Help - Not sure which system to buy

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newgeek

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

#17415 26-Nov-2007 12:03

Hi all..

I am trying to buy a xbox360 system for a new user and not sure which one to buy? Is the extra space on elite worth it? What is so special about the halo? What is the diff between the reg console and the premium? I have been trying to do some research on the net... but thought I would come to the experts!

Thanks for any help you could lend.

thejokerboy

18 posts

Geek

#96988 26-Nov-2007 19:07

if you just want to play games, you should get the core system.
if you want to store music or download a couple of videos and games from the marketplace the 20gig should be fine.
the elites good if you download alot or are real keen on your HDMI picture quality

garvani

1873 posts

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#97106 27-Nov-2007 11:15

Basically i wouldnt recommend the core (now called arcade) to anyone that could afford the premium!! you will want to download a demo or something at some point and not having a hard drive is going to make that impossible, plus who wants to save there games to a memory stick?
The halo isnt really worth it either, it costs more, is a hideous green/orange colour combo and only has a 20gb drive.
The elite although more expensive is the one i ended up with. It has hdmi connectors and a large hard drive which is essential for putting music, videos etc on (aparently in early december we get the video marketplace which allows you to rent/buy movies and tv shows from the market place) You also get quite a lot of demos and game videos preinstalled on the 120gb elite drive, comes with hdmi cable too..
But in the end its up to what you can afford.. I would suggest the premium or elite in closing.

newgeek

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

#97115 27-Nov-2007 12:16

Thanks so much for taking your time to explain it to me. I really appreciate it!

macuser

2120 posts

Uber Geek

#97191 27-Nov-2007 18:18

Considering there is a difference between the core and arecade...Go with the arcade, you get arcade games and a memory card.? Saves extra purchases later!? Everyone needs to save!

Fossie

1240 posts

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#97363 28-Nov-2007 16:07

There are some features which require a hard drive. We got the core 2ish months ago, which didn't include any form of storage. So we're unable to save or even play online until we bought the hard drive. (memory card works aswell). If you can, get the premium. Its better in the long run.

garvani

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#97367 28-Nov-2007 16:40

excatly my point.. the core or even arcade isnt really worth it. Expecially with the two free games that are given with the premium at the momment, you cant go wrong :)

RobDickinson

1524 posts

Uber Geek

#98228 4-Dec-2007 16:17

Arcade comes with a memory stick but dont go there if you can afford one with a HDD.

The HDD upgrade is expensive.

Without one you cant play xbox 1 games, download tons of demo's and arcade games & DLC, you dont get the performance (load time) enhancements due to HDD caching etc.

Also some games dont offer features without ( MMO's, online play etc).

I wouldnt bother with the Elite though, I cant see IPTV or downloaded movies taking off in NZ for a while.

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

johnnz

21 posts

Geek

#98315 5-Dec-2007 13:32

I have a question, are the motherboards of recent XBOX 360s stable enough not to cause the 3 Red lights? I've heard alot about this problem with the 360. Thanks

wazzageek

1093 posts

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#98327 5-Dec-2007 14:34

Check the side of box - it will tell you what connections it has. I wasn't originally planning on using HDMI, but on getting home and realising there was an HDMI port, that's what I ended up using.

Also - definitely go for the hard-drive.

RobDickinson

1524 posts

Uber Geek

#98536 6-Dec-2007 13:03

There are basicaly 3 hardware revisions.

Rev 1 (core,pro/premium, elite) - has poor graphcis card cooling airflow causing the RROD. Shouldnt be many if any left in shops - MS offer a worldwide 3 year warrenty on the issue.

Rev 2 -As rev 1 but has a second heatsink attached to the GPu heatink via heatpipe and keeps it cooler. Will likely have HDMI.

Rev 3 - The new 'falcon' systems with 65nm chips , identifiable by the 175w powersupply. Shouldnt have any heat issues but is new so who knows.

vindaloo

57 posts

Master Geek

#100133 15-Dec-2007 15:08

I've found that the diff between HDMI and component is negligible unless you're running a sizeable panel i.e 37 or bigger

An HDD is essential for any decent game saves but for me, 20GB is more than enough. Demos obviously take up a bit of room, but by their very nature, demos are short term prospects while you decide whether to buy the full version so you're unlikely to keep any more than 3 or 4 at a time.

Xbox Live does support TV & Movie downloads but its not available here yet (yes, I know you can still access it using a US based gamertag if you really must). When it is finally opened up to us here (appranetly soonish) then the bigger 120GB drive definitely becomes attractive. But keep in mind you're talkin about files that are anything up to 5GB for an HD movie. Given our current broadband speeds and data caps, it probably wont gain much traction in the short to medium term.

So with that in mind, the Arcade version is kinda pointless but the Elite could be a bit of overkill. The Premium (if thats what they are still calling it?) would be the sensible option in my opinion.

One thing defintely worth investigating tho is whether the current stock includes the new, quieter BenQ DVD drives & Jasper chipsets? I'd almost consider paying to upgrade if thats the case. If anyone knows if this is the case, please let me know.

Brianemone

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

#100162 15-Dec-2007 20:39

If you haven't already purchased one then I would reccomend the Arcade bundle from the Warehouse. It only costs 450$ and is going to have an HDMI output as well as the new heatsinks.

The bonus is that you can then get the HDD of your choice and even with the overpriced 120gig is will work out cheaper than the Elite.