If I get an Xbox, what are the chances of it breaking?

its so worth it. i have an xbox elite its got a less chance of getting the red rings of death and plus i think the 1 year warranty covers that so its worth it

The old models had a very high failure rate, as high as 50% of consoles since release. Everyone I know who had an older model has suffered a RROD. The new “slim” version (which I have) was redesigned and supposedly is less prone to hardware failure. They’ve been around less than one year, so it’s impossible to know the long-term failure rates, but so far, it seems that they do not suffer from the same problems as the previous model.

I don’t think a 1-year warranty is worth it, as the failures of the older model happened after one year. On the other hand, it’s only $30. Kind of a judgment call.

from what you told be 1 out of 10

I had an xbox 360 from the day it came out. It worked great until about last christmas but only broke because my girlfriend tripped over it. kinda my fault for leaving it standing up too but oh well. Got a new one and its been fine. I really feel like a lot of the problems with 360’s are exaggerated. I havent personally known anyone to have one break on them that was directly related to something they did to it.

If you buy one new from a retailer, the chances will be pretty low. The problems that caused the early models to suffer from RROD’s have largely been resolved. That being said, it still might be worth it to invest in the warranty, just in case.

I should also say that there’s nothing new about the Xbox 360. It was released in 2005. The original Xbox had a lifespan of roughly 4 years. The 360 is already over 5 years old. There hasn’t been any word of a new console generation in the immediate future, but it might be something to consider. And of course, you should always look at the competitors’ options before making a big purchase.

That depends a little on what “generation” and a lot on how it was and is treated. At one point, even brand new ones were dying off quickly; 1-in-3 dies within two years. On the other hand, I knw quite a few peopewho have far older X360s.

Many RROD problems are a result of overheating, and many people cram their electronics (Xbox 360s included) into spots with little/no ventilation, thus causing overheating. Therefore, it is safe to say that many of the RRODs are caused by misuse.

I hear the new “slims” run considerably cooler and are thus more reliable in the long run.

I owned an original Xbox 360 for 4 years before it broke and frankly I wasn’t all that kind to it. But then I got another for £40 second hand when the rush for the slim came about. The lesson being that so long as you take care of something well enough that it’ll last until you could replace it for significantly less than you bought it s’all good (Consumerism and Me, by Nially Bob – On Amazon Now!)

With that said, if the warranty will give you peace of mind then go for it, though you may be able to get a better insurance deal from an independent provider.

The launch edition 360’s are 3rd party estimated to have a failure rate over 70% in 1 year or less. More recently your standard 360 is estimated (again 3rd party, Microsoft won’t release their numbers) to have a failure rate “as high as” 40% (but probably lower).

Xbox 360 elites do not suffer many of the problems their standard brothers do and are estimated to have failure rates well below 10%.

If you’re going to spend the money to get one, get an elite. Literally every person I know who’s owned a 360 has had at least one break.

Don’t bother with the extended warrant. XBOX fucked up so bad that they’ve made it really easy to get your box fixed if it messes up . . . that is of course unless you mess it up.

I’ve had 4 XBox’s in 6 years. Free fix every time from Microsoft. My buddy’s broke 2x

I know one who’s XBox never broke . . . it’s hit or miss, but as time goes on it becomes more rare b/c they finally addressed the problem that caused it (cheap soldering of a chip would loosen up when the chip got too hot)

@mrrich724 The older X360s did get their warranty extended (3 years, IIRC), but the new “Slims” only get the standard 1 year.

@jerv you are correct. But isn’t that b/c they have a weaker processor, so it doesn’t over heat and ruin the bond?

I did forget to mention that, but I haven’t heard of the slims having the same complication . . . not sure though, I try not to pay too much attention to them since I really want one but mine is still working :)

@mrrich724 Not weaker, but redesigned.

It’s a bit complicated, but the short version is that a 45nm chip draws less power than an otherwise identical 65nm or 90nm chip, and the lower power draw means it runs cooler. The first two generations of X360 used separate 90nm chips for the CPU and GPU and had a 203W power supply while the “Slim” uses a single 45nm chip and only has a 135W PSU.

Anyways, I blithered a little, but the net effect is that the “Slim” has all of the processing power of the original (maybe a hair more, actually) while drawing less electrical power and thus generating less heat. That makes it less likely to melt a solder joint and thus more reliable.

That’s much more complicated than what my friend explained to me when slim came out. LOL