What's the better buy? 360 or Elite

[Titleist]

I've been looking for a reason to replace my noisier 360 with a newer quieter one, and I've decided to sell my older one at a discount to a good friend of mine. So what I want to know is what's a better replacement, the new premium with HDMI or the black elite? Which one is more stable and is the elite worth the extra 100 bucks?

Lastly does anyone know if I can switch my LIVE account to whichever new machine I get?

[littlebib]

If you need the extra drive space then the Elite is the way to go. Or if you want a black console. Otherwise they're pretty much exactly the same machine.

I do believe that you can switch your Live account over, but it will end up requiring you to call MS so that you can re-download any Live games that you bought.

[Titleist]

I'd like the black system, have people found that the extra 100gb is worth the added price tag?

[littlebib]

Originally Posted by Titleist

I'd like the black system, have people found that the extra 100gb is worth the added price tag?

I definitely have not. I still have 8Gb free on mine but I don't download any TV shows or movies. Game demos last a week or two before I delete them.

[Titleist]

I may just get the new premium and save 100 bucks. Black is cool, but I hear the elites are prone to the 3-ring more than the new HDMI premiums, is that true?

[MooglePorn]

I definately needed the space, so the Elite was a good buy for me. There's also rumors the Elite gets all the best parts, so consider that.

By the way, you won't have to call MS, just redownload all your games and expansions and they'll work fine... online. They will never work offline ever again. If you replaced your console through MS you can get them to tranfer points to your account to rebuy them, but they won't do it for a simple upgrade.

["The Dude"]

Originally Posted by MooglePorn

I definately needed the space, so the Elite was a good buy for me. There's also rumors the Elite gets all the best parts, so consider that.

I read that about the parts as well.

It just all depends on what your needs/wants are and whether you think the extra $100 is worth it. My main decision(s) for the upgrade was for the black and more importantly the HDMI. At the time of my decision ( mid july), the reg. 360 didn't have HDMI, at least not to anyone's knowledge. Now that they both have HDMI, I'm still getting the ELITE. Having a bigger HDD never hurts either.

[Titleist]

Thanks I may snag the elite. I was just worried since I hear they have been having red ring issues, i.e more so than standard elites.

[MooglePorn]

Originally Posted by Titleist

Thanks I may snag the elite. I was just worried since I hear they have been having red ring issues, i.e more so than standard elites.

The Elite has had some RR issues but nowhere near the percentage of older 360 models.

[Titleist]

Just got the elite, I did a test and the elite is close to 15dB quieter or more than the first gen system I have. Goodbye early adopter 360 (which I won from work 2 years ago).

[MooglePorn]

Cool beans... If you have HDMI it will surely look sharper and with more detailed blacks... If I notice it on a 30" screen I would assume most people can notice it.

[Titleist]

yeah blacks feel much punchier on my 43" Pioneer (being replaced in November with a 50" Samsung 1080P LCD)

[Titleist]

The gamestop I got mine from was offering 50 percent off on bioshock when you purchased an Elite, so that kind of pushed me over the edge. But overall the system looks great in my rig. Should match the PS3 I plan on getting in march when MSG4 comes out.

[MooglePorn]

I actually preffer the white, so color really had nothing to do with my decision. Mostly I wanted HDMI, though I was down to 3gig on my premium so HDD space was a factor as well.

I'm happy I got it, for sure. Being online to play my arcade games is only a bother when Live is down.

[Titleist]

Weird I had no problems migrating, it showed all my purchased games as re-downloadable, and no problems working online or offline.

Plus it carried over all my themes and user preferences, kick ass, including my credits.

Maybe they've got the migration system wired now.

[MooglePorn]

There's no way your games work on a different machine than the one you purchased them on without being online. You're either mistaken or... well... you have to be mistaken.

You can download them and they're always on the list, but it only launches the trial without you being online.

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by Titleist

I've been looking for a reason to replace my noisier 360 with a newer quieter one, and I've decided to sell my older one at a discount to a good friend of mine. So what I want to know is what's a better replacement, the new premium with HDMI or the black elite? Which one is more stable and is the elite worth the extra 100 bucks?

Lastly does anyone know if I can switch my LIVE account to whichever new machine I get?

I hear XBOX 360s from lot 0727 are money.

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by MooglePorn

There's no way your games work on a different machine than the one you purchased them on without being online. You're either mistaken or... well... you have to be mistaken.

You can download them and they're always on the list, but it only launches the trial without you being online.

Actually I've heard stories like his as at times on the official forums, its weird.

[MooglePorn]

I really don't see how some could work and others not... I mean, it's a standard DRM on every file, not something variable.

[Titleist]

Originally Posted by Ruined

I hear XBOX 360s from lot 0727 are money.

What do you mean?

["The Dude"]

Originally Posted by Titleist

The gamestop I got mine from was offering 50 percent off on bioshock when you purchased an Elite, so that kind of pushed me over the edge.

Is this some kind of promotion that all stores are doing or just a one time thing at one store?

I called up 5 different GS's and asked if they were doing this or were aware of this and all them said they haven't heard anything about that. One of them went as far as to say that it's bogus because GS would never offer a newly released game for that cheap.

Just for kicks I asked if the elites are now coming with the upgrades that help prevents the "red ring of death, like the heatsinks and 65 chips, I only asked about the heatsinks. A couple of stores didn't even know what the hell a heatsink was or knew what I was talking about. Another store tried to talk me out of the elite and back into a premium because the elites aren't being upgraded, only the core/premium. I swear to god, the majority of GS employees don't know jack sh*t.

If the bioshock deal is in fact legit and the stores were doing it, I would've walked out with the Elite today. So it looks like it's back to getting one from either BB or Amazon.

[Titleist]

Originally Posted by "The Dude"

Is this some kind of promotion that all stores are doing or just a one time thing at one store?

I called up 5 different GS's and asked if they were doing this or were aware of this and all them said they haven't heard anything about that. One of them went as far as to say that it's bogus because GS would never offer a newly released game for that cheap.

Just for kicks I asked if the elites are now coming with the upgrades that help prevents the "red ring of death, like the heatsinks and 65 chips, I only asked about the heatsinks. A couple of stores didn't even know what the hell a heatsink was or knew what I was talking about. Another store tried to talk me out of the elite and back into a premium because the elites aren't being upgraded, only the core/premium. I swear to god, the majority of GS employees don't know jack sh*t.

If the bioshock deal is in fact legit and the stores were doing it, I would've walked out with the Elite today. So it looks like it's back to getting one from either BB or Amazon.

That's a really good question, I'm not sure if this was the store manager's doing, or this is a fluke deal. Not making it up either. Also as for the 65nm chipset, no machine is coming with that yet, they're all still using the 90nm chipset, but the elites and new premiums all have the updated heatsinks. My new elite is FAR quieter and cooler than the first gen system I had. From what I'm reading you won't see the 65nm chipsets till november at best.

As for BB or Amazon, that may be your best bet. I'll try calling my local gamestop again and asking what's going on with this "deal".

[Iguana Man]

Originally Posted by Titleist

What do you mean?

I'd like to hear his answer on that too.

(I assume money = good?)

["The Dude"]

Originally Posted by Titleist

That's a really good question, I'm not sure if this was the store manager's doing, or this is a fluke deal. Not making it up either. Also as for the 65nm chipset, no machine is coming with that yet, they're all still using the 90nm chipset, but the elites and new premiums all have the updated heatsinks. My new elite is FAR quieter and cooler than the first gen system I had. From what I'm reading you won't see the 65nm chipsets till november at best.

As for BB or Amazon, that may be your best bet. I'll try calling my local gamestop again and asking what's going on with this "deal".

I kinda figured about that regarding the 65nm chip, I just didn't ask them. They're stupid enough as it is. I just brought it up because of what I read over at AVS. The rumors going around were that the systems that were built in june would have the heatsinks and the ones built in july would have the heatsinks AND 65nm chips, the later not being confirmed.

I'm not even going to deal with GS anymore on this. I've decided to buy bioshock for $50 on tuesday via cc's ad and order the elite from Amazon. It sucks that I'll have to wait another week or so, but it will be worth it. I can get the elite and a 2nd wireless controller for about the same price shipped as if I were to just buy the system only +tax at BB. I was going to buy a 2nd controller anyway, might as well save $45 in the process.

["The Dude"]

Well, I ordered the elite from Amazon this morning, along with a 2nd wireless controller. It came to alittle over $490 shipped and to my amazement, I just received an email from Amazon stating that the elite shipped today! It looks like it's due to arrive on wednesday, so I'll be back in the gaming biz sooner than I thought!

[Titleist]

So I got motivated by this article:

http://alcaron.blogspot.com/2006/12/...ontroller.html

And decided that my HD-DVD player just looked silly in white next to the ELITE, so I got some vinyl spray paint, which bonds to the plastic instead of drying on top of it, here's the end result, excuse the terrible photo, I'll take a nice one tomorrow!

[umainebearman]

Great idea, it looks good too. however a little masking tape over the tray face plate could have prevented the little bit of black on the eject button. Better job than I could have done though.

[Titleist]

That's not black on the eject button dude, that's the reflection of the top of the case. The silver is completely untouched since I completely dissasembled the HDAO when dying it.

I'm considering painting my wireless adapter tomorrow as well.