One of my most anticipated features of the new redesigned Xbox 360 was the noise factor, and how it's supposed to be quiet compared to the old Xbox 360's. Unfortunately when the system is running a disk it's just as loud as before. Just as unbearable, just as irritating. Luckily it comes packed in with a 250 GB hard drive, but I'm still going to need to install every game I purchase to make the thing quiet. Massive bummer. 
 
Everything else is just as advertised, though. There's totally 5 USB outlets, and it's way smaller than the original design. Also: built-in Wi-Fi and it works great.

Video please?

I can attest 100%! The Fan is still a little noisy.

Pretty sure Brad mentioned that he put his head up to a new xbox with an Alan Wake disc spinning and he couldn't hear a thing.

I'm doubting this until there's further testimony or proof.  Maybe yours has a problem or something, but it seems that these are generally much more silent than the old 360s.

" Video please? "

This is the main reason, along with more Hard drive space, that i was going to buy it. It better be whisper ass quiet.

"Pretty sure Brad mentioned that he put his head up to a new xbox with an Alan Wake disc spinning and he couldn't hear a thing. "

Thats such a dumb test.  
 
 
When the console is just sitting there its making no sound but once he puts the disk in it makes a sound...they fixed that a while ago its called Instaling the game and with a 250gb HDD space is not an issue.

@OP:

Real question is... why the hell would you not install to HDD?

The DVD drive is the most likely to break and the loudest part!!! 

" Thats such a dumb test.    When the console is just sitting there its making no sound but once he puts the disk in it makes a sound...they fixed that a while ago its called Instaling the game and with a 250gb HDD space is not an issue. "

" @LiquidPrince said:

" Video please? "

Scroll right down to the bottom, there is a head to head video of New 360 vs Old 360. It's a 'different' noise, but it's still as loud (60db). The writer does acknowledge that he could just have a dodgy New 360, but it's unlikely. 
 
Edit, didn't realise it was an embeddable video - here you go:
 

"

" @Jeffsekai said:

" Thats such a dumb test.    When the console is just sitting there its making no sound but once he puts the disk in it makes a sound...they fixed that a while ago its called Instaling the game and with a 250gb HDD space is not an issue. "

That's not really the point. They advertised the system as being whisper quiet, not whisper quiet only if you install your games to the HDD. "

" @Zaph said:

" @Jeffsekai said:

" Thats such a dumb test.    When the console is just sitting there its making no sound but once he puts the disk in it makes a sound...they fixed that a while ago its called Instaling the game and with a 250gb HDD space is not an issue. "

That's not really the point. They advertised the system as being whisper quiet, not whisper quiet only if you install your games to the HDD. "

The console is quiet, the disk is loud and disk spinning is always gonna be loud especially during initial loading. Again with 250gb it ISNT an issue. "

The thing has 250 gigs and people are talking about disc spinning noise? Damn.

" @Jeffsekai said:

" @Zaph said:

" @Jeffsekai said:

" Thats such a dumb test.    When the console is just sitting there its making no sound but once he puts the disk in it makes a sound...they fixed that a while ago its called Instaling the game and with a 250gb HDD space is not an issue. "

That's not really the point. They advertised the system as being whisper quiet, not whisper quiet only if you install your games to the HDD. "

The console is quiet, the disk is loud and disk spinning is always gonna be loud especially during initial loading. Again with 250gb it ISNT an issue. "

The disk drive is part of the console, they're not mutually exclusive. And disks aren't "always gonna be loud" just listen to the PS3 or a modern PC for proof.
 
I have a launch 360, when the drive isn't being used (like while playing a XBLA game) the console is pretty damn quiet too - but I wouldn't call it a quiet console because it still makes a racket when the drive is used. "

I swear, people act like its a fucking jet engine. Waaaaah, little crybaby doesn't like a little hum. God....

Kind of irrelevant test, since he obviously hadn't installed the game on either.

And really, who doesn't install their games?

edit: The reason for the PS3 drive being quiet is due to much lower revolutions

" @Zaph said:

" @Jeffsekai said:

" @Zaph said:

" @Jeffsekai said:

" Thats such a dumb test.    When the console is just sitting there its making no sound but once he puts the disk in it makes a sound...they fixed that a while ago its called Instaling the game and with a 250gb HDD space is not an issue. "

That's not really the point. They advertised the system as being whisper quiet, not whisper quiet only if you install your games to the HDD. "

The console is quiet, the disk is loud and disk spinning is always gonna be loud especially during initial loading. Again with 250gb it ISNT an issue. "

The disk drive is part of the console, they're not mutually exclusive. And disks aren't "always gonna be loud" just listen to the PS3 or a modern PC for proof.
 
I have a launch 360, when the drive isn't being used (like while playing a XBLA game) the console is pretty damn quiet too - but I wouldn't call it a quiet console because it still makes a racket when the drive is used. "

Well sir, I have my PC sitting next to me running C&C3 and its loud as fuck. Theres a reason no one likes putting disks into a pc to play games cuz its loud as fuck.   Seriously, your just trolling when there is an option to remove the noise and your not gonna use it then i can't talk to you. k bye "

" @Jeffsekai:  well that brings up another issue which is how slow the xbox menus load up when you have to much space on your hardrdrive"

" @Jeffsekai said:

" @Zaph said:

" @Jeffsekai said:

" @Zaph said:

" @Jeffsekai said:

" Thats such a dumb test.    When the console is just sitting there its making no sound but once he puts the disk in it makes a sound...they fixed that a while ago its called Instaling the game and with a 250gb HDD space is not an issue. "

That's not really the point. They advertised the system as being whisper quiet, not whisper quiet only if you install your games to the HDD. "

The console is quiet, the disk is loud and disk spinning is always gonna be loud especially during initial loading. Again with 250gb it ISNT an issue. "

The disk drive is part of the console, they're not mutually exclusive. And disks aren't "always gonna be loud" just listen to the PS3 or a modern PC for proof.
 
I have a launch 360, when the drive isn't being used (like while playing a XBLA game) the console is pretty damn quiet too - but I wouldn't call it a quiet console because it still makes a racket when the drive is used. "

Well sir, I have my PC sitting next to me running C&C3 and its loud as fuck. Theres a reason no one likes putting disks into a pc to play games cuz its loud as fuck.   Seriously, your just trolling when there is an option to remove the noise and your not gonna use it then i can't talk to you. k bye "

I'm not trolling anyone, you just don't have a point. Microsoft claimed their new 360 was 'whisper quiet' but that is obviously not the case. If they had said it's "whisper quite while not using the DVD drive" then you would have a point. They didn't, so you don't. "

Anything spinning a disc is gonna make some noise, hell my PS3 makes noise when first loading a game, but people have said the it runs much quieter so... yeah... Technology it's nuts.

I never even got this issue. Who is playing in such dead silence that the disk drive making noise is a problem. I mean sure it was loud at times but I never found it all that big of a deal.

" @Jeffsekai said:

" @Zaph said:

" @Jeffsekai said:

" @Zaph said:

" @Jeffsekai said:

" Thats such a dumb test.    When the console is just sitting there its making no sound but once he puts the disk in it makes a sound...they fixed that a while ago its called Instaling the game and with a 250gb HDD space is not an issue. "

That's not really the point. They advertised the system as being whisper quiet, not whisper quiet only if you install your games to the HDD. "

The console is quiet, the disk is loud and disk spinning is always gonna be loud especially during initial loading. Again with 250gb it ISNT an issue. "

The disk drive is part of the console, they're not mutually exclusive. And disks aren't "always gonna be loud" just listen to the PS3 or a modern PC for proof.
 
I have a launch 360, when the drive isn't being used (like while playing a XBLA game) the console is pretty damn quiet too - but I wouldn't call it a quiet console because it still makes a racket when the drive is used. "

Well sir, I have my PC sitting next to me running C&C3 and its loud as fuck. Theres a reason no one likes putting disks into a pc to play games cuz its loud as fuck.   Seriously, your just trolling when there is an option to remove the noise and your not gonna use it then i can't talk to you. k bye "

I'm not trolling anyone, you just don't have a point. Microsoft claimed their new 360 was 'whisper quiet' but that is obviously not the case. If they had said it's "whisper quite while not using the DVD drive" then you would have a point. They didn't, so you don't. "

I was expecting PS3 quiet so this is kind of disappointing. My biggest issue with the 360 is the noise it makes, would be nice if someone can confirm it's "whisper quiet" when installed before I go out and buy one.

my 360 is whisper quiet playing an installed game.
 
Playing an uninstalled one it is much much quieter than my old 360 but the disc spinning is noticeably louder than my PS3. But a huge improvement.

I guess I've never heard a loud 360 because even spinning a game off the disc rather than from the hard drive it isn't really that noticable.  I guess if I muted my TV I would hear it but who does that (and doesn't then turn on some other form of audio)?  I get that there are a lot of people complaining about noise from the 360 but I don't understand it.  Now the Dreamcast was like a Mac truck in my living room until I got the Sega Sport version which for some reason was actually considerably quieter but my 360 purrs compared to those things. 
 
That being said, what is the purpose of a 250gig hard drive if not to install your games?  I suppose you could be downloaded full games and those do take up a bunch of space but even so you can still keep enough room for at least maybe the most current two disc based games you are playing. 
 
I do see that they are marketing it as damn near as quiet as a couple of ninja cougars and if it isn't nearly silent that is a little bit of a false note but I guess my point is that it doesn't really matter to me.  Feel free to ignore this, I haven't really said anything important.  I thought I was going to maybe provide something interesting but in hindsight, nope not really.  Seemed a shame to simply delete it though.

hmmm I think the disc is spinning slower and maybe thats why its quieter than my old 360. I am installing red dead right now and it is definitely taking longer than the last time I installed in on my old 360. Maybe its a slower drive.

I'll have to test this out myself so I will reserve judgement. But if it is not much of a difference it's not a huge deal as many of you have said to install it to hard drive. Still though it's an extra step. Looks good otherwise, still gonna buy one.

I guess I could make a video of my new 360 making tons of noise when the disk is spinning, but it would be low quality. 
 
But it's not that big of a deal though, I play all my 360 games after they've been installed. It's just a bummer because Microsoft said it would quiet and it's not.

" @Zaph said:

" @Jeffsekai said:

" @Zaph said:

" @Jeffsekai said:

" @Zaph said:

" @Jeffsekai said:

" Thats such a dumb test.    When the console is just sitting there its making no sound but once he puts the disk in it makes a sound...they fixed that a while ago its called Instaling the game and with a 250gb HDD space is not an issue. "

That's not really the point. They advertised the system as being whisper quiet, not whisper quiet only if you install your games to the HDD. "

The console is quiet, the disk is loud and disk spinning is always gonna be loud especially during initial loading. Again with 250gb it ISNT an issue. "

The disk drive is part of the console, they're not mutually exclusive. And disks aren't "always gonna be loud" just listen to the PS3 or a modern PC for proof.
 
I have a launch 360, when the drive isn't being used (like while playing a XBLA game) the console is pretty damn quiet too - but I wouldn't call it a quiet console because it still makes a racket when the drive is used. "

Well sir, I have my PC sitting next to me running C&C3 and its loud as fuck. Theres a reason no one likes putting disks into a pc to play games cuz its loud as fuck.   Seriously, your just trolling when there is an option to remove the noise and your not gonna use it then i can't talk to you. k bye "

I'm not trolling anyone, you just don't have a point. Microsoft claimed their new 360 was 'whisper quiet' but that is obviously not the case. If they had said it's "whisper quite while not using the DVD drive" then you would have a point. They didn't, so you don't. "

Frankly, you are somewhat of a moron if you though an 8k rpm DVD 9 drive was going to be "whisper quiet".  I would also like to know what "modern PC" you have heard that would make you think there is such a thing.  Obviously, the system itself is much quieter.  There have been like 5 different drives in the 360.  They all sound a little different, but they are all loud.  Microsoft doesn't make them.  What did you expect?  Acoustic noise canceling technology?     "

Well, I guess its expected. If you don't have the game installed on the HDD; the disc reader needs to whirl up the disc to read all the data off the disc, hence more movement and noise production. When you have the data installed and saved on the HDD; it reads directly off of that and hence make MUCH less noise. At 250 GB worth of space there's no excuse not to install games on it.  
 
Also for those who are comparing the noise intensity between the PS3 and Xbox 360 are misled. As far as I'm concerned, the PS3 has mandatory installation for every game. The test on the video was games that weren't installed on the 360; so the difference between the two are quite large. 
 
But the best solution to any loud console is to crank the volume up on the TV to blast away whatever noise the console makes.

" Also for those who are comparing the noise intensity between the PS3 and Xbox 360 are misled. As far as I'm concerned, the PS3 has mandatory installation for every game. The test on the video was games that weren't installed on the 360; so the difference between the two are quite large.  But the best solution to any loud console is to crank the volume up on the TV to blast away whatever noise the console makes. "

Technically there is a big fan in there as a heatsink, it should make a bit of noise by it's design. However if it's the disc, that's weird, shouldn't be that loud.

While the disc is spinning in mine, it makes no more noise than my PS3. When the disc isn't spinning, I have to put my ear to the box to hear it. 
 
 
...why wouldnt you install your game?

haha wow, that engadget vid. that thing is louder than my tower PC with its 3x20cm fans and loud GPU fan. 

You know what as a performance junkie you think this would bother me but Jesus people are you really listening to your 360 spin up a disc? No, because you aren't 3 ft from your console, your sitting on a couch far away from it listening to the game play, yea its not the STEALTH console but who cares as long as it doesn't break.

"  If your listening to sound out of your tv or stereo system, there is no way you can hear it. "

"Pretty sure Brad mentioned that he put his head up to a new xbox with an Alan Wake disc spinning and he couldn't hear a thing. "

Poorly worded post. I'm pulling myself out of this argument.

dont really care if its loud or not, if im playing a game or watching something off it i dont notice any sound from it...might be because i try not to look for things like that. i do like that it uses significantly less power when doing pretty much anything...

For one that sits a few feet from their console without the TV volume up very loud, the disc spinning bothers me. 

Its still not the loudest system.