Heat-related issues caused hardware problems with early Xbox 360s.
The Xbox 360 has seen many changes since its U.S. release in November 2005, including several updates to its main circuit board, or "motherboard." The Xbox 360 has had six types of motherboards as of November 2010.
Early Motherboards
The Xenon was the first Xbox 360 motherboard. It was powered by a 203-watt, 16.5-amp power supply. The next motherboard -- the Zephyr -- was basically the same as the Xenon, but it also had an HDMI connector for higher-quality video output.
Falcon
The Falcon motherboard represented a shift in the Xbox 360's motherboard design. It had a 65nm CPU, and its power consumption was 175 watts.
Opus
Opus motherboards were only used as replacements for failed Xenon motherboards. The Opus motherboard was similar to a Falcon motherboard, but it lacked an HDMI connector.
Jasper
The Jasper motherboard had a new 65nm CPU that used less power (150 watts). Jasper motherboards also had up to 512 MB of internal storage.
Vejle
The Vejle motherboard is installed in Xbox 360 Slims. This 45 nm system-on-chip uses 40 percent less power than the original Xbox 360 chipset.
Tags: Falcon motherboard, HDMI connector, less power, Xbox motherboard