Which Xbox should I get?

I don’t have an Elite and it’s also backward compatible with most games (just FYI)

But I just saw the Elite for $299 at Best Buy with two games (I believe Halo:ODST, and the new Gran Turismo)

Also, my friends with the Elite are the only ones I know who haven’t experienced the RRoD. Whereas I’m on my 4th X360.

So go with Elite.

The Elites are susceptible to the RROD. I’ve experienced it first hand. I would suggest it over the other models though. It has a large hard drive and the black looks better to me personally than the white.

You’re gonna want a hard drive for the xbox, so the Elite is the only way to go. As far as I know, the Elites and Arcades have the same hardware, so RROD arguments are meaningless in my book.

aside: I have an old 360 that came with a 20GB hard drive and I sprung for a used 120GB drive so I could install my games and not have to listen to the optical drive sound like a chain saw as it spins the disc.

Forget names like Elite and Arcade. Look for the features.

You want:
Jasper chipset – lower power, less heat, less Red Ring problem
120 gb hard drive
HDMI output

Externally powered intercooler, the new one.
And, if you want to be even cooler, place it on a cheap usb powered notebook computer cooling pad. This actually helps.
NEVER stand it vertically to play. ALWAYS leave it in a horizontal position. Better cooling. Heatsinks press straight down on the chips.
Never put it on the carpet. Keep it on a wire rack, or elevated on a very short board. It needs airflow under it to keep it cool.

Get wireless controllers. They are well worth it.

You are likely to get one with a LiteOn DVD ROM. That’s what is in the newest boxes. If you can find an older one with a BenQ drive, grab it.

Backwards compatibility is highly spotty. If you pick up old X-Box games for it, just try to get a good deal as they may not work as intended even if they are on the list of supported titles.

I would go with the Elite. On Xbox.com they have a list of the compatible games so you should check that first. But the other version of the 360 get the red ring of death often and I’ve had my Elite for about a year now and I’ve had no problems. My bf on the other hand has has a arcade and has had to replace his like twice.