View Full Version : When's a good time to Jump In?
jayimsu
11-15-2007, 08:20 PM
So with all this posts about falcons, zephyr's and other parts people are claiming to get when they buy their 360, which one's are the most reliable? Does it make any difference in the console having a longer life span? I was thinking of purchasing an xbox elite just for the sake of everything matching but all these stories of xbox's dying are holding me back.
From what I read it seems that the only difference between elite and the pro is that its black and has a bigger hard drive? Is there something I am missing here that justifies the bigger price tag?
Where is the best place to purchase one and should I really be concerned about whether the xbox has a falcon or a zephyr?
Even if it breaks, Microsoft will fix it for free. Join us.
richierich
11-15-2007, 08:51 PM
join, geez don't be scared. Just make sure your xbox 360 has room to ventilate the air. Also don't move around your 360 with a game disc inside, and do not place your system on carpet. You should be fine. Check your goldbox on Amazon.com. See if the 360 is showing up for a special price.
Lieutenant Dan
11-15-2007, 09:09 PM
I could be wrong, but I thought all the new Premiums have heat sinks in them that, in theory, would greatly reduce the number of hardware failures. I'm sure someone on here could give you better information though.
ICEPICC
11-15-2007, 09:15 PM
I could be wrong, but I thought all the new Premiums have heat sinks in them that, in theory, would greatly reduce the number of hardware failures. I'm sure someone on here could give you better information though.
Check the date in the back. New is better .. i think
My new 360 from july 2007 had the new GPU heatsink and still failed with a GPU error 2 months later.
Just buy what you can afford (new) and worry about a warranty return later.
If you live in NYC, check out esales.com.
good luck
kaptinmorgan
11-15-2007, 10:12 PM
come and join us, you won't regret it, the 3 year warranty is like a nice fuzzy blanket that soothes you when you are scared. my buddy just got his new box back after his old one RROD'd on him, took only a few weeks, it is worth it fo sho.
DomLando
11-15-2007, 10:31 PM
Even if it breaks, Microsoft will fix it for free. Join us.
The 3 year warranty is only for the RROD though.
jayimsu
11-15-2007, 10:32 PM
come and join us, you won't regret it, the 3 year warranty is like a nice fuzzy blanket that soothes you when you are scared. my buddy just got his new box back after his old one RROD'd on him, took only a few weeks, it is worth it fo sho.
hmm so is the extended warranty plans provided by best buy worthless? I was thinking of going that route but If microsoft offers 3 years....
DomLando
11-15-2007, 10:36 PM
hmm so is the extended warranty plans provided by best buy worthless? I was thinking of going that route but If microsoft offers 3 years....
Well the warranty at BB covers pretty much anything and you do not have to send it out. Like I said in my other post, Microsofts 3 year warranty only covers the RROD. Anything else that break after the first year you have to pay for.
jayimsu
11-15-2007, 10:37 PM
Well the warranty at BB covers pretty much anything and you do not have to send it out. Like I said in my other post, Microsofts 3 year warranty only covers the RROD. Anything else that break after the first year you have to pay for.
what other common problems are there besides RROD
omgu8myrice
11-15-2007, 10:39 PM
what other common problems are there besides RROD
dvd drive problems, scratched disks, deafness to the ear from jet engine noises
honestly though, the time to buy one is NOW. how can you pass up on all the good games?
Puffa469
11-15-2007, 10:41 PM
If something goes wrong with your 360 and you dont get a RRoD, all you have to do is call up MS and tell them you got a RRoD and they will send you a coffin and fix your Xbox for 3 years.
Also, the Premium black 360's have components in them that have passed higher stress testing benchmarks than the ones in regular 360s. Also also, most of the Halo 3 360s have the newer Falcon chipset in them. But not all, so do the research before you buy.
DomLando
11-15-2007, 10:41 PM
dvd drive problems, scratched disks, deafness to the ear from jet engine noises
honestly though, the time to buy one is NOW. how can you pass up on all the good games?
Yeah I agree with all the good games right now is a great time to buy one. But I would definitely suggest the BB warranty as I have been through 7 360's since launch. And mine are all ventilated well. I have about every problem you could have. So the warranty should come in handy.
Gourd
11-15-2007, 10:46 PM
... I'm not sure what to say. I'm about to get my /second/ Xbox replaced.
The first RRODed after one year of use. Well ventilated, sitting on top of an entertainment center all by itselff.
The /second/ one now refuses to play any game discs. But plays music discs just fine.
Dreading taking it to Best Buy as I hate dealing with retail employees.
Mrcapcom
11-16-2007, 10:04 AM
Grab a Elite and you should be fine, oh and what the second poster said don't put it on a carpet and lay it on its side instead of upright is a must.
jayimsu
11-16-2007, 03:21 PM
Grab a Elite and you should be fine, oh and what the second poster said don't put it on a carpet and lay it on its side instead of upright is a must.
Hmmm can't seem to find any black friday deals on the Elite, do you guys think there will be a price drop in the near future with the ps3 hitting 399?
DomLando
11-16-2007, 03:26 PM
Grab a Elite and you should be fine, oh and what the second poster said don't put it on a carpet and lay it on its side instead of upright is a must.
There is no difference between the Elites and Premiums build wise. So it does not matter which one you get. If you end up getting a Falcon we still don't know if they are going to make any difference. I would just pick up a warranty because of all the issues the system has just to be safe.
Puffa469
11-16-2007, 08:38 PM
There is no difference between the Elites and Premiums build wise. So it does not matter which one you get.
Thats not true. Microsoft stress tests the various chips and components that go into 360's, and the ones that surpass a certain level go into the Elites, while the ones that fail the stress tests go into the regular 360's. Its similar to the way Intel tests its cpu's, and clocks them accordingly. A 2.4Gig, and a 3.0Gig processor could conceivably have come off of the same silicon wafer, its just one tested better than the other, and was clocked higher.
Note that this was for the older 360 components tho, I dont know what they do with the Falcon chipsets.
Guttersnipe
11-16-2007, 08:46 PM
Black friday would be the perfect time. Go to Bestbuy and you'll find an Xbox 360 premium pack with Guitar Hero II bundle (Guitar included) for 349 (http://bfads.net/XBox-360-with-Guitar-Hero-Pack-at-Best-Buy), and at Circuit City they'll have an Xbox 360 premium with a 2nd free wireless controller, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, and Forza 2 for 349 (http://bfads.net/Xbox-360-Pro-w-Wireless-Controller-2-Games-at-Circuit-City).
DomLando
11-16-2007, 10:14 PM
Thats not true. Microsoft stress tests the various chips and components that go into 360's, and the ones that surpass a certain level go into the Elites, while the ones that fail the stress tests go into the regular 360's. Its similar to the way Intel tests its cpu's, and clocks them accordingly. A 2.4Gig, and a 3.0Gig processor could conceivably have come off of the same silicon wafer, its just one tested better than the other, and was clocked higher.
Note that this was for the older 360 components tho, I dont know what they do with the Falcon chipsets.
I did not know this. I do know that the Elites have had the same problems the premiums have had though. I bought an Elite about 3 weeks ago and it stopped reading discs after about 5 days or so. A lot of people have reported getting the RROD with the Elites as well. So whatever Microsoft does with stress tests and what not are not solving RROD and other problems.
Charron
11-16-2007, 10:22 PM
Black friday would be the perfect time. Go to Bestbuy and you'll find an Xbox 360 premium pack with Guitar Hero II bundle (Guitar included) for 349 (http://bfads.net/XBox-360-with-Guitar-Hero-Pack-at-Best-Buy), and at Circuit City they'll have an Xbox 360 premium with a 2nd free wireless controller, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, and Forza 2 for 349 (http://bfads.net/Xbox-360-Pro-w-Wireless-Controller-2-Games-at-Circuit-City).
And since that's after the 21st, you can get Halo 3 free (http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=159740) too.
Bretts31344
11-16-2007, 10:28 PM
Like others have said, now is the time to get one. Especially since it comes with four free games from the BB deal (Forza 2, M:UA, Halo 3, and GHII). The three year warranty covers the RROD problems, but it does suck not having a 360 for about 3 weeks. I have a gaming PC, Wii, and a DS and still miss my 360. :( I was just about to have a Guitar Hero III party for my friends too.
jayimsu
11-16-2007, 11:16 PM
Like others have said, now is the time to get one. Especially since it comes with four free games from the BB deal (Forza 2, M:UA, Halo 3, and GHII). The three year warranty covers the RROD problems, but it does suck not having a 360 for about 3 weeks. I have a gaming PC, Wii, and a DS and still miss my 360. :( I was just about to have a Guitar Hero III party for my friends too.
Just a quick question, isn't the premium version the old model where it didn't have Hdmi?
TehMuff1nM4n
11-16-2007, 11:26 PM
Just a quick question, isn't the premium version the old model where it didn't have Hdmi?
All models being produced nowadays have HDMI. Besides HDMI barely matters anyways unless you have a 50" screen, even then it is minute.
Indiana
11-18-2007, 05:49 PM
Thats not true. Microsoft stress tests the various chips and components that go into 360's, and the ones that surpass a certain level go into the Elites, while the ones that fail the stress tests go into the regular 360's. Its similar to the way Intel tests its cpu's, and clocks them accordingly. A 2.4Gig, and a 3.0Gig processor could conceivably have come off of the same silicon wafer, its just one tested better than the other, and was clocked higher.
Note that this was for the older 360 components tho, I dont know what they do with the Falcon chipsets.
That has to be bull shit. Please show me the article about this. All 360s have the same speed processor so it's not like when intel builds a chip and finds that it's unstable so they slow it down.
If MS is doing what you say they will get hit with a class action suit so this has to be BS.