The snazzy new Xbox 360 250GB SKU went on sale in the UK today, and TechRadar has been giving it the once-over for the last week or so. You can see the results over at our new Xbox 360 review.
One of the main complaints about the original 360 models was that to watch a DVD or play a game off a disc, you had to contend with tortuous levels of white noise.
You know the story - overheating components meant the cheap cooling fans went into overdrive, and the noise of the DVD drive itself could drown out a Chinook.
Has there ever been a more iconic sound in the gaming industry than the noise of an Xbox 360 firing up its DVD drive in the heat of summer? We think not.
The improvements
So, fast forward five years and probably the most desired hardware feature of the new redesigned Xbox 360 250GB is the slimmed-down 45nm CPU with integrated GPU.
The increased power efficiency of this new component, coupled with improved cooling and a quieter DVD drive, has resulted in a console that runs almost completely silently.
But don't take our word for it - hear for yourself in our side-by-side demonstration:
Sound recordings were made six inches from the front of each of the three consoles. Results should only be used by way of comparison.
Read more about the new Xbox 360 250GB in our full review
