Microsoft has upgraded new Xbox 360 consoles with a quieter DVD drive.
According to the hardware modding crowd over at Xbox-scene, the new BenQ drives (full model name is BenQ VAD6038, if you're really interested)are not only quieter but also subtly improves load times and streaming.
One blogger, XBOXIZGOOD, who already has a console with the new DVD drive commented: "I think everyone will agree that Oblivion sort of bogs down or pauses briefly in certain areas, but this new drive really helps with all that. It doesn't ELIMINATE all the issues, but it certainly makes load times quicker and smoother when moving between rooms and areas."
"When you are booting a disc, you should notice a slight decrease in the time it takes for the game to actually get up and running."
This isn't the first time Microsoft has changed the 360's DVD drive, having previously manufactured consoles with Hitachi and Toshiba-Samsung drives.
It's good to know that Microsoft is constantly tweaking the hardware. Or not so good if you already have a 360 which makes a royal racket during game loading.
February 7, 2007
