To buy a new XBOX360 or not?

[TheForce]

I have an old XBOX 360 that I have been keeping alive from the RED Ring of Death 6 times now. My last modification lasted almost 7 weeks before it returned to the grave yard yesterday.

I heard that MS has a new version of this and it has a complete redesigned MB with a single chip GPU/CPU and mounted fan heat sink to improve temp stability. I also heard they guarantee it will not RRoD but later I heard all the did was remove the red indicator lights. That's like saying you no longer are running a fever because we threw away the thermometer. Hmmm... I thought MS was smarter than that? What's the truth to these rumors?

Price- I see there are two models, an elite and an Arcade with a $100 price difference. Besides hard drive or not, any other differences? Can I take my current 120Gb hard drive and attach it to the new Arcade XBOX360 and have all my stuff transferred over?

I see at Walmart, they have the new XBOX in stock at $149 for Arcade and 249 for elite but the boxes are white, not black. Are these close outs of the old RRoD models?

 

[cybok0]

The new ones are 250 gb harddrive.

Xbox.com | Hardware Catalog - Xbox 360 250 GB Console

 

[gatekeeper]

I would upgrade to the new 250g black xbox.I have heard rumors though that if you move these new xboxs with a disc in them you could scratch your disc.I dont know if there is any truth to that.You can transfer content from one harddrive to another but will have to have a transfer kit to do so.I would go to xbox.com and search for transfer kits.I have an elite120g that I bought about 1yr 1/2 ago and havent had any issues.

 

[TheForce]

I saw the Walmart discounted price is for the original XBOX360, not the latest release. The latest release of the Arcade version (4 Gb) no hard drive will not be released until next month. So that begs the question, can the original hard drive( 120 Gb ) form factor fit the new models? $250 Gb HD for + $100 isn't bad unless you just don't need one. I was thinking of just dropping the old drive in the Arcade box next month. I plan to go to Best Buy today and ask one of their gamer Geeks some of these questions too.

Gatekeeper- Good luck with yours. We seem to have the same model but mine is about a year older, I believe. It began failing early this year. It takes me about 3 hours to completely disassemble and resolder the chips and put back in place. I've added internal CPU fans to the internal heat sinks and increased the main chassis fan RPM for increased air flow to no avail. It works for awhile but then fails again. I only have it turned on when using too.

 

[dont24]

Old HDD won't fit in the new ones. The software to transfer data is built-in to the new systems, but you'll need to grab a transfer cable.

 

[meStevo]

I saw the Walmart discounted price is for the original XBOX360, not the latest release. The latest release of the Arcade version (4 Gb) no hard drive will not be released until next month. So that begs the question, can the original hard drive( 120 Gb ) form factor fit the new models? $250 Gb HD for + $100 isn't bad unless you just don't need one. I was thinking of just dropping the old drive in the Arcade box next month. I plan to go to Best Buy today and ask one of their gamer Geeks some of these questions too.

Gatekeeper- Good luck with yours. We seem to have the same model but mine is about a year older, I believe. It began failing early this year. It takes me about 3 hours to completely disassemble and resolder the chips and put back in place. I've added internal CPU fans to the internal heat sinks and increased the main chassis fan RPM for increased air flow to no avail. It works for awhile but then fails again. I only have it turned on when using too.

Current HDDs wont fit, but you can use 2x 16gb flash drives on it until the new hard drives are available if you were so inclined.

Also, you can't move the original with a disc in it either... not sure why you would, I damaged a game a couple years ago traveling like that.

 

[TheForce]

The disk issue is quite common with all optical drives, especially in the vertical standing position. The problem is that the disk falls off the center of the tray and when you fire it up the disk can spin against the tray steps and create circular scratches. Laptops had this same problem years ago until the made the drives with center hubs that grabbed the disk.
This problem won't be an issue with me because my XBOX will never travel.

Thanks for the info on the drives. I was concerned about that the old one wouldn't fit the new one. I've pretty much decided to just go for the $299 one and get a Best Buy 2 year warranty on it. One sure way to guarantee I won't have an issue is to buy that insurance.

I knew about the 16 Gb flash drive transfer but you have to have a working XBOX to load it up, plus need to have content that will fit. Not my case either way. I do have the drive, however.

I'm a bit excited about the Kinnect coming out this Fall so having an upgraded box will have me ready for some new uses too. I think you can preorder it and save $50. I need to double check on that however.

One Best Buy sales guy said the MB in the new boxes has a whole new chipset and this by itself has me enthused they may have resolved the older box problems that caused RRoD

 

[dont24]

Yeah. Kinect does look interesting. Between this and Move for the PS3, the Wii's days may be numbered in my house.

 

[TheForce]

I decided to go for it yesterday afternoon but when returning to the stores they were all sold out except for one BB had one left. So, I got it and the transfer cable for the hard drive.
Engadget had a review that showed the new chipset in this model which was what convinced me MS had made a sincere effort to fix the RRoD, not just throw out the thermometer to hide the fever.

It installed fine and the hard drive data transfer went easy. So far the only trouble I have had is the old controller doesn't seem to want to pair up with the 360S. ( XBOX 360S is the official name to set it apart from older XBOX's) I'll need to study the manuals a bit more to see what I'm not doing correctly in the pairing of the old controller.

don't24- I'm sure you know this but you don't need the 360S to use the Kinect. IT's just that the cable connection is simpler as you don't need a separate power module for the 360S

 

[jayn_j]

My kids are really excited about the Kinect, but I am not going to rush out right now. Our 360 has worked well since new. We always keep it horizontal and well ventilated.

I have all too often see stuff that is next generation ready that turns out to be 'not so much' or which needs yet another adapter. Might consider a 360S after Kinect actually ships.

 

[TheForce]

I would not have jumped on this if my 360 elite hadn't just RRoD again for the 6th time. It's the dang solder that is poor. I keep resoldering the chips and it works for a 1-2 months and then dies again. I have added internal CPU fans to the heat sinks, remounted the heatsinks with better hardware and permanently fixed the fan speed to keep it at high speed ( noisy) Still is fails.
The one thing that occurred to me that I may have misjudged in my use of the old 360 is how I stop using it. It is powered from my power center which is switched. I have a section that has delay power down to allow fans to continue to run for a few minutes than switch off. Maybe killing the fans too soon is not the correct procedure and I need to put the old xbox on a delay power off strip. Like the projector has internally. Anyway, it's something to try. I want to repair it and use it in another room. Get it ready for my grandson someday.

 

[dont24]

don't24- I'm sure you know this but you don't need the 360S to use the Kinect. IT's just that the cable connection is simpler as you don't need a separate power module for the 360S

yeah. I read up on that. I'm assuming it'll be a USB connector and additional power supply? If that's the case and I use a wifi adapter, it'll need to be plugged into one of the front usb ports? If that's the, I may end up gifting one of my 360s to a family member and spring for a new 250GB / Kinect bundle this holiday season.

 

[dangue]

The big thing for me was how much quieter the new model is. It makes for a much better experience when streaming Netflix or even playing games. Considering what I got from gamestop in terms of trade in value, it was well worth it. Also, when i bought the transfer cable, the gamestop guy specifically told me to bring it back after using it (they have a seven day return policy for purchased but open accessories). I almost felt bad for returning it, but since the store owner was the one that suggested I do it, I rationalized my qualms away.

 

[TheForce]

I wonder how long the cable is with Kinect? I will need about 18 ft cable run to place it in the HT front center from where the equipment cabinet is. Otherwise, I may need to use a remote power pack and USB cable extender. Oh well!