360 Repair or Replace?

[weresheep]

My 360 got 3 red lights tonight and its out of warranty. Anyone have an opinion as to whether I should send it in for repair or just pick up and Arcade and plug in my HD?

Has Microsoft actually solved this problem with the latest version of the 360? Are the newer models any quieter?

Thanks for any info.

-weresheep

[fahrenheit]

Which model revision is it? Paying for repairs on 360's is a bit of a false economy. If it is a Jasper then I'd consider it, but anything else would be better sold off with the proceeds going towards a new unit.

[weresheep]

I don't know which model it is, though I bought it in 2006 so I imagine it may be Xenon motherboard.

From the sounds of it I may be better off just buying an Arcade unit. Hrm, I wonder if there are any decent bundles at the moment.

Thanks.

-weresheep

[QualityChimp]

Hey Weresheep!

I had the same issue a year or so back. Here's what was suggested to me in my thread.

Long story short:
launch 360 died in warranty - MS fixed it
360 died out of warranty - I fixed it for less £5 and it lasted another 6 months
Bought a Super Elite to replace the dead one so I've a new warranty and more reliable hardware.

I would suggest trying to fix it yourself first. In my post I listed all the instructions and parts needed, but here they are again:

The free pdf and video guides off xbox360fixit.com are here.
The kits to fix it yourself are on eBay here
You can clean the processor with a product like this from Maplin
The Maplin packs of thermal grease are here
The picture of a woman pulling crates of beer by her thong is here.

[fahrenheit]

I don't know which model it is, though I bought it in 2006 so I imagine it may be Xenon motherboard.

From the sounds of it I may be better off just buying an Arcade unit. Hrm, I wonder if there are any decent bundles at the moment.

Thanks.

-weresheep

Do you go on Live with it (specifically, have you been on since last September?). If not, its second hand value could be a lot greater.

[Brad]

I'd ignore MS's extended 3 year warranty. It's a known problem and they've admitted guilt by extending the warranty so take it back to wherever you bought it and demand it be fixed for free and the sale and supply of goods to consumers 2002:

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2002/20023045.htm

Gotta be worth a go.

[weresheep]

Do you go on Live with it (specifically, have you been on since last September?). If not, its second hand value could be a lot greater.

I don't play online games but I do connect to Xbox Live for demos etc.

QualityChimp: Thanks for the info.

FullSpecWarrior: I'll have a loot at that, thanks.

I'll review my options but I imagine I'll probably play it safe and just stump up the cash for a new one. I've been resisting buying Mass Effect 2 until I had time to delve into it proper. Last thing I want is to get 30 minutes into it and have the 360 die again

Thanks guys.

-weresheep

[QualityChimp]

Well, what are you going to do with a broken 360 anyway?

You might as well try and fix it yourself. It only costs about a fiver to do and it made mine last for another half a year. Six months worth of pay cheques can then be put towards a Super Elite or something!

You can transfer and files over with a kit from MS if you do buy one with a new hard drive, so it's really easy to sort.

My disc has helped around 6 people on this message board alone!

I was scared to pop the 360 open, but it was well worth doing in the end.

Go for it!

[Alex_976]

Wrap it in a towel , get it working and trade it in at Game for a new one. Simples.