We have detailed thermal and noise measurements for the latest revision of the PS5, so it was only a matter of time before we found an Xbox Series X, ran similar tests, and compared the results. Once we bought a brand new Series X, we broke it apart, installed a bunch of sensors, and didn't lose any time.
Breaking apart the Xbox Series X is far easier than the PS5, but still, you need to be extra careful, especially with some connectors. If you have a little experience taking apart electronic devices, opening up the Xbox is nothing to worry about, and you can always look at some videos on YouTube to get prepared.
Above, we have some photos that we took while performing surgery on our XBox Series X.
The photos above show where we installed the temperature sensors. Usually, this is a two-person job, but since everyone was busy at the lab during that day, one unlucky person had to handle it. Thankfully everything went well since we are talking about a brand new and hard-to-find Xbox with a broken warranty!
The Xbox Series X uses a particular thermal interface to maintain contact between the heat sinks and parts that need cooling, called Tputty 607 . This gap filler material is crazy-expensive. We paid 92 euros (around $104) for a 30cc syringe! If you are careful while removing the heat sinks, you won't need to replace or add more putty, saving lots of money.