My XBOX 360 Died!

[VIAN]

So I was playing Oblivion and then I shut the machine down while it was loading then turned it back on and... THE RING OF DEATH looked right at me. Then of course, I was like, it's not even a full ring - what a stupid name. So 3 red lights mean your console has experienced a hardware failure. I tried to turn on the console multiple times and unplug the power supply and it was still a red disappointment.

Then I turned it on... and presto! It works! That was scary. Then I turn it off and get to writing some of this post. Then I turn it back on. RED!! And here I thought it would never happen to me. It was always horizontal. I even had a 120mm fan blowing air into the right side of the thing.

It wasn't enough for Microsoft to screw me over with my XBOX who couldn't read the disc for SH*T! It was twice. Both consoles died from god knows what. I didn't even played either too often - mostly only when on vacation. Gotta love Microsoft. As for me, I won't buy another 360, nor will I ever buy another MS console ever again.

You just have to ask yourself one question: When will your 360 fail? Go to the website below to find out more information.

http://www.xbox360defective.com/index.php

 

[DAPUNISHER]

You just have to ask yourself one question: When will your 360 fail?

For some of us, it is, when will it die again? I'm on my 2nd, which is far better luck than a few are having. I am eagerly awaiting the next Gears game, so I will be a continuing customer. That hooked me the way Halo hooked others. I do plan to get a PS3 though, to expand the library of games and HD movies I can enjoy. I will also either sell my 360 when 65nm hits, or more likely, keep it for system link gaming.

So you are going to have it serviced then sell it eh? That'll bring the out of pocket down nicely on the PS3.

 

[VIAN]

I can't believe you bought a second one. I wonder what percentage of 360s are 2nd buys. That'll boost your sales. Maybe 20%?

I'm not going to have it serviced, I believe my warranty is over and $140 isn't worth it. Premium 360s are selling for only about $250 on ebay. It's very sad. I'm just going to sell the defective one on ebay. And of course I'll tell them that it's defective. Suddenly the PS3 is looking more attractive. My brother is selling his 360 as a precaution on his investment. He's going to use the money to buy a PS3 come the price drop this holiday season.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Try calling MS first, they do sometimes service for free even after the warranty has expired.

Also check whether you bought it with a CC that doubles the warranty (= 2 years).

If you get a free repair it may also come with the new heatsink that could reduce the failure rate.

 

[opticalmace]

I don't have a next-gen console yet... I want a 360, but unless they revise the hardware I'm not going near it.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

I can't believe you bought a second one.

No, mine was a warranty repair. I originally had only the 90 day, then they extended it to a year, and since they give you another year from the time it is serviced, I have about 7-8 months left of warranty. I'll probably spring for the extended warranty near the end, if it makes it that long,

 

[shortylickens]

Mine is still running but I only average about 2 hours a day on it. The rest of the time I leave it off.

 

[Kirby64]

Yawn. Although Xbox's do die sometimes, you can easily fix them yourself. Just do the X-clamp replacement and 90% of the time(or more) it'll fix the issue. Of course, it'd be best to ship it to M$ for repair if your warranty isn't up.

For me, I haven't had my xbox die on me at all. Sometimes they die, sometimes they don't. It's not 'when will your xbox die' but moreso 'when will my xbox die if I leave it in a hot, cramped environment'.

 

[NaOH]

Mine has been fine for over a year (crosses fingers) but my friends died and he wrapped it in a blanket and kept turning it on and off. It actually fixed his console and it's been going strong for about a month.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: Kirby64
For me, I haven't had my xbox die on me at all. Sometimes they die, sometimes they don't. It's not 'when will your xbox die' but moreso 'when will my xbox die if I leave it in a hot, cramped environment' .

That blame-the-victim talk just isn't true.

In the many 360 reliability / failure threads here and at ArsTechnica, many people report they had a 360 die that was well-ventilated.

Running it on top of a space heater might hasten a 360's failure, but there is plenty of evidence that it can fail no matter how well you cool it.

 

[Dacalo]

THE reason why I chose PS3.

And no, I am not going to spend my time for some clamp that MS should have implemented in the first place.

 

[Cellulose]

Even such a high failure rate isn't enough for me to consider a PS3 over a 360

But seriously, does anyone know when MS may start replacing their 360's with more reliable ones?

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Knobjockey
Even such a high failure rate isn't enough for me to consider a PS3 over a 360

But seriously, does anyone know when MS may start replacing their 360's with more reliable ones?

Fall, hopefully.

 

[Kev]

I just got my refurb back last week. In the week I have had it, I have played maybe 7 hours total before getting my first freeze last night in COD3. No RROD yet. But it's only a matter of time before it fails again, this time I'm not calling MS, I'm just going to fix it myself.

 

[Modelworks]

Its not so much that the 360 is overheating , its that it heats up to high temps and then cools down to room temp.
Repeated heating/cooling leads to expansion/contraction so your going to get cracks.

Even with the best of fans blowing on the console, thats not going to stop the heat buildup under the chip itself.
Your still going to go through temperature extremes at the chip itself. It will just take longer.

I think MS could stop the problem by socketing the chips, the socket would let the chips expand/contract without losing contact.

Has anyone done a test to see what the life span is on a 360 that is never turned off ? Never having to go through the temp changes.

 

[Gooberlx2]

Ugh irritating. Mine just died tonight. We bought at Costco though, so I'll just be exchanging it with them. Man, we've only had it since October. Hopefully they'll have the Elite bundle in stock and I'll just pay the $50 difference to upgrade to that. 120gigs and HDMI upscaling would be nice. I wish the smaller chips were out, but if it dies again I'll just exchange....again.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Gooberlx2
Ugh irritating. Mine just died tonight. We bought at Costco though, so I'll just be exchanging it with them. Man, we've only had it since October. Hopefully they'll have the Elite bundle in stock and I'll just pay the $50 difference to upgrade to that. 120gigs and HDMI upscaling would be nice. I wish the smaller chips were out, but if it dies again I'll just exchange....again.

They have an Elite bundle :Q I would have gone with that if my Costco had it.

 

[Kadarin]

Originally posted by: Dacalo
THE reason why I chose PS3.

And no, I am not going to spend my time for some clamp that MS should have implemented in the first place.

Exactly the same reason why I bought a PS3 also.

 

[Gooberlx2]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Gooberlx2
Ugh irritating. Mine just died tonight. We bought at Costco though, so I'll just be exchanging it with them. Man, we've only had it since October. Hopefully they'll have the Elite bundle in stock and I'll just pay the $50 difference to upgrade to that. 120gigs and HDMI upscaling would be nice. I wish the smaller chips were out, but if it dies again I'll just exchange....again.

They have an Elite bundle :Q I would have gone with that if my Costco had it.

I noticed it online. Who knows if they'll have it in stock? Here's hoping.

 

[Todd33]

LOL @ VIAN

 

[Narmer]

People should rebel against MS for making such a shoddy product. This is a console, not a PC. It's expected to take beatings and keep on ticking. The XBOX360 is too sensitive. I haven't heard such horror stories from PS3 or Wii owners yet.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: Narmer
I haven't heard such horror stories from PS3 or Wii owners yet.

I don't think you will either. I wonder if heads are a'rollin' internally over this SNAFU? The speculation I've seen from some, stating they believe there would have been a price drop by now, if not for the high expense incurred from repairs/replacement, no longer seems as silly to me as it did a short time ago.

*Which lends to even wilder speculation: Could MS potentially expand their install base further because of it? Sounds preposterous right? But consider this, if many (notice I didn't say most) who have a 360 sell it to get the die shrink version, and those waiting jump in at that time, is further compounded by the old ones glutting ebay, it could be good juju for MS.

The old ones will sell pretty cheap due to the quantity, older, less reliable design, and many having no warranty for various reasons either. So, you'll have a fair number of owners with new die srunk models (HDMI and bigger HDD like the elite too?), new owners with the new models, and new owners with older models. That would potentially increase the install base significantly, and result in higher software and XBL content sales. </wild theory>

Of course some are abandoning the platform completely, with a very bad taste in their mouths, so those numbers will also be interesting to see played out. Regardless, it is making for an interesting saga to follow, and it is filled with plaenty of twists and turns in the plot.

*- it is the coffee talking.

 

[Continuity28]

Originally posted by: Narmer
This is a console, not a PC. It's expected to take beatings and keep on ticking.

Yeah right... As long as you stick with reliable PC hardware brands, you'll get stable products. They, unlike Microsoft, don't cut corners any way they can. You pay more for it, and it shows. My PCs last 24/7 for years, and then you replace the aged fans and get even more years if you want. Stability remains with the PC hardware. How else would modern businesses get by?

Speaking of "stable" consoles, my last one was my N64. My playstation 1, 2, xbox, have all failed within a year or two. PS3 seems to do well, but you also pay that premium for it. The Wii probably didn't cut many corners, it wasn't expensive hardware to begin with.

 

[moxieman1]

Anyone know anyone who does repairs other than MS?

 

[jman19]

Originally posted by: opticalmace
I don't have a next-gen console yet... I want a 360, but unless they revise the hardware I'm not going near it.

Absolutely. I really would like to purchase a 360, but I won't until MS fixes the various problems first. I have no interest in buying a console that I'll have to fix up myself or spend money on to repair after the warranty is over - I'd like to have a better chance of the system not dying before I invest any money in it. Everyone I know with a 360 (anecdotal evidence, I know) has had theirs die on them, and with the number of issues I've read about online, that is reason enough for me to stay away for now. As I've gotten older, I have less time to deal with nonsense like hardware failing on me. I just want to turn it on and game. If I wanted to deal with replacing hardware myself, I'll just invest in new comp parts.