[rabbitc]

65 Nm GPUs For Xbox 360 In Production, Xbox '540' Coming In 2009

Xbox 360's featuring the new 'Jasper' configuration are expected to roll of the assemblyline sometime next month.

The Jasper motherboard will replace the existing Falcon motherboard which appears to have put a signifigant dent in the dreaded RROD curse almost a year on from it's debut in 2007. (Some have claimed as low as 4% although this is not officially confirmed as yet)

The Jasper configuration will feature the smaller 65nm CPU (processor) currently found on the Falcon - but will now replace the aging 90nm Graphics Processor with a 65nm variant similiar to the Falcon CPU. It's anticipated that Jasper will run even cooler than Falcons and experience a similiar (if not better) failure rate. While details identifying Jasper motherboards in shops are not available yet - it's logical to assume that the new variant will feature a power output less than the existing 175w required by Falcons or the 203w required by the RROD-prone Zephyrs.

...and Jasper's replacement is already in the works. Sometime in 2009, Microsoft is planning to introduce an even smaller chipset for the gpu and cpu in the 45nm range. It's rumoured that this new configuration will feature in a new slimline version of the X360 already being dubbed the 'Xbox 540.' Not yet nicknamed, the slimline Xbox 360 is expected to be the last architecture variant of the 360's console lifecycle which will serve until the 360 is finally retired in favour of a newer generation.