Want a new heat sinked 360? Look at the serial [update 1]

by Dustin Burg { Aug 6th 2007 at 1:45PM }

Recently, Ben Heck posted a tutorial on how to find out if your Xbox 360 has the new heat sink without voiding the warranty. And if you aren't familiar, the new Microsoft installed heat sinks help with overheating issues and are being installed in all repaired or newly manufactured 360s. So, they are very desirable. Anyway, his tutorial pretty much tells you to take a picture of your 360's innards via the vents on the bottom and look to see if the new heat sink is present. But we think we found an even easier (camera free) way to tell if your Xbox 360 has a new heat sink installed. Look at the serial number.

Update 1: According to your reports, it sounds like our 70000 serial number theory doesn't hold up. Stupid serial numbers and heat sink stuff.

Ben Heck just updated his tutorial page with an image of an Xbox 360 Elite's serial number label that HAS the new heat sink installed. If you notice, the last five digits of the serial are in the 70,000, more specifically 71105. After doing some research we found another fanboy with an Elite that has the new heat sink and the last five digits of its serial number are in the 70,000 too. Coincidence? Possibly, but we do know that 360s without the new heat sink are numbered a lot lower. My personal Xbox 360 does not have the new heat sink and its last five serial digits are in the 60,000s. Our own David Dreger confirmed that his launch console is rocking a 50,000 serial and obviously doesn't have the new hardware installed. Again, this is all speculation until we get a few more confirmed cases, but it just might be possible that Xbox 360 serial numbers could tell whether or not the console has the new heat sink.

If you're willing to help in our little investigative project, complete Ben Heck's "DIY Xbox 360 Endoscopy", find out if it has the new heat sink, write down your 360's serial and share the information with us. It just might be possible that if the last five serial number digits are in the 70,000s, then the console will have a new heat sink setup. We'll keep you updated.

Tags: heatsink, rumor, serialnumber, xbox360

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Tony @ Aug 6th 2007 2:04PM

What about older elites? Are they also in the 70000s? I'm under the impression they don't all have the heatsink.

It seems like there's some chance that those numbers represent core, premium and elite to me... That's just a guess obviously.

Luftwaffles08 @ Aug 6th 2007 2:13PM

My Elite, which I purchased from Best Buy right around July 1, has a serial number in the 70,000s and does not have a heat sink. No matter how many pictures I take praying it will reappear, I can see straight through to the DVD drive every time. It was manufactured March 19th 2007.

Victor @ Aug 6th 2007 2:14PM

I just checked my Elite that I purchased at launch, and the last 5 digits of my Serial number are 71205 and I can confirm that I do NOT have the new heatsink. I tried doing the camera trick but it comes out to dark, I then used a flashlight and could see straight to the DVD drive.

Messs17 @ Aug 6th 2007 2:20PM

I have an Xbox 360 Elite, with serial ending in 71105, and no new heatsink :( I got it April 29th, and it was manufactured March 14th.

SeNiLe911 @ Aug 6th 2007 2:24PM

Elite 71107 no heatsink.

LJKelley @ Aug 6th 2007 2:24PM

My new 360 is being shipped back to me since my old one failed (all games would freeze, however would still play HD DVDs etc).

Microsofts email includes the new serial number as ending in: 73***. I'll check when I get it, but it seems to be new unit and not refurbished from the ending units?

Project Ekim @ Aug 6th 2007 2:24PM

Theroy busted

NeoteriX @ Aug 6th 2007 2:30PM

MS needs to get its butt in gear and just release the 65nm version already.

NormalGuy @ Aug 6th 2007 2:48PM

65 nms are in the process of being released. if the box was made in july or later of this year, it's a 65nm.

komrad @ Aug 6th 2007 2:51PM

@ number 8. it's this kind of impatience that got them there in the first place. this is assuming they're using their time wisely.

drdre74 @ Aug 7th 2007 10:05AM

I'll have to look on mine since they just sent me a new one this weekend. I didnt check the new serial number when i got it back.

dan @ Aug 6th 2007 2:54PM

My last 5 digits is in the 60,000 and it DOES have the heatsink..its a refurb too.

River Runs Red @ Aug 6th 2007 2:55PM

I just got a refurb back from repairs and the serila number is in the 64,000. I DO have the new heatsink. Think your theory is bunk.

sirbill69 @ Aug 6th 2007 7:59PM

I have an elite with the new heat sink manufactured 6/12 and the serial # 72***. I also am expecting a new 360 from ups anytime now because they couldn't repair my premium.

FiredCylinder @ Aug 6th 2007 3:17PM

#11 and #12: Pay attention. They said all refurbs will have the heatsink regardless of the serial.

Loban @ Aug 6th 2007 3:27PM

NormalGuy: "65 nms are in the process of being released. if the box was made in july or later of this year, it's a 65nm."

NormalGuy, where did you get this information? Cause I'm pretty sure you're dead wrong. The 65nm 360s are not due out until this fall. The only thing we don't know is how Microsoft is going to label a 360 as having a 65nm core or not. Will it be a completely new SKU, or just an upgrade to the current units, and how will we will know when buying a new 360 if it has the upgrade or not?

Matt @ Aug 6th 2007 3:44PM

um i don't know about that Loban, the 65nm chips have been in production for the last two quarters according to the manufactorer, whos name slipped my mind. While i don't know where he got this july thing from i do know that they said for a fact that we should see them shortly... how we'll know if they're 65 nm or not i don't know. Its possible they'll look exactly the same... depends on how they're made. i don't think they'll be changing the design of the xbox just cause of the 65nm either.. at least not externally. Internally i suspect all will be the same except the new chips.

Loban @ Aug 6th 2007 3:51PM

Matt, I agree with you in that they won't look any different and there probably won't be any indication that you're getting a 65nm one, but I'm pretty sure they're not on the market yet. Everything I've been reading says this fall. If they were in the wild, all the 360 sites across the interwebs would be lit up with articles concerning them and someone would've posted pics of a dissected one by now.

Anyway, when they do hit the market, I want one BAD!! So i'm keeping a sharp eye out for any news on them.

Jack D @ Aug 6th 2007 4:49PM

@16
Loban, search xbox forums for userid mrcur. According to the inside source, assembly lines did switch to 65nm in July and 07 theory is supposed to be SN ending in 72400 or better(24th week of 07). And 65's are coming back with HS built in. Hope this helps.

Andy @ Aug 6th 2007 5:02PM

I have a elite that ends in 70,000 and last week it got the three red lights of death so im having to send it in. It freezes to more than i get to see red lights. that new heat sink is not doing anything.

malren @ Aug 6th 2007 5:50PM

OK, can I assume that this:

http://bayimg.com/pAFGPaABf

Coupled with the fact that I have a mid-60's serial means that my box will definitely red ring one fine day? This is supposed to be a repaired one too, dadgummit.

LumpStatus @ Aug 6th 2007 7:10PM

You can tell its a new 360 by looking at the MFGR date. If it was manufactured in July of 2007 or LATER it WILL have the heat sink. I can assure you.

ttman21 @ Aug 6th 2007 10:21PM

Build date 4/10/06, serial number ending in 61***, did endoscopy, no heat sink. This is my 2nd 360, my launch died the red-ring death. This one was received in early October, 2006.

The Grim SIeeper @ Aug 6th 2007 10:46PM

Just checked my elite with a manufacture date of 6-20-07 and it DOES have the new heatsink. Serial number is in the 72000 range. Yea! New heatsink! Boo! Don't know if I have the 65nm chip.

mccomber @ Aug 6th 2007 8:48PM

I couldn't get my camera to take a picture that was clear, but holding it up under some good lights, I could definitely see the new heat sink.
Elite, purchased July 7. Serial ends with 71207, MFR date is 2007-03-19.

Mr.Luben @ Aug 6th 2007 9:05PM

I just got my Elite at Sam's Club yesterday and it is 721200 (Or something really really close to that) and it DOSE have the new heat sink...

LUCKY ME!!!

zebwinz @ Aug 6th 2007 9:46PM

Consoles manufactured after mid-July will come with both 65nm and GPU Heatsinks, according to this long and detailed thread -
http://forums.xbox.com/13882627/ShowPost.aspx

I sent my launch console in about 3 weeks ago and they sent me a brand new premium, manufactured July 26, 2007. Serial ends in 73005 and it seems to work great. This is pretty good news for Richard, who should be receiving a brand new console as well. Maybe he has the guts to open it up and see if it had the new chipset?

andyinirvine @ Aug 7th 2007 2:28AM

So my second 360 started freezing on me. No red lights, just freezing. So I get on the phone with Microsoft 360 support's "blaze" that's the guys name. And he tells me to restart the 360 without the harddrive in there. So I'm like, well alright, I'll try it, but it's gonna freeze on me. So I do it, and instead of starting it gives me the red lights. So I tell him it's 3 red lights now, and he's like "AHHHhaa! that just saved you some time" and that "bill had spent 2billion on making sure people who see 3 red lights are taken care of..." and most importantly, they get a "NEW XBOX WITH A SPECIAL CHANGE SO YOU WILL NEVER GET 3 RED LIGHTS EVER AGAIN".

So I guess you gotta say the magic word or something to get one. He said it'll take 3 to 4 weeks to get my 360, which is different than the 1 week turnaround that I had for the first crapper.

Anyway, watch, I'll probably get a crappy old refurb.

haha.
-andy

Michael Paul @ Aug 8th 2007 6:38AM

The manufacture date on the refurbished 360 sent back from the repair shop is almost exactly one year older than the date on the example picture. I am, of course, overjoyed...

holocaust @ Aug 8th 2007 5:13AM

Since we are writin about xbox suport, how much time do they take to send back the repaired 360 in average?
I live in Azores (Portugal)so it will certainly take months..... :(
As far as i know, every 360 that freezes, will come up with the 3 red ligths, sonner or later, it`s just a matter of reseting the console a certain nº of times when it freezes and then........Craaaaap

fiasco8 @ Aug 7th 2007 6:44PM

XBOX360 Serial Number = LNNNNNNYWWFF

L = Production line in the factory
NNNNNN = Xbox in the week
Y = Year (last digit)
WW = week of the year *
FF = Factory # (05 & 06 are China, 05 appears to supply Europe and 06 supplies North America)

Mine is 73105(YWWFF). Just recieved it today. Manufacture date: 2007-07-29.

From China to Waco TX in 9 days! Has heatsink. If posters at xbox-scene are to be believed it has the 65nm too.

This was a RRoD replacement BTW.

drdre74 @ Aug 7th 2007 6:57PM

Microsoft are some bastards. they sent me back a standard CPU heat sink. I just got it back this week so it seems like they would have put in the new one. So now i have to look forward to sending it back again in a few weeks. How are these bastards suppose to be fixing the xboxs when all they are doing is putting back out the bad 360's?

brian @ Aug 28th 2007 1:02PM

just a comment on #17 I opened my xbox when it only had a 3 month warranty and it broke 4 months after purchase when they upped the warr to 3yrs I took a shot and sent it in on aug 6th 2007. I got a email with a confirmation it was on its way back on friday and its serial number is new so I guess they fixed it. My number if #17's theory is right was made 32nd week of 07 which puts it at 2 weeks old ill post to see if its new and if they even fixed lol. It sat broke for over a year so if they dont fix it im porbably going sony.

brian @ Aug 30th 2007 8:19AM

ok I got my xbox 360 back last night still doubting that they would fix it anyway because of the broken seal but to my suprise I got a BRAND NEW CORE UNIT in the factory wrap and a 1 month gift subscription to xbox live. The date of mfg on the new unit is august 7th 2007 it is way quieter and I am freaking amazed they fixed it much less send me a new one. My old xbox was mfg in sept 2005 lol I kinda feel like I screwed them now. All I can say to all you peeps with broken seals is send them in and dont say shit!

Travis @ Sep 23rd 2007 6:10AM

I bought my Elite a week ago and no problems yet I say YET lol. I also have two big fans blowing on it at all times as I play and I make sure NOW that I never play longer than 3 straight hours as I use to play maybe 8 in the past but all I ever got was freezing. I looked in the side of the vents and I see something blocking me from seeing the Dvd drive like another metal box beside the one to the right of it with a gold pipe. Does that mean I have the extra heatsink?? It was made June 28th 2007. Its digits is in the 77's on the serial # It blows always luke warm air out the back never real hot from older versions.

Daniel Beverly @ Sep 24th 2007 10:52PM

I had mine repaired for the 4th time since ive had it and the xbox site says that it has been shipped to me.the serial on it is #73707 .But they are sending it by a different means than normal. A company listed as WWAT which is in fact FedEx. Anyone know what this means.They usually send by UPS.

Beer Police @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:11AM

Hi there,
The last 5 digits of my Xbox 360 Elite's serial # is: 72xxx. It was manufactured on the 21st of June (2007) and IT DOES HAVE THE NEW HEATSINK. Took a picture as per Ben Heck's website.

Mario P. @ Oct 5th 2007 6:17PM

My elite was manufactured on 07/10/07, but I just wanted to make sure and I did the camera trick. I removed the side cover first, like that is a lot easier to see inside.

OL1V4 BR @ Nov 24th 2007 5:43PM

29. XBOX360 Serial Number = LNNNNNNYWWFF

L = Production line in the factory
NNNNNN = Xbox in the week
Y = Year (last digit)
WW = week of the year *
FF = Factory # (05 & 06 are China, 05 appears to supply Europe and 06 supplies North America)

Mine is 73105(YWWFF). Just recieved it today. Manufacture date: 2007-07-29.

From China to Waco TX in 9 days! Has heatsink. If posters at xbox-scene are to be believed it has the 65nm too.

This was a RRoD replacement BTW.

Posted at 6:44PM on Aug 7th 2007 by fiasco8

--------------------------------------------
THANK U LORD!!!
UHAEUAHEUAHEUAE
MY SERIAL NUMBER ALSO ENDS WITH 73105
I FINALLY HAVE A CHANCEEEE OF GETTING A FALCON...