An image of what is believed to be a forthcoming Xbox 360 chipset revision has been leaked onto the Internet.
The board, pictured below, is said to be the successor to the current chipset - codenamed Jasper - and features both the Xbox 360 GPU and CPU on a single die.
The combination of the two is believed to have been made possible by a die shrink, presumably to 45nm.
Thought to be codenamed Valhalla, the chipset appears to be a drastic redesign from current Xbox 360 boards. The Valhalla PCB (printed circuit board) appears to be smaller than all previous iterations, and a shuffle of I/O port positioning suggests that the board will surface in a new Xbox 360 chassis.
It could just as easily be an early prototype - or even a fake - but speculation regarding the fabled Xbox 360 Slim is now likely to pick up pace.
Judging by the image, it seems Microsoft's process shrink could pave the way for multiple developments. We could see a smaller, trimmed-down Xbox 360 console ala the PlayStation 3 Slim, or we could see Microsoft retain its current chassis and squeeze external components into its existing design - the power supply comes to mind.
Looking ahead, the introduction of a new Xbox 360 model could be timed to debut alongside Project Natal late in 2010. Conjecturing somewhat, could Microsoft be developing a console with Natal built in? It isn't outside the realms of possibility, we reckon.
Want to know what came before Valhalla and Jasper? Here's a brief outline of past, present and future Xbox 360 chipsets:
| Xenon | Zephyr | Falcon | Opus | Jasper | Valhalla | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimated launch date | Q4 2005 | Q3 2007 | Q3 2007 | Q2 2008 | Q3 2008 | Q4 2010? |
| CPU process | 90nm | 90nm | 65nm | 65nm | 65nm | CPU and GPU on single die (45nm?) |
| GPU process | 90nm | 90nm | 90nm | 90nm | 65nm | |
| HDMI output | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Power supply | 203W | 203W | 175W | 175W | 150W | <150W? |
