Topic: BenQ VAD6038 - New DVD Drive in Xbox360 (Read 947 times)

Xbox-Scene · « **on:** February 05, 2007, 08:49:00 PM »

BenQ VAD6038 - New DVD Drive in Xbox360
Posted by XanTium | February 5 22:49 EST

(IMG:http://www.burstnet.com/cgi-bin/ads/ad9520b.cgi/ns/v=2.1S/sz=300x250A/

GaryOPA mailed in to let us know Microsoft has finally started using the new BenQ VAD6038 drive for the Xmas'06 production run (MFR date November 06 and up) to replace the Toshiba-Samsung and Hitachi-LG drives Microsoft dropped. Of course they didn't change all production lines to this new drive at the same time ... but starting November 2006 (Xbox360 MFR date) it's possible you'll get this new drive.
According to XBOXIZGOOD, who already got an Xbox360 with this new drive, the BenQ VAD6038 runs super-quiet compared to the TS and HLG drives and even loads stuff a bit faster and smoother.
The new drive is based on Philips design (remember the Philips VAD6037 drive was already found before in some Xbox360 dev kits (no AES key), never in retail 360s though).
It was already announced for a while the retail Xbox360 would soon get a new 'BenQ-LiteOn-Philips' drive (these 3 companies merged their ODD business).

Cilix posted some pictures on our forums of this new drive he found in his November-13-2006 retail Xbox360:

(IMG:http://pictures.xbox-scene.com/xbox360/benq/Picture013_s300.jpg)
(IMG:http://pictures.xbox-scene.com/xbox360/benq/Picture011_s300.jpg)
More Pictures: pic03 | pic04 | pic05 | pic06 | pic07

Of course right now there is no modified firmware for this drive yet. Drive hardware has to be analyzed and firmware dumped first before work on a modified FW can start.
According to GaryOPA prototypes of this drive in March 2006 were based on the BenQ 1650V PC drive and you could use MTKFLASH to dump the firmware. If you have one of these final (November 2006+) BenQ VAD6038 drives and can help them get this drive or dump the firmware: let 'em know. There's also a XBH thread (serious/hacking posts ONLY - thx) about the new drive.

garver · « **Reply #1 on:** February 05, 2007, 08:39:00 PM »

If this is true I hope my 360 breaks so I can use my best buy warranty.

ebphondaprelude · « **Reply #2 on:** February 05, 2007, 08:42:00 PM »

Wow i didnt know they dropped both other drives,

any1 have a shot of what the dvd tray look like on that? is it diffrent from the preproduction photo from a while back?

Cilix · « **Reply #3 on:** February 05, 2007, 08:49:00 PM »

sweet pictures. me and my extremely dry hands haha.

nomoreniu · « **Reply #4 on:** February 05, 2007, 08:23:00 PM »

I got a Sammy one last week. Lucky me. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

XBOXIZGOOD · « **Reply #5 on:** February 05, 2007, 08:54:00 PM »

I broke the story first.....

Heet · « **Reply #6 on:** February 05, 2007, 08:27:00 PM »

Cool, something new for them to play with. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Id love a nice quiet drive.

impimpin206 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 05, 2007, 08:29:00 PM »

I'd rather see an HDMI port. And something like a 120 GB drive.

RiPpN-N-TrIppN · « **Reply #8 on:** February 05, 2007, 08:30:00 PM »

is there any change to the drive
any more added security
are we going to see the drive hacked any time soon
its about time M$ did something about these crappy drives
Rip

Grim187 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 05, 2007, 09:02:00 PM »

QUOTE(impimpin206 @ Feb 5 2007, 07:29 PM)

I'd rather see an HDMI port. And something like a 120 GB drive.

defantly, o well i knew they where gonna come up with something more to stop us,
i wonder how long it will be before we see a hacked fw for this one...lol

I'm not really a big fan of the noise but its not like i can even hear the DVD drive over the 8 fans total that i have in and on my 360

garyopa · « **Reply #10 on:** February 05, 2007, 09:07:00 PM »

The prototypes of this drive in March 2006 were based on the BenQ 1650V PC drive.

As such if this is still the same design, you should be able to use MTKFLASH to dump the drive,
as the BenQ 1650V uses a SPI Flash eeprom with the MTK1359SE chipset.

If anyone gets one of them and does not want to send me the drive, and has a VIA SATA chipset,
which is known to work with the MS28 drives, please do the same as you do on dumping the MS28
drive and email us the contents of what you get with this drive.

Thanks for all your support.

And thanks to XBOXIZGOOD to be brave enough to post about his new drive and take all that
flaming at first. Wish I could have stepped in earlier and stop some of the flaming he got.

Cilix · « **Reply #11 on:** February 05, 2007, 09:09:00 PM »

QUOTE(garyopa @ Feb 5 2007, 10:38 PM)

The prototypes of this drive in March 2006 were based on the BenQ 1650V PC drive.

As such if this is still the same design, you should be able to use MTKFLASH to dump the drive,
as the BenQ 1650V uses a SPI Flash eeprom with the MTK1359SE chipset.

If anyone gets one of them and does not want to send me the drive, and has a VIA SATA chipset,
which is known to work with the MS28 drives, please do the same as you do on dumping the MS28
drive and email us the contents of what you get with this drive.

Thanks for all your support.

And thanks to XBOXIZGOOD to be brave enough to post about his new drive and take all that
flaming at first. Wish I could have stepped in earlier and stop some of the flaming he got.

Dammit, I wish I had known that. I have a VIA SATA chipset.

BrooksyX · « **Reply #12 on:** February 05, 2007, 08:47:00 PM »

Good news for future 360 owners, but I am fine with Oct 06 Samsung drive.

pholly · « **Reply #13 on:** February 05, 2007, 08:49:00 PM »

I'm glad to see they are still improving on the 360 design, by the time I need to replace the one I have it should be a quality built console (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

XBOXIZGOOD · « **Reply #14 on:** February 05, 2007, 09:20:00 PM »

QUOTE(garyopa @ Feb 6 2007, 04:38 AM)

And thanks to XBOXIZGOOD to be brave enough to post about his new drive and take all that
flaming at first. Wish I could have stepped in earlier and stop some of the flaming he got.

Not a problem. I've lurked around these boards long enough to know that a lot of BS gets posted or misconstrued. I wish I would have had the means to post pics, but I didn't. I understand everyone's skepticism, so no hard feelings towards anyone. From alot of play time on this new drive, I can tell everyone that this drive is SUPER QUIET. You still hear the drive spin very fast, but when the game is constantly loading data it's nearly inaudible. I have been sitting very close to my 360 to try and determine how the drive sounds and behaves, and IMO it's alot better than the SAMSUNG and Hitachi in nearly every aspect of operation.

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.

Also, when turning on the system, or retracting the dvd tray without a disc, you will hear two "bonks" and then hear the spindle spin once very quickly and briefly. 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.

Author Topic: BenQ VAD6038 - New DVD Drive in Xbox360 (Read 947 times)