Taking apart the DSi XL and finding out what is new

Sure the difference between the DSi XL and the DSi are pretty obvious on the outside, but really, isn’t it what is on the inside that counts? So what is on the inside of the DSi XL and how does it differ from the DSi? The guys over at iFixit picked up the handheld and took it apart to discover just that.

Turns out not much has changed, but there are a few key differences. For one the battery is a lot bigger, most likely to compensate for the bigger screens. They also made the logic board much bigger, though they are still using a custom ARM CPU. Yea, it’s basically the same thing just bigger.

The video above shows off iFixit’s dissection, while the list below tells what they discovered. 

Nintendo DSi XL Teardown [iFixit]

* Nintendo is again using a custom ARM CPU, manufactured in December of 2009. This chip is marked identically to the DSi, and definitely not the Tegra chip that had been rumored.

* The logic board grew proportionally to its casing. In this instance, Nintendo’s going against the normal trend in electronics.

* Battery capacity is significantly greater than the DSi. The DSi uses an 840 mAh battery compared to the DSi XL’s 1050 mAh battery.

* The DSi XL weighs in at 314 grams, about 45% more than its smaller DSi cousin (only 217 grams). A significant portion of the heft comes from the larger screens, and 4 grams comes from the added battery
juice. The XL is really on the outer limits of what people consider to be portable — especially for a hand-held game console.

* Nintendo redesigned the battery connector to eliminate a long ribbon cable spanning the width of the old DSi.

* The lower display is held in place solely by the pressure of the logic board secured over it — no screws.

* Although the screen size has been enlarged, the resolution still remains the same at 256 x 192 pixels per screen.

* Reassembling the triggers is quite difficult. Take them apart if only if you need to.

* Power management is now relegated to a TI 72071B0 charging circuit. This used to me a Mitsumi component in the smaller DSi.