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The Xbox 360 250GB revision described by Microsoft and IBM in 2010 used a 45nm integrated processor design that brought the console’s CPU and AMD graphics logic together, alongside an embedded-DRAM die in the same 35 mm² package. The device had 372 million transistors, three 3.2 GHz PowerPC cores and 48 unified parallel shaders, according to the companies’ Hot Chips presentation as reported by EE Times on August 24, 2010.
What chip is in the Xbox 360 250GB?
It is best understood as an integrated CPU-and-GPU package, not as a new processor architecture. Microsoft and IBM combined the Xbox 360’s existing processor and graphics designs in a 45nm IBM silicon-on-insulator (SOI) implementation. The package also included an IBM embedded-DRAM die.
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“Integrated” needs a little care here: the report describes the CPU and GPU logic brought together in one optimized design and an embedded-DRAM die in the same package. It does not say that every function was fabricated as one monolithic silicon die. The reported 35 mm² figure is the package area, not a stated measurement of each die.
Specifications reported in 2010
| Specification | Reported value | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing process | 45nm IBM SOI | As presented by Microsoft and IBM at Hot Chips in 2010. |
| CPU | Three 3.2 GHz PowerPC cores | As presented by Microsoft and IBM at Hot Chips in 2010. |
| Graphics | 48 unified parallel shaders | AMD graphics portion, as presented by Microsoft and IBM at Hot Chips in 2010. |
| Transistor count | 372 million | Figure reported from the Microsoft and IBM presentation in 2010. |
| Package area | 35 mm² | Figure reported from the Microsoft and IBM presentation in 2010; this is package area. |
How did Microsoft and IBM combine the CPU and GPU?
The companies reused the existing Xbox 360 CPU and GPU logic rather than designing major new logic blocks. IBM’s work focused on adapting and integrating those blocks for a shared, optimized 45nm process. The design therefore represents substantial engineering and verification work, but not a ground-up replacement of the console’s computing architecture.
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- IBM updated the front-side bus.
- It converted the AMD graphics design from Verilog to VHDL.
- It replaced low-level phase-locked loop (PLL), input/output (I/O), physical-interface (PHY) and flip-flop blocks with IBM library devices.
- The package included IBM embedded DRAM alongside the integrated processor design.
How IBM checked the redesign
IBM used sequential equivalence checking to compare the old and new designs and verify that they produced the same functional results. The team also used pattern verification. The report says the ten-metal-layer chip required only a “couple of minor metal revisions” before mass production, according to IBM veteran server-chip engineer Bob Drehmel.
How did the 45nm design differ from the earlier Xbox 360 implementation?
The principal change was process and integration: the earlier implementation used separate CPU and GPU chips, while the 2010 design brought their logic together in an optimized 45nm implementation and included embedded DRAM in the same package. The EE Times report describes the preceding parts as 65nm chips; its comparison also identifies a prior 90nm IBM CPU alongside separate 65nm-era chips. Those descriptions refer to different parts of the earlier implementation, not a single process node for every component.
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| Comparison | Earlier implementation described in the report | Integrated design described in 2010 |
|---|---|---|
| Process | 90nm IBM CPU and separate 65nm-era chips | 45nm IBM SOI integrated design |
| CPU and GPU arrangement | Separate chips | CPU and AMD graphics logic combined in the integrated design |
| Embedded DRAM | Not stated in the report’s comparison | IBM embedded-DRAM die in the same 35 mm² package |
| Design approach | Existing CPU and GPU blocks | Existing logic adapted and verified for integration; no major new logic blocks reported |
| System-level thermal and physical changes | Baseline for Microsoft’s comparison | Microsoft said it enabled a smaller motherboard, simpler power supply, one heat sink and a quieter, relatively low-speed fan |
How much cooler and smaller was it?
Microsoft said the integrated part reduced power consumption by 60 percent and cut die size in half compared with the prior two chips. These are Microsoft’s 2010 estimates, as reported from the Hot Chips presentation; the report does not provide independent measurements or specify test conditions. The percentage figures should therefore be read as the company’s comparison, not as a universal power or temperature result for every console.
Microsoft also estimated that the fan could run 25 to 55 percent slower. The claimed system-level effects were a smaller motherboard, a simpler power supply and one heat sink, with the lower cooling demand allowing a relatively quiet fan. The source does not give absolute temperatures, noise levels, or a measured fan speed for a particular operating condition.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the chip change means for an Xbox 360 250GB console
The 250GB label describes the console’s storage capacity, not a different CPU specification. The processor details in the 2010 report explain the hardware revision’s integration and manufacturing approach; they do not establish the condition or performance of any particular used or refurbished Xbox 360 250GB console.
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