this for a long time by introducing various protection systems. But in the end, «piracy» triumphed.

    When creating the Xbox 360, Microsoft said that it would be almost impossible to disassemble it with a screwdriver, that is, the case would be one-piece. And indeed it is. Opening the Xbox 360 is really hard. But not impossible! With the right tools (several different screwdrivers, a small metal stick and pliers), you can still get into the holy of holies, and then disassemble the device into small pieces, without causing any harm to the console. True, then your warranty will be cancelled.

    You can read more about the opening procedure here. We’ll focus on the insides. Let’s start with the processor. The original Xbox used a hybrid of the Pentium 3 and Celeron. For the Xbox 360, Microsoft acquired the rights to PowerPC (IBM). Firstly, this means that there is no direct compatibility with older Xbox games and cannot be. All Xbox games that you manage to run on the Xbox 360 are played using software emulation. But, in any case, technology PowerPC is much more technological and perfect. And, of course, more suitable for a game console.

    The central processing unit consists of three PowerPC cores, which are currently manufactured in 90nm technology, but may soon be produced in 65nm to reduce the cost and size of the processor. Most likely it will be possible before the end of this year.

    All three cores are identical and can only execute tasks sequentially, not simultaneously. This is a definite minus, which affects performance. But on the other hand, Microsoft managed to shove not one core, but three. Apparently, the lack of performance will be compensated by the interaction of their threads. Each core is capable of processing two threads simultaneously. Total — six! But, unfortunately, at the moment, most titles are single-threaded or double-threaded (the rest is used to decode sound, videos, and so on). In the future, the situation will certainly change.

    Two fans cool the system: a large one is designed to prevent the CPU from melting, and a small one for the video processor. By the way, about the video card. As you know, it is called Xedos , and developed by her company ATI . The main advantage of the card is the use of «unified shaders» technology. So, modern PC video cards mostly work separately on pixel and vertex shaders. Xedos does everything at the same time, which allows you to increase productivity and make the Xbox 360 more functional. There are 48 dynamically controlled parallel shader pipelines in Xedos! And it consists of 332 million transistors. By the way, the minimum set by Microsoft for all titles released for the Xbox 360 is 2X Anti Aliasing. Basically, all games will support 4X Anti Aliasing.

    As for the HDTV support, the rumors that a high-definition TV is mandatory turned out to be false. You can play on the Xbox 360 on a regular TV as well. It’s just that the picture quality will be incomparably worse … You can also connect the Xbox 360 to the monitor using a special cable. True, you will have to buy it separately.

    That’s all. Additional information, you can find here. Congratulations in advance to everyone on the release of the first set-top box of a new generation.

    ©
    TechLabs

    xbox 360 errors, xbox 360 system errors,

      OUR EQUIPMENT

    The Xbox 360 has a number of features that will help you understand exactly what happened to your console. On the front of the Xbox 360, where the power button is located, we have a green LED indicator. When the prefix does not function properly, we see red instead of green. At the moment when the indicators turn red, we can determine the Xbox 360 error code and find out what the error is and how to proceed.

    No picture appears on the TV when AV/HDMI is connected

    How to solve this situation:

    • Check the AV/HDMI cable, it may not be connected tightly.
    • Pull out the cables and reconnect it.
    • The picture is not displayed and 4 red lights are on, then we pull out the AV / HDMI cable and wipe the console connector with alcohol and try to connect again.
    • If you have done everything described above, but the picture still does not appear through AV / HDMI, then try replacing the cable.
    • The picture does not appear on the screen and all wiping and replacing the cord did not give anything, then you need to contact the service center.

    The hardware of the console refuses to work

    How to solve this situation:

    Restart the Xbox 360 or turn off the console and turn it on again. If the prefix does not turn off, then when you press the power off button, hold the button for 5 seconds.

    Reboot and shutdown did not help, then do the following:

    • Turn off the Xbox 360 completely from the outlet and disconnect all AV / HDMI wires
    • After a short wait, we connect everything back and turn on the set-top box again.
    • The set-top box refuses to work and the red lights are on the last thing to do is turn off the set-top box’s HDD and turn on the Xbox again.
    • Pay attention to the power supply, it should be green, if it is red, then replace the power supply or contact the service center.

    Xbox 360 shows 3 fires or an error E73- E74

    In many cases, the Xbox 360, like other equipment, is prone to breakdowns and there is nothing to worry about, this is a technique and you can’t argue with it. Usually 3 fires or error E74 can be caused not only by overheating of the set-top box, but also by not using it for a long time and storing it in a humid room. There are two ways to fix this problem, contact the service center immediately or conduct an independent diagnosis of the Xbox 360.

    First aid with 3 lights or E73- E74:

    • Turn off the set-top box completely from the mains and wait 40-50 minutes, after which you can turn it on.
    • When you turn on the Xbox 360 on the back of the console, look at the fans to see if they are spinning or not.
    • If the console still shows errors and the fans are spinning, then contact the service.

    How to properly position the Xbox 360 on a surface and in an enclosed area

    • The space in the nightstand must be at least 15 cm on the right side and on the left, and the back of the console must be free.
    • Place the attachment in a vertical position on an open surface so that the cooling is better than in a horizontal position.
    • Do not place the Xbox 360 on carpeted floors as this will create a lot of dust.
    • Also, do not place the console next to heating and heating elements, this affects the poor ventilation of the Xbox 360.

    Solving problems with overheating

    If the Xbox 360 is overheating and showing an error code, you can unplug it and turn it on after a short wait. If the shutdown does not work, then try changing the thermal paste — this is the only solution that you can make on your own. After changing the thermal paste, if the result remains at the same level, then contact the service center.

    Error codes that appear on the TV screen and their description

    • Error E45 — this error is rare, mainly due to an incorrect update.
    • Drive error E64 — incorrectly flashed the drive (the key is not correct)
    • Error E65 is similar to E64 — the drive was flashed incorrectly or the drive is from another set-top box.
    • Error E66 — the drive does not match or the firmware is old and incompatible with this dashboard.
    • Error E67 — is displayed if the Hdd of the set-top box is not fully inserted or it is faulty.
    • Error E68 — Insufficient power for Xbox 360 to function properly, unplug any extra devices if any.
    • Error E69 — similar to error E67, a problem with the HDD installed on the Xbox.
    • Error E71 — This problem is related to the dashboard you need (clear xbox 360 cache).
    • Error E72 — the problem is caused by Nand media (you need to reload Nand)
    • Error E73 — requires replacement of the chip that is responsible for the Ethernet port.
    • Error E74 — caused by a GPU failure and the video chip needs to be reballed or replaced.
    • Error E76 — most likely one of the microcircuits responsible for the operation of the Ethernet port came out, or it was simply removed and not installed.
    • Error E79 — a problem with the hdd hard drive, try replacing it or simply turning it off for a while.
    • Error E80 is a rare error, but if you have it, then you can restore it only in the service center.

    Determine the error code as follows

    • As soon as you turn on the console, the red lights will turn on
    • Press and hold the joystick sync button, and start pressing the tray button, you will change red indicators.
    • As soon as the red indicator changes, this will be the error code number.

    This is how we determine the error code photo

    Determination of error numbers

    • Four red lights are on — the number 0
    • When 1 fire is on, it is the number 1
    • When 2-3 is lit, it is the number 2 or 2
    • Well, when 4 is the number 4

    Error numbers themselves and description

    • Error number 0001 — Power supply problem
    • Error number 0002 — Faulty operation with network and interface
    • Error number 0010 — Associated with the operation of the video chip or processor
    • Error number 0011 — The problem with the processor is most likely overheating and needs to be replaced
    • Error number 0012 — Problem with GPU video processor chip overheated
    • Error number 0013 — Power supply failed due to overheating
    • Error number 0020 — Problem with the drive and its firmware or no GPU contact (might need a reball)
    • Error number 0021 — No CPU pin required Reball
    • Error number 0022 — No CPU contact required Reball
    • Error number 0023 — Very rare, almost non-existent, since there is no description of it either
    • Error Number 0030 — This issue is related to the Xbox Cooling Temperature Sensor
    • Error 0032-0033-0100-0101-0200-1011-1012-1013-1020-1021-1032-1033 — almost never occurs, description is also missing
    • Error number 0102 — Non-contact Gpu requires Reball but if there is a guarantee, then you can return
    • Error 0103 — No GPU / CPU contact analogue of error 0102
    • Error 0110 — Ram memory replacement or restoration required
    • Error 0203 — Video chip 9 reball required0038
    • Error number 1000 — NAND is damaged and needs to be repaired
    • Error 1001 — Incorrectly flashed drive Dvd. key incorrect
    • Error 1002 — analogue of error 1001
    • Error 1003 — A problem with the hard drive, try turning it off and starting the set-top box without it
    • Error 1010 — By definition identical to error E68
    • Error 1022 — Almost like error 1002
    • Error 1023 — Console drive disconnected, plug it in
    • Error 1030 — Incorrect operation of Ethernet port
    • Error 1031 — Related to the power supply of the RAM memory block
    • Error 1100 — Nand is incorrect or from the wrong console sewn up

    What if you installed the wrong update and are trying to clean it up? then many of the descriptions given on cleaning it simply do not work.

    Contact our service center, we will fix the Dashboard update error for a small fee

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