Finally got my replacement Elite from Blockies...

[ZebraheadDude]

... and I have some information that will tickle you all. My last Elite was incredibly loud, both the fans were loud, and the drive was horrendous in games. It had Nidec fans and a BenQ drive, ultimately I had to take it back as it overheated a couple of times (2 red lights, screen tearing). I now have my replacement, and it once again has Nidec fans, and a BenQ drive, but it is so much more quiet; the fans are equivalent to PS3 eg. you can no longer hear them watching movies or on the dash, and the drive is much quieter, unhearable or DVD's, and only moderately loud on games. Also another worthy point is that the air being released is definitely cooler than any 360 i've used to date.

I'm afraid this blows the whole "certain makes of fans/drives are quiter" theory out the window, as both my Elites had the same innards, but this new one is by far quieter.

ZHD

 

[Jonstone]

Possibly your first machine just didn't have the heatsink properly sited on the processor or similar causing the fans to go full blast trying to keep the cpu cool as the heat wasn't being dissapated properly by the heatsink.

It would also explain the overheating and tearing etc.

Its QC issues like this in the manufacture of the machine that are probably more likely to be responsible in variances between machines than the equipment used

 

[t1m103]

see microsoft are up to there usual quality standards.you would of thought by now they could get something right.

 

[hatton920]

Also another worthy point is that the air being released is definitely cooler than any 360 i've used to date.

Sorry but this is not a good thing. If the cooling system is working as it should, it would be blowing hot air out not cold. This means your xbox must be holding the hot air in which is bad.

 

[ZebraheadDude]

Sorry but this is not a good thing. If the cooling system is working as it should, it would be blowing hot air out not cold. This means your xbox must be holding the hot air in which is bad.

I never said it was "cold", just cooler. If the hot air was being kept inside, the unit itself would be hot, and this isn't the case. My XBox 360 is just more efficient.