[Big Ass Post Ahead] Don't get me wrong. I love the 360. Have been playing it since the release of DOA 4, right after Christmas, 2005. It's got a great library, great controller (feel), Xbox Live is awesome (albeit way too expensive), and so on. Problem is, the quality of the console and accessories is complete dog shit from my experience. I have owned the following. . . - Consoles (Phat versions ranging my original 360 to newer Phat models) x5 - Controllers (2 wireless, 3 wired) x5 - Battery Packs x4 - Official 360 Mic x4 - Wireless Receiver For PC x1 My first console worked fine for awhile, although the disc tray became stuck around a year in. 2 years in, it red-ringed. Got a replacement. Replacement gets a stuck disc tray around 6 months in, kept it for about a year and a half before it red-ringed. (was also overheating) Got another replacement that worked for around 3 months, pretty pathetic. I urged the customer service to send me a new one, not refurbished, but have no idea if that changed anything. Final replacement works the best out of all the ones I have owned, last's about 2 and a half years, stuck disc tray started just before it quit reading discs. Wasn't able to get a replacement on this one. Months later, I purchase a 360 off my friends brother who barely used it. Was the black elite phat model with no HDD, but I had my old 20 Gig one. Worked fine, with a stuck disc tray, until GTA 5 was released. Then the game kept crashing with the message that it couldn't read the data off the HDD. Re-installed GTA 5 which still didn't work, so I assumed it was the game itself since it was pretty buggy the first couple of weeks. (This 360 also overheated) My eagerness to play GTA made me search up how to do the pot tweak on 360 DVD drives to make them functional again, doing this on my earlier model that stopped reading discs was successful (although the pot tweaked drives loading in-game is noticeable), and when playing GTA I no longer got the HDD error, so I am guessing the connector in the other 360 was faulty, even though it never presented a problem besides GTA. I kept mostly all these systems ventilated and clean. So what did I learn from that alone? All of them had the stuck drive problem, and mostly every friend had this problem too. USB ports would often drop dead, They get too hot, they frequently fail. Controllers. . . They are awesome, but break way too quick. I will note, I am not a person who gets heated and throws my controller at the wall. I look down upon people who could let a fit of rage make them throw expensive equipment, let alone anything. I also kept them perpetually clean. Every single one of my controllers has a problem. Some, the microphone port doesn't work. Others have non-functioning buttons. The play and charge kits are bunk, batteries quit holding a charge around 2-3 years in, as well as the cables failing on both, meaning those controllers are completely useless since I was a jackass and misplaced the original battery holders since I didn't think I would need them. I would be more lenient if the old controllers were the only ones with problems, but I bought a new wired black controller to use for Halo 4, and a year in the left-bumper quit working. Fucking garbage. Oh, but the microphones. The microphones! Holy shit they suck. They start off with the wire messing up a year or less in, requiring you to strip and fix it, or if your the normal person, pinch the damn cord in position where it works. Or they just fail, either the mic or speaker. I was stupid enough to buy 2 replacements, and the last one was bundled with the chat pad. Wireless receiver did what it was supposed to for a couple of years before it quit working. The fact you need it at all is just BS. So someone may look at this and say something like, "Well you got a lot of use out of it for all those years and it's natural for them to break down over time", I would partially agree. However, when I look back on my multiple original Xbox's that got a ton of use and see how they all still work just fine (stuck disc trays are there, but much less common compared to 360), and how my controllers all work great with no failings, I can't help but feel that the 360 is just a piece. I use an original modded Xbox (old one too) daily as a media center and to play various games, and it still works perfect to this day. I hope the newer models of 360 turned out to be reliable, but I am pretty much done with that system. Wasted enough money and time on it.
As an owner of the original 360, yes the original 360's were complete shit. I've had one die on me but it was fixed for free. Instead of keeping that, I sold mine for cheap to my cousin and got me a 360 slim when they first came out. I can safely say, the 360 Slim was such a huge improvement. The giant fan on the side blows all that hot air from the console and keeps the rest of the system nice and cool. I've never had any problems with the 360 slim. I even bought my third BC PS3 phat a week after I got my slim (Best buy amazingly had one left in stock, deep in the back part of the store). I got real lucky to find a BC PS3 not to mention it was the 60gb model that can do it all. Well, my 360 slim outlasted my BC PS3 so it's definitely more durable despite being a week older. I take care of my consoles and keep them in a well ventilated area so they can breathe. There was no reason for my PS3 to fail. Anyways, in the end, I learned Slim consoles are always the best. My PS3 Super Slim is so much nicer. 360 controller never gave me problems as well besides the bumpers getting worn out which I can easily fix myself. The main problem was the dpad which has been improved in newer controllers. Overall, you're experience was definitely bad, but the bumper issues can be fixed easily even though they shouldn't break in the first place. My rechargeable batteries have lasted me a good while as well. Maybe you left it on the charger for too long? That happened to most people I know. Your experience is unfortunate and I feel for you. This is why I'm not getting a PS4 or X1 until they unleash their "Slims"
I tend to have really good luck with console reliability, and even I had to get my original 360 replaced twice. Ended up getting a Slim a couple of years ago, and never had a problem with it. The only problem I had with the controllers was that the LB/RB buttons would break really easily.
My original 360, which I got in 2006, was a piece of shit. It RROD'd pretty soon after I got it, then I got a replacement, then it RROD'd again. Pretty standard. Only I didn't wait for the Slim, I got an Arcade Jasper model. I got that system in 2009, I think, it's been working fine ever since - although I don't play it very much anymore. I like the look of the older models more than the Slims, personally. I've never had any issues with stuck drives, even on the older model. The only issue I've had with my controllers is the LB button not working on one controller. All of the other controllers are fine.
I got my original "premium" 20GB 360 around December 2005 (3-4 weeks after launch). I sent mine 360 in 9 (NINE) times for repairing before they gave me a new one as a replacement instead of trying to fix the broken one. The first system got RROD'd after 5-6 months of heavy use. All the later systems got RROD after 2-3 months. The final replacement is a Falcon board system and it has been running fine since 2008. I stopped playing video games heavily since late 2007 due to new job so I'm not sure if the Falcon one is more durable or just because i didn't use it as much. I don't remember how many controllers I have replaced thou. it's somewhere between 5-8 controllers. IMHO, the original xenon 360 is a piece of shit. it broke so many times that made me lost interested in buying games for the 360. I have a 60GB BC PS3 since launch and it's still working fine. May be I'm lucky on the PS3 since I have seen lots of YLOD on those launch systems.
The problem with the original Xeon 360 is the heat sink design. You have a heavy chunk of metal sitting on top of a flimsy board with no real supports holding it level. So if the GPU gets hot enough to melt the cheap non lead solder, then the weight of the heat sink will flex the board causing the GPU to move from it's solder pads. The real problem here is that the GPU should never get hot enough to melt it's own solder, but this is a problem in both the 360 and PS3. Microsoft reduced heat in newer model by manufacturing the GPU in CPU with smaller processes. The slim model combines the CPU and GPU on a single die with a better cooling system. I have a three Xeon 360's all running great, i have found if you keep them standing vertical they don't RROD nearly as much because the weight of the heat sinks won't push down on the board.
The original 360 model was codenamed Xenon, not Xeon. Xenon is also the name of the 360's CPU. Xeon is the name of Intel's high-end CPU line, which has nothing to do with the 360. If I remember correctly, there's a banner somewhere in DOA4 that says "Congratulations on launching project Xenon!" or something to that effect.
My very first 360 was a brand new 20GB pro model. Purchased it as soon as rumor began spreading that the system would be getting a port of VF5 with online play. The console eventually RROD 2 years later if I recall correctly. Luckily, I qualified to get my system repair/exchanged by Microsoft for free. The console still works to this very day and I play my 360 ALOT. Great system! Though I do agree about the bumpers on the controller being real crappy... Its great to know that I'm not the only one out there that prefers the look of the older 360 models over BOTH slim models. As a matter of fact, I was actully recently thinking of upgrading my 360 with a slim model (the older also slim model, not that gawd awful new model). The day after black friday I went into a gamestore that was selling their overstock of preowend 360's and fat PS3's for dirt cheap. Got me a preowed COD MW2 Edition 250GB 360 fat for only $50. In real good condition and even came with the orginal box
That is correct. There is a stage in DOA4 where you fighting on the street and it has the electric banners on the street deviders saying "Congratulations on launching Xenon!" or something similar. And yes, Xeon is the server graded CPU from Intel while Xenon is referring to 360. I got them mixed up very often.
I like the original black color (elite) 360 the most, follow by the original white 360, then the matte 4GB Slim S 360, and finally the glossy Slim S. I'm not a big fan of the 360 E design and $50 for a boxed MW2 360 is a deal. I should have gotten that over Black Friday instead of the 4GB 360 E for my cousin.
GPU can get hot enough to make solder fragile. For lead-free - well they still haven't found a replacement for lead, which is used in solders for a number of reasons, for example - to prevent formation of tin whiskers and to make solder less fragile at low temperatures. It's either we dealing with ordinary bureaucratic stupidity or some kind of planned obsolescence lobbying because failure rate of equipment with lead-free solders is a few times higher than in same with leaded solders, instead of lowering negative environmental impact they making it double if not quadruple - lead isn't the only harmful component in electronics.
I never had problems with my Arcade model actually, but many people I knew did with their 360s. The worst part about 360's durability was the battery packs, they randomly loose power if not used for a day :/
Funnily enough, I was just about to post how I was thinking back on all the consoles I have owned and how none of them had any severe problems like the 360, but the PS2 was also slightly problematic. I owned 2 phat models of PS2 that broke down before I got a slim one that worked ever since. No other console I have had has quit working. That being said, the 360 has had problems console AND accessory wise, so for me it still beats out the PS2, as only the console was slightly problematic, not everything along with it. Also, I am surprised that the bumpers seem to break down on a lot of peoples controllers. I guess the quickest buttons to fail are bumpers and sticks. I am curious as to what you mean by "the bumpers getting worn out." I would love to fix my newest controller as it works the best besides the non-functioning LB, it clicks down just like normal and I have opened the controller to check for any kind of interfering particles on the contacts, but it solved nothing. Also, the battery packs were often plugged-in, so maybe "overcharging" was the problem, but I still think they failed way too quickly for the price. I agree with you completely on waiting for the next model of new consoles, I am not willing to be a tester of hardware. Also, you mention the improved Dpads, which I also heard about years ago when they released some special edition red controller that had the new Dpad, but my black controller purchased after Halo 4's release seemed to have the same Dpad when tested in Street Fighter, much to my dismay. This topic has provided some good and hopefully reliable info so far. New slim 360's seem to have done away with their crutch. Also, you guys aren't alone. I prefer the look of the old 360's the best. But then again, I am a fan of huge blocky consoles apparently, now that I look back on what form factor I love the most. American SNES with Japanese Super Famicom controllers. Now there is a good look! =]
DISK READ ERROR Original xboxes have a tendency to have sticky drives but PS2 drives flat out dont work.
I've never had issues with PS2s, except for one that was broken when I bought it. I've only owned 3, though. I even have a launch model Japanese console, which is still working just fine. It's sometimes slow to boot, but it's still fully functional.
XBOX drives had the same issues with disc read errors. Since the lasers were up most crap. My uncle's XBOX laser died from light use, and even after repair it died again.
I literally have 5 Xbox's and only one of them has a "dying" drive. It still works, but poorly. That said, I know chance factors into my assumption of the 360's poor quality compared to other consoles, as well as many other factors, but damn, it just really stands out after owning a ton of different consoles before it that work fine, as well as their accessories. I understand a 360 has more power than a SNES and might be more likely to fail due to the heat it outputs, but I just hate electronics that can't last at least 5 years. I aim for the stars, I know.
I still got my very first black elite xbox from I think 2009, still works like a charm. I also never managed to kill a controller either unless you count weared down analogsticks. For me personally things I have bought new directly from the store never break. It's always the used consoles that gave me the most troubles. I don't know but I think the typical console user is quite retarted. How else can you explain that most used consoles are scratched on all sides and dirty? Are they eating on their PS2 or using their Gamecube as a beer coaster? And what is with all the carpet fibers inside the console? You don't put something that has vents and a fan directly onto the carpet floor. The worst I had so far was a Dreamcast that absolutly reeked of cheap AXE deodorant. Some peoples rooms don't seem to have windows to let fresh air in. Thats why I buy all my used consoles from Japan these days. For some reason japanese people seem to treat their consoles way better than the westerners.
