We expect Microsoft to continue to fleece users with overpriced hard disk upgrades, and to rub salt into the wounds, the new design means you can see the bog-standard SATA connectors on the drive. The new caddy is small, black and angular. Frustratingly, though, Microsoft has continued its policy of using laptop hard disks in proprietary caddies. The hard disk no longer hangs off the end, having been moved into an easily accessible internal bay. One annoyance is that the new power supply has a small fan to keep it quiet and, when the 360 is idling, this actually makes more noise than the console itself. The DVD drive is also improved, by how much depends on which 360 model you compare it to, though owners of older machines will be happily rid of their tornado-esque drive. In games thereвЂ™s more fan noise, but itвЂ™s negligible compared to older models. WeвЂ™re happy to report that the new 360 itself is practically silent when idling or playing video. The redesign places a single large vent on the top of the console, below which is a big fan sitting over the main heat sink. Less power means less heat and so less noise. In testing it drew an impressively low 82W while we played Street Fighter IV. Original 90nm 360s had power supplies rated at 203W, while later 65nm models used both 175W and 150W supplies. Power savings depend on which Xbox model you currently have. WeвЂ™re a little disappointed that this hasnвЂ™t been integrated neatly into the console itself, as it always has been on the PlayStation 3. This reduces the consoleвЂ™s power consumption, resulting in a new, smaller 135W power supply. Inside, the CPU and graphics processor (along with its memory cache) have been integrated onto a single 45nm die. ItвЂ™s a great addition to the console either way, reducing cable clutter or the need for the previous modelsвЂ™ external adaptors. It supports 802.11n, so youвЂ™ll get higher transfer speeds if you have a compatible router. One change you canвЂ™t see at first glance is the new integrated WiFi. Outputs include HDMI, an optical S/PDIF and the proprietary 360 AV output (for composite, SCART and component leads). ThereвЂ™s also a dedicated port which will provide data and power to MicrosoftвЂ™s upcoming Kinect Peripheral. For starters thereвЂ™s an additional two USB ports, three in total, for adding peripherals or storage devices. On the rear there are more significant changes. Two USB ports sit under a flap on the right-hand side, as before. Both this and the eject button are now touch-sensitive controls, with accompanying bleepy noise when you push them. The design remains similar too, with the huge offset power button dominating the front. Its dimensions of 75x270x264mm make it a little smaller than the original (83x309x258mm), but itвЂ™s not a huge change. Whatever you call it, the new Xbox 360 is far shinier than the old one, with a glossy black finish, and a little smaller. There seems to be some disagreement over the new consoleвЂ™s name, with Microsoft and many retailers calling it the Xbox 360 250GB, while the hardware itself and some other retailers refer to it as the Xbox 360 S. Still, this is the first major redesign, akin to SonyвЂ™s launch of the PlayStation 3 Slim last year. There have been minor updates to the original design, including cooler tweaks to try and improve reliability, the addition of an HDMI port (absent from the original 2005 model), and onboard storage for the budget Arcade model.

ItвЂ™s been gracing our homes for almost five years now, which makes this new, smaller iteration a tad overdue, but still very welcome.

The original model may have been beset with hardware failures, but MicrosoftвЂ™s Xbox 360 is still our favourite games console of the current generation вЂ“ thanks to smooth HD graphics, an amazing range of software, a great joypad and a well-conceived online service.

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