The New Xbox 360 E Scores an 8 Out of 10 for Repairability

Much of the 360 Slim remains in the E, minus the A/V port.

Microsoft announced a new design for the 360 this week dubbed the Xbox 360 E. With the pricing for the for system mimicking the Xbox 360 Slim, the purpose of the new system likely stands to benefit Microsoft more than consumer.

iFixit has torn the new system down and found a number of modular parts, which were integral in giving the system a 8 out of 10 for repairability. In fact many of the parts, like the system fans and disc drive are identical to the ones found in 360 Slim.

One distinction for the new system does not require a teardown. The new version drops the old A/V port that launched with system, instead the system now has a built-in optical port. This means that outside of HDMI and optical, this 360 has none of the legacy 360 display and audio capabilities. Also apparent on the back is the subtraction of one USB port. Leaving the new version with a total of four.

The 360 E uses the same Microsoft-sold hard drive, and the one in iFixit's teardown was even labeled as an Xbox 360 S hard drive.

The new model sheds some connectivity as well as some bulk but remains at the same price as the Xbox 360 S, and even maintains the 360 S's cooling design. Prospective buyers will have to decide if the legacy connections and chrome bezel of the 360 S are worth getting while supplies last. The Xbox 360 S is still available from Amazon.

Source: iFixit

Author: Brian Hoss

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