Legit Reviews

To start off with I'm a strict PC gamer. I tried an FPS for a bit on a PS2 and that was all it took to keep me that way

My son wants an Xbox 360 and he's washing cars and saving to buy one (he, at this point, has more disposable cash than I do and he's 12 )

I think I would prefer a PS3 mainly for the Blu-Ray, however that's a weak reason as BD players are getting cheaper and I have DirecTV HD DVR so probably won't even use it so we're back to the 360.

That said there are several packages at several price points. My main question is "Which 360 kit to buy?"

The "Arcade" is the cheapest and comes with an initial set of so-so games, however there are also:

- Deluxe - 20G

- Platinum - 20G

- Elite - 120G

I've read about the "Red Ring' , the power supply, the overheating issue, and the 90nm vs. the 45nm and have come to understand that no recalls or other attempts were made by MS (other than extending the warranty in specific cases) to get the "bad" units out of circulation. To my understanding the "Arcade" is the newest (read, "most fixed") but has no internal HDD, I can put together a PATA 250G in a USB enclosure.

He's looking at getting a refurbed "Core" unit from GameStop but I am thinking about going half with him so he can afford a new (and hopefully less risky one).

Since I'm a PC gaming elitist snob I would appreciate some advice on this

TIA

IMO, get a new or nearly new Premium, the red ring problem is solved with the newer ones. The Core console is kind of lame because let's say you play Guitar Hero or any other game with downloadable content, you're screwed because theres no hard disk. Finally, the Elite isn't really worth it unless you have the extra money laying around.

Deluxe/Platinum = Premium by the way ;)

Thanks Zertz,

The Arcade apparently is the upgrade of the old "Core" with HDMI and the 45nm silicon yes? My question WRT the downloadable content is can I use an external drive to store downloadable content or must it go to the main storage device? (HDD or memory module)

I'm kinda' leaning toward your recommendation myself as I do want to network it for Xbox Live and I "MIGHT" actually want to do some stuff on it myself

For stuff off of the live marketplace it has to be on an official MS hard-drive thing, i'm not aware of any hacks that allow you to use otherwise either.

But for your own music and things you can use a regular FAT32 formatted usb drive.

Based on the cost of the drive bought separately, it makes sense to buy the premium with the drive already in it.

Dan

I was a PC gamer for a long time as well, but I'm quite happy with my 360. I suggest the standard Premium console.

The new ones have no "Red Rings Of Death" problems. Actually, I have never experienced any issues myself and I have a first-gen 360. I have a friend with a dead first-gen (bought it off ebay so no warranty) and my dad bought a new early this year and it has been working perfectly.

Cool, thanks all... premium model it is!

you won't be disappointed :D

i still need to buy a hard drive for my 360 but considering i got it secondhand for $140 it doesn't really matter that much lol

My little brother has the premium 360 and the 20GB hard drive is just way to small for all those things you can download on xbox live. You need to get a elite for sure, if you really want to enjoy your xbox and xbox live.

Refurbished, but check it out anyway
http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid ... -R&cat=TOO

120GB hdd for $299?

vicaphit wrote:Refurbished, but check it out anyway
http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid ... -R&cat=TOO

120GB hdd for $299?

noooo thanks. i'll find a nice little used/wiped 20GB-er for mine. i dont need all that space lol

The price is still pretty good though, aren't the arcade 360s $250?

vicaphit wrote:The price is still pretty good though, aren't the arcade 360s $250?

yep yep, anywhere from $235+ on google's product seach
and anywhere from $279+ on pricegrabber through LR

i essentially got an Arcade 360 for $140, but i really want the HDD for some music storage and backwards compatibility
great deal though considering that i bought my PSP pack for $250 plus games when they came out!

Good choice on the Premium/Elite model. Besides the bigger HD, I believe that it comes with a wireless controller and component cables. You are also guaranteed an HDMI port, as it's really a hit-or-miss with the other versions as to whether or not it will have an HDMI port unless you do some barcode research. ;) And, it's black

Apparently the Elite's have the newer chipset and are less prone (if at all) to get the Red Ring of Death, but I can't confirm that.

tomato wrote:Good choice on the Premium/Elite model. Besides the bigger HD, I believe that it comes with a wireless controller and component cables. You are also guaranteed an HDMI port, as it's really a hit-or-miss with the other versions as to whether or not it will have an HDMI port unless you do some barcode research. ;) And, it's black

Apparently the Elite's have the newer chipset and are less prone (if at all) to get the Red Ring of Death, but I can't confirm that.

It was my understanding that the Arcades were the newest versions (not that it matters when I see the cost of the accessories I would soon have to buy:) )