[Note from Boid: The sections below are the current information from MRCUR. Below that is the old, original information, which I'm leaving in place in case it's useful to anybody.]
How to see if you have a 65nm REFURBISHED console (Falcon/Opus):
(As of 7/16/2008 this information is valid for United States refurbs only)
To see if you have either a Falcon (HDMI equipped) or Opus (no HDMI) 65nm console, you'll need to look at the label on the box which the refurbished console comes in. The label will say either "Falcon" or "Opus." Both of these indicate that your replacement or repaired console has a 65nm CPU.
Falcon/Opus Label:
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x127/MRCUR/OpusLabeled.jpgThe label is located at the bottom corner of the box which the refurbished console is returned in. It will have the serial number of the console on it as well. It will show either Falcon or Opus on the first line and the console type on the second line.
How to find a Falcon model 360 in stores:
All consoles manufactured in 2008 (so far) are Falcon consoles. Even if the label says 203W with team CSON, you're getting a Falcon console with 175W PSU.
How to find Lot and Team info:
There is a white sticker on the side of the box with the lot # and team. In order to find the manufacturing date without opening the box, there is a flap on the side of the box that allows you to peek inside and see the manufacturing date on the console itself.
[Note from Boid: Below is the old information that was in this post. Maybe useful, maybe not. If the information below contradicts the information above, use the information above. If all else fails, ask MRCUR.]
How to find a 65nm console without opening the box (175W PSU):
This is the easiest and best way to see if you have a 65nm (Falcon) console without opening the box. All you need to do is look at the information label (lot #, team label) on the side of the box and look at the power information.
If the label says 175W, then the console is a Falcon console. If the label says 203W, then use one of the other two methods to see if the console is Falcon.
175W Falcon Label:
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x127/MRCUR/175w.jpg
175W Falcon PSU Label:
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x127/MRCUR/new360brick.jpg
If you find a 175W console, you 100% have a Falcon console. The new 175W PSU will
NOT work with old (90nm) console. The plug that goes into the console has been changed to all plastic, and has a different layout then the old plug. There are already multiple revisions of the 175W PSUs, but there is no difference between them.
How to see if you have a 65nm (Falcon) console (HEATSINK INSPECTION): First, get a flashlight that is very bright. Then put your console upside down (HD side down). You should be looking at an black or grey piece of plastic which is the bottom vent. Shine the flashlight directly into the bottom of the console (it works best to sit the flashlight on the plastic).
Then move the flashlight to the right side of the plastic. When you look inside of the console directly below the light, you will see a large white piece of plastic. This is the airflow shroud. You can see this highlighted in this picture:
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x127/MRCUR/S8000516-2.jpg
Next, move the flashlight to the left a bit and look into the console again. You are looking for the large silver square that is directly in front of the airflow shroud. This piece will tell you whether or not you have a 65nm console.
Here are pictures of the
90nm CPU Heatsink and the
65nm CPU Heatsink. (Notice that there is no heatpipe on the new 65nm CPU heatsink.)
How to see if you have a 65nm (Falcon) console (INDUCTOR INSPECTION):
This test looks at components on the board rather than the heatsinks and can more definitively tell you whether or not you have the
Falcon motherboard (picture courtesy of JWSpeed). The number and orientation (horizontal or vertical) of inductor rings near the CPU heatsink can tell you what version of the motherboard you have.
Here is a comparison shot of the three boards which Microsoft has manufactured so far. Note the removal of one of the inductor rings from Zephyr to Falcon. Also, one can note the removal of three of the black capacitors from both launch to Zephyr, and then again from Zephyr to Falcon. Both of these changes are indications of which motherboard you have, but the capacitors are much harder to see without opening the case, so for all intents and purposes, counting the number of inductors should suffice.
All you will need to count your inductor rings are hands and a good flashlight.
- Remove your Hard Disk Drive from the top of your console and set aside so as to not damage it.
- Place the console vertical and upside-down on a flat surface, so the bottom grill of the console is visible.
- Put your flashlight directly up against the console's bottom grill and look for the 2 or 3 inductor rings (which appear as a small ring wrapped in bare copper wire).
Two rings laying flat: Congratulations! You have a
Falcon board.
Three rings laying flat: This is a
Zephyr motherboard.
Three rings standing up: This is a
launch motherboard.
Again,
here is the comparison shot of the 3 board types and how the inductors are oriented on each. Also, I wouldn't read into the color of the inductors too much. Chances are, the colors will change occasionally as prices from different suppliers fluctuate and MS goes from one to the next for the best deal. We will probably see different colors on the same board versions, and therefore they serve no purpose for identifying board types.
.
;D 
). 
