Project: The Quest for a Silent XBox 360 Console

[PS3 News]

Today L!M!T (father to xISO xFER on the XBox 1) let us know of a new 'silent XBox 360' (non-Jasper) project involving the XBox 360 Lian Li case PC-XB01 and Noctua heatsinks and fans.

The modder is 3DBlaster (Jan Ström) who also has experience with the hFX cases (Classic, Mini, Micro fanless).

From their project page http://www.silentxbox.com/xbox_eng.php (linked above):

I have had my Xbox 360 since launchday and during all these years, shutting it off has always put a smile on my face! No, not because of the games, but because the noise from it stops as well.

I got myself a spanking new Elite, with the same noisy problem. There are thousands of forumthreads depicting the hunt for "Jasper" with the hope that it will be quieter and better.

The same amount of threads dealing with "RRoD" and how to solve it. Ever since I saw Lian Li showcasing their PC-XB01 case, it has been a dream for me to get my hands on one and see what could be done with it in order to get a real silent Xbox 360.

Lian Li has put together a great http://www.lian-li.com/v2/tw/product/upload/manual/XB-01-E.pdf of how to rip the Xbox 360 apart.

I followed it manicly and the only thing you need to keep in mind is that you have all the different Torx-bits (or screwdrivers) needed before you start.

I wanted to achieve more than just some "simple" fixes or workarounds. I am a fan (no pun intended) of Noctua and their product lineups (fans and heatsinks) so the goal was to see if it could be done.

I have been gaming along for a couple of hours without any noticeable problems, additionally it seems that the Xbox doesn't need to change the RPM of the fans, not even when putting some load on the CPU, which I think means that the CPU/GPU temperatures are low.

I don't have an RPM-meter, but I estimate that the fans are running at 1100-1200 RPM and with 2 fans we'll probably be speaking of a 'noise' of approximately 13-15dB during gaming.

Using another set of words - I can't tell if the Xbox is on or not, when my laptop is buzzing away in the same room.

And now I can finally use it as a media extender without being bothered by the noise!

WARNING: This will void your Xbox 360's warranty!

Or as Lian Li puts it in their disclaimer for their PC-XB01 case: Use the XB01 at your own risk, the Xbox360 warranty is voided once you break the seals to open up the case. PC-XB01's warranty will only cover the XB01 chassis itself, and will not include the Xbox 360 or any of its associated components.

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