How to spot a Falcon 65nm 360 in the wild
by Richard Mitchell 
{ Feb 5th 2008 at 4:45PM }
If you're in the market for a new Xbox 360, you'll want to make sure you know how to spot the new Falcon model of Microsoft's wonder machine. Why? Because the Falcon model Xbox 360s have both the cooler (temperature) 65 nanometer chips as well as the extra heat sinks that were shoehorned into refurbished replacement consoles. In other words, a Falcon Xbox 360 is the most likely to remain RROD-free. The ever diligent fanboys over at Xbox.com have a few several methods for finding out if your console is a Falcon and even how to find out in store without taking a console out of the box. Find out how after the break.If you're looking for a new 360, you'll want to check the label on the side of the box. The power information should read 175w. Older consoles ran at 203w, so 175w assures you a 65nm chip and a Falcon motherboard. Other information to look for on the label is which team manufactured the console, the console's lot number, and manufacture date. Look for the following info:
- Team FDOU
- Manufactured on or after 8/24/07
- Lot number 0734 (on the Halo 3 SKU) or higher (on any SKU)
If you've already picked up an Xbox 360, you can look for the same information on your power supply (the brick), which should also read 175w.
Keep in mind that the methods above aren't the only ways to check to see if your console is a Falcon. There are also other checks you can perform with a flashlight and a sharp eye. You can find them by hitting the "Read" link. Checking the wattage information is still the easiest thing to consider. Right now it's the best way to guarantee yourself a more reliable console, especially if you haven't bought one yet. If you can confirm 175w on a console with a different team, earlier manufacture date, or lower lot number, let us know in the comments.
Update: Clarified some information regarding other methods of checking consoles for Falcon components.
[Thanks, James Taylor]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
nerrrrrrd @ Feb 5th 2008 4:56PM
I can confirm that there are 360s out there that their box says 203w on the label but the power brick says 175 watts and have the falcon chip & extra heat sink.
I recently purchased a 360 with the Manf date of dec 26 2007. i can't remember the lot # off the top of my head and the team started with a "C". sorry i dont have more info at the moment.
check www.360drives.com other people report the same situation recently.
hope this helps.
Loban @ Feb 5th 2008 5:12PM
I would go more by the power brick label than the label on the console itself. The console label could just be outdated.
Tyronis @ Feb 5th 2008 5:46PM
I can second this observation, while searching for an Arcade box to replace my FUBAR'd Premium, every box I came across had the 203w on the box itself. The team on my box was CSON, and date was December something. Lot was 747 or so.
So anyone looking for a Falcon, I think its becoming more of a crap shoot.
Tragedies @ Feb 8th 2008 11:26PM
Just bought a Elite tonight.....and
Box says Team: CSON LOT NO: 0748 , 203W
Console says Manufacturer Date: 12/02/07
Power Brick says. 175W
Any idea if its a Falcon?
George Arauz @ Feb 5th 2008 4:59PM
Figures... oh well. i love my Elite still
Rob2251 @ Feb 5th 2008 5:10PM
w00t i have the falcon chip :D
Mike @ Feb 5th 2008 5:37PM
I have an inside contact at the service center in Texas and he told me Xbox doesn't have enough cases for their systems. So when you send your system in to be repaired and notice the information tag on the back is not the one you sent in it means they might have given you a new system in a refurbished case. So if people start giving info on Falcons with old S/Ns then this method for finding the new chips isn't going to work. It will have to be with the power supply or by visually inspecting. I just received a new 65nm chip in a case that came out a year ago right when the Elites were first being sold.
MRCUR @ Feb 5th 2008 6:17PM
I would love to see some pics of your 65nm replacement console.
Grant @ Feb 5th 2008 7:07PM
did it come with a new power supply? i can't imagine the old power supply would be simply interchangeable, even though its possible.
MRCUR @ Feb 6th 2008 9:42AM
The 175W PSU will NOT power older consoles. Although the 203W PSU will power all consoles.
Dave @ Feb 5th 2008 5:53PM
i've got a UK Elite with the 175w and team FDOU info on the box and power brick and it was 2007-10-06 : MFR Date.
Hotaru99 @ Feb 5th 2008 6:12PM
Well I have an odd box apparently, because my power brick says 203, but I did the flashlight test and it has the bigger heatsink and the two flat laying induction coils. So this might be a definitive way to check, but its not the only way.
MRCUR @ Feb 5th 2008 6:17PM
When the Falcon consoles first started being shipped, they came with 203W PSUs. So your Falcon isn't odd, just is one of the original ones.
Hotaru99 @ Feb 5th 2008 6:23PM
Ah, ok. I know it sure helped, not just with the heat but with gameplay.. Oblivion used to crash on me almost every time I went into a gate, and I noticed the top getting hot to the touch on my old one before it gave me my first system error, but this one Ive played oblivion for hours, turned it off and its not even warm on top.
MRCUR @ Feb 5th 2008 6:16PM
Haha, well I guess I'm a diligent 360 Fanboy now. If anyone has questions for me about my guide, you can either post in the thread or send me a message over LIVE.
lharmon @ Feb 6th 2008 10:05AM
MRCUR!!!! I didn't know you were in on the X3F also! Thanks for getting me through some rough times with your extensive knowledge. :)
Diamondxp @ Feb 5th 2008 6:53PM
My Box Said 203 but when I got my arcase home the brick said 175. Falcon has landed. Look for manufacture dates after November 1 2007. Good Luck GodSpeed.
Rawwrck
schatten529 @ Feb 5th 2008 7:05PM
I...sadly, was quite involved in the official xbox forum discussion on Falcons back when they first were discovered in the wild. The team FDOU with a lot date of 734 or later being a Falcon is extremely misleading.
Using data reported from visual tests, it was discovered that suspected non-Falcon units (failing the visual test) were still showing up in later lot #s. After all, M$ isn't going to scrap all the older mobos just because a new one is being produced.
In December, it was widely accepted that looking at the wattage on the label outside the box was about as good of an indicator as one could find.
Then there is the whole debate whether a 65nm CPU fixes the RROD problem at all since it's the GPU that is the real culprit. Enter Jasper mobos sometime in the next year (reduced nm GPUs).
IMO, all later units should be just as reliable and where you keep your 360 is the most important...specifically NOT inside an enclosed area.
Jayslacks @ Feb 5th 2008 7:26PM
Mine says 203watts on the brick. Shit. Is that good or bad?
schatten529 @ Feb 5th 2008 7:58PM
Not either necessarily. Click the "Read" link above to look at MRCUR's guide. You could very well have a Falcon depending on which team made it and when it was made (lot #).
A 203w PS would power either mobo revision whereas a 175w would only power the Falcon (65nm needs less power).
Zeus the God @ Feb 5th 2008 7:38PM
hmmm so you all are gonna get a new 360. looks like 360 sales will be booming if every person with an original console gets a new 360(65mm). + or - for MS idk.
refinedsugar @ Feb 5th 2008 8:53PM
I'm all for people - new 360 owners or existing ones - trying to avoid the dreaded hardware failures, but the Falcon isn't the end all to be all for stress free gaming. They are bound to be less problematic then the first iterations of the system, but they have problems too. Just read around.
Charles @ Feb 5th 2008 9:11PM
The powerbrick wattage is printed on the sku sticker on the outside of the packaging, so you need not buy it and take it home to know definitively that you have a Falcon. Some 205w may be Falcons, but all 175w are Falcons. So, without rolling the dice you'll want to look for the 175w sticker. That's the best way to know without pulling out the credit card. When I got mine (November), they were much more difficult to find. I'd imagine after the holidays it's much easier.
Xfactor @ Feb 5th 2008 9:34PM
TEAM CSON is notorious for stickers on the box that still show 203 watt power supply. Inside the box you will find a 175 watt Power Supply on all Lot #'s 741 and newer.
monkeymonkeymonkey @ Feb 5th 2008 9:40PM
Im real curious if anyone with a Falcon chip has gotten a RRoD.
AJ @ Feb 5th 2008 11:21PM
You'd be foolish to think they would not. Every electronic device ever made has a failure rate right out of the box. Wii's run very cool, but I know of 2 people who had them fail within weeks of purchase.
The best we can hope for is to get the darn failure rate down below 10%. That is still a ridiculously high failure rate as consumer electronics go, but a heck of a site better than to 30-50% rate of the initial 360's.
So yes, Falcons will fail. Hopefully at a lower rate, but that has yet to be seen. And those that they fail on will post on every forum and blog that the Falcons are no better than the others. They already have over on Xbox.com. But only time will tell the truth.
Wildcat1080 @ Feb 5th 2008 10:01PM
glad to see i could be of some help :D
David @ Feb 5th 2008 10:21PM
I also have the two conductors to indicate I have a falcon..yeah for me, but when I bought my new console I kept my original 203 watt power supply and have had no issues my console was made 8/11/07..does anyone have one that is older? My premium/pro came with an hdmi port also.
Deck @ Feb 6th 2008 2:45AM
I'd have to say that this doesn't really work.
Mine:
Lot #: 0735
Watt: 203 :-/
So I don't think going by the lot # will work. And I got this particular one back in early November.
Ebola @ Feb 6th 2008 4:10AM
LOL @ In other words, a Falcon Xbox 360 is the most likely to remain RROD-free.
I'll believe it when I hear more evidence. I'm waiting for my Elite (2nd xbox) to die.
schatten529 @ Feb 6th 2008 1:51PM
That's what many people like to think, I'm with you...it won't make much difference. The major problems contributing to RROD were fixed prior to the Falcon revision.
M$ making more profit on each unit using a smaller die size and fewer electrical components is the reason for the change of mobo.
ZeroCorpse @ Feb 6th 2008 4:30AM
This is ridiculous.
It's not going to work ANY differently than any other XBox 360 if it's got a Falcon in it. It's not like the Falcon makes it faster, or quieter. It just makes it SLIGHTLY less likely that it will overheat on a marathon session.
I had a launch console that NEVER overheated, and NEVER gave me a RROD. I sold that, and the guy who has it is still going strong. I since picked up a new one (to get a quieter DVD drive) and I've had no problems with that, either. I have no idea whether or not it's a Falcon, and I really don't care.
All I care about is if it plays games, movies, music, and does all the things its supposed to do.
Guess what? It does.
This whole thing with people being obsessive-compulsive and searching high and low for a special model is just silly. In the end, you're playing the same games as people with an older console, and it's just as loud, just as powerful, and just as warranted as what they have.
Just play your games and enjoy them.
Boff @ Feb 6th 2008 4:54AM
Ooo somebody's jealous! ;o)
Patrick @ Feb 6th 2008 8:11AM
I would say that my Falcon was WAY quieter than my previous Xbox 360 system(s).
It was also marked as 203w on the outside and on the brick, but I did the flashlight test and saw two flat laying inductors, so I did get a Falcon. CSON team and Mfred in late November if I remember right.
schatten529 @ Feb 6th 2008 1:47PM
It all depends on which DVD drive you have. I have a Hitachi and personally think it is really loud (but have not been able to compare). Fortunately it's 15 feet away from where I sit and I hardly notice it when playing games at a normal volume level.
People who have had both (of the drives in newer units) or heard both claim the BenQ drive being more quiet than the Hitachi. You can go to 360drives.com if you want to know what you have.
ZeroCorpse @ Feb 11th 2008 3:05AM
Actually, I have nothing to be jealous of... It turns out I have a Falcon. For the record, it's an Arcade unit (with my old hard drive attached) and as I said previously: There's no damn difference. I might consume a little less power, but the DVD drive and fans are still just as loud, and the games behave just the same as they always have.
There is ONE functional difference I can detect: When I press the POWER button while the disc tray is out, the power shuts down (lights go off) and then, about three seconds later, the tray slides in. On the older models, the tray slid in first, and then the unit would power down.
Oh, and one major physical difference: The AC connector into the console is all plastic now. There's no metal shielding on the outer portion of the plug. It's actually cheaper-looking than the old power supply.
And yes, the majority of the noise from the system has to do with the DVD drive they use. I've had the BenQ drive twice now (it's MUCH quieter) and the Hitachi once (LOUD AS HELL). So anybody saying "The Falcon is quieter" is misunderstanding what makes the system make so much noise; It's your DVD drive, not your CPU or GPU.
No differences here to report. Really, don't "upgrade" if your XBox 360 is working fine. There's NO REASON to get caught up in the hype. You'll notice *nothing* significant about the new systems, and you have the same warranty: three years.
Nick @ Feb 6th 2008 2:26PM
I'm intrigued by this - I have a Canadian console, and on MY power brick, it says "175w Max" - which I'm assuming is a GOOD sign, however it's different than what's posted... so I dunno.
Anyone have any luck with figuring this out in good old Canuckville?
Jim Todd @ Feb 8th 2008 9:43AM
What sort of throws me is the assumption that the Falcons are ANY better. Different? Absolutely. Better? No idea. Have we heard of fewer RROD with the Falcons - sure, but a lot of this likely is just because they haven't been in the 'wild' for very long. What really gets me about all this is that MS built a HORRIBLE product in terms of reliability, and people are going on epic quests to find a POSSIBLY reliable model and give MS more of their cash...it's one of the few times I've ever seen a corporation get rewarded for making a poor product by getting repeat sales.
Miles @ Feb 8th 2008 3:47PM
Now im really confused...my brick is 203....but the box says fdou and still 203...whats that mean
GrimReaper @ Feb 8th 2008 4:29PM
I have an xbox 360 unit arcade and it has the 203w PSU but it has the falcon chipset because i was able to look inside and see said extra heat sink and the diff grill design for the heatsink sitting over the cpu, so dont believe that just because it may not have the 175w psu that it doesnt have falcon cause im telling for fact mine does and not to mention my lot number was higher than 134, so.
Dutchbagg69 @ Feb 24th 2008 11:26AM
yea it says 203w on the box but the power brick says 175w. its also made by cson. lot nr. is 0747
Hollatme @ Mar 14th 2008 2:33PM
I just Purchased an Xbox and the Man Date was 12-13-07 on the Box it still had the old information 203w. On the Power supply does say 175 W. Lot # is like 748 i cant really see inside it but im assuimg its the Falcon and has the new stuff
sammyboy @ Mar 19th 2008 2:16PM
Just bought my xbox360 the store said its falcon, I decided to check nonetheless: The power brick says its 175W. The box sticker said: 203 W, Team CSON, Mfg date is Jan 22, 2008. Tried to use the alternative checking method but was not able to. Is that enough to determine whether its falcon or not?
I saw pic samples, of the box sticker and power brick sticker. mIne doesn't match, which one should be the basis
sammyboy @ Mar 19th 2008 2:20PM
I got RROD after playing for 1.5 hours just after i bought my xbox360. I turned it off, rested the unit for 5 minutes or so, and i was able to play again. then rrod again. It seems my AVR was not able to handle the power req of xbox360. I'll buy a 350w-500 w "transformer", only then can i check if i can play it again
sammyboy @ Mar 19th 2008 2:20PM
i forgot to add that the lot number is 0803.
again: mfg date: Jan 22, 2008. Team: CSON, power brick sticker: 175 W. box sticker: 203W..
peter @ May 1st 2008 12:02PM
My 360 has
Team:FDOU
LOT NUMBER: 0737
but it has 203W is it a falcon? -crosses fingers-
peter @ May 1st 2008 1:18PM
Plz answer guys, i really want to know! :O
AnDrew @ May 3rd 2008 1:31PM
Hey, I have an Xbox 360 and I got it on December 2007. The team is "FDOU" And the wattage is 203w. Do I have a falcon? I don't think I do but I'm not sure.
And if I don't have a Falcon is that a bad thing or a good thing? The lot number is 0737, if someone would reply to my comment I'd really appreciate that. my Xbox 360 is weird lol.
Robbie @ May 8th 2008 6:47PM
hey, i just bought a Xbox 360 Pro today at GameStop, and the Lot Number reads "0810" and "Team CSON" so, do you think that i have the new Falcon board? gee, i really hope so, with all of the problems that i have heard about, you know with the overheating and the red rings of death thing. oh, and a funny thing is that the wattage is not listed on the label. so, what do you think?