Xbox failures? Comparisson to PS3/Wii

linktoinsanity

linktoinsanity

linktoinsanity

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Hi guys, this is not meant to be a baiting thread for fanboys of either console to start arguing over, so I apologise if this becomes a flame war, then again I suppose it could become quite funny...

Anyway, I've been reading about numerous Xboxes red-ringing etc and it actually worries me. I have a 16 year old Megadrive II sitting here which still runs 99% of the time without problems, don't they make games consoles like they used to?

Also do PS3s and Wiis have similar problems? My brother and I are tempted to sharebuy a PS3/Xbox360 after Xmas, but there is no point if the things keep failing is there?

I ask because I don't see nearly as many posts on the internet about bricked PS3s as I do Xbox360s (it was the other way round with PS2 lasers and Xboxes) so I am just curious, that's all. :cool:
 
The PS3 and the Wii do have their own types of failures, however they do not occur quite as often as they did on the Xbox 360.

Modern Xbox 360's do not fail anywhere near as often as the first generation machines did. I don't even remotely have any figures at hand, but at a guess I would say each machine probably has about the same chance of failure now. Possibly the 360 slightly higher than the PS3 and Wii.

My advice would be that so long as you are buying new, there is no reason what so ever to worry about anything failing. There is always a chance they might, but that is the same with anything really. The odds of failure as I say have been significantly reduced thanks to improvements in design on the Xbox 360. That said, there will never been no risk at all.
 
Memphis said:
The PS3 and the Wii do have their own types of failures, however they do not occur quite as often as they did on the Xbox 360.

Modern Xbox 360's do not fail anywhere near as often as the first generation machines did. I don't even remotely have any figures at hand, but at a guess I would say each machine probably has about the same chance of failure now. Possibly the 360 slightly higher than the PS3 and Wii.
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That's good to hear. We may end up with a PS3 anyway due to the Blueray player, but it's nice to hear that if we get an Xbox the risk is pretty close.
 
Provided that the machine has been manufactured reasonably recently (I can't recall the exact date the Jasper chipsets appeared, but it was long enough back now), I wouldn't be concerned at all. If it should happen to fail, you have 3 years warranty from Microsoft anyway, so although you will be inconvenienced by a week or two without the machine, you're virtually assured you will always get a working console in the end.

I should point out however before I get jumped on that I agree you shouldn't have to be inconvenienced at all but hey, such is life! :)
 
LinktoInsanity said:
Hi guys, this is not meant to be a baiting thread for fanboys of either console to start arguing over, so I apologise if this becomes a flame war, then again I suppose it could become quite funny...

Anyway, I've been reading about numerous Xboxes red-ringing etc and it actually worries me. I have a 16 year old Megadrive II sitting here which still runs 99% of the time without problems, don't they make games consoles like they used to?

Also do PS3s and Wiis have similar problems? My brother and I are tempted to sharebuy a PS3/Xbox360 after Xmas, but there is no point if the things keep failing is there?

I ask because I don't see nearly as many posts on the internet about bricked PS3s as I do Xbox360s (it was the other way round with PS2 lasers and Xboxes) so I am just curious, that's all. :cool:
Click to expand...

Figures for early PS3 and 360s were approximately (which is all you can hope for really) <3% broken PS3s and 30% broken 360s.

360 has got better, PS3 has got worse, I don't think it would be unfair to say 5-10% for PS3 and 15-20% for 360. You will never get an accurate figure as so many people will say "but mine hasn't broke" as a counter argument and use examples of "people they know".

Various firms that repair consoles (3rd parties) have reported figures as well, which you may be able to find on google, I am sure joystiq.com has had articles when such companies release figures.

Disclaimer: I don't know much about Wii failure rates, but I suspect they are lower than 360/PS3 as you don't hear/read much about them (and unlike 360 and PS3 they haven't made it onto BBC Watchdog, yet :) ). The figures I have given are just vague approximations, I am sure others will have a different opinion, but I think they are fair based on what I know and have read.


rp2000
 
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For me, I probably wont ever buy a current design 360 again, if they completely remake it (i.e. a slim version I might) but there are inherent design flaws in the current model. Having fallen victim to RROD 5 times now (tha last being a Falcon Elite) I have no confidence at all.

FYI my 360's were kept in a smoke and pet free house, on the top level of a glass hifi stand.
 
Your megadrive works because it has zero moving parts.

Anything with lasers, spindles, fans will die earlier IE any console since the millenium. The problem gets worse with faster fans and hotter consoles IE a 360 and ps3.
The 360 is better now due to die shrinks, so they use less power and make less heat (so quieter cooling).

The next gen consoles will require even better cooling as they will be even hotter.
 
Wakinglimb said:
For me, I probably wont ever buy a current design 360 again, if they completely remake it (i.e. a slim version I might) but there are inherent design flaws in the current model. Having fallen victim to RROD 5 times now (tha last being a Falcon Elite) I have no confidence at all.

FYI my 360's were kept in a smoke and pet free house, on the top level of a glass hifi stand.
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Dodgy electrics maybe? That is a shocking failure rate!
 
mglover070588 said:
Your megadrive works because it has zero moving parts.

Anything with lasers, spindles, fans will die earlier IE any console since the millenium. The problem gets worse with faster fans and hotter consoles IE a 360 and ps3.
The 360 is better now due to die shrinks, so they use less power and make less heat (so quieter cooling).

The next gen consoles will require even better cooling as they will be even hotter.
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While I agree with this in principle, the majority of failures in both PS3 and 360 are caused by poor manufacturing process. Neither the YLOD and the RROD are caused by failure of moving parts, but by cold solder joints.

Failure of moving parts accounts for a small percentage of current generation failures IMO.
 
Stag said:
Dodgy electrics maybe? That is a shocking failure rate!
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That spans 2 different flats I've lived in.

My first RROD was 2 months after launch. Thing is MS have got chips without any cooling on them on the underside of the mobo. Not even a heatsink - just poor design imo, a problem waiting to happen.
 
The only chips on the underside from memory is a couple of RAM chips and they don't really need cooling at all :confused:. Nothing to do with the RRoD at all.
 
Wakinglimb said:
For me, I probably wont ever buy a current design 360 again, if they completely remake it (i.e. a slim version I might) but there are inherent design flaws in the current model. Having fallen victim to RROD 5 times now (tha last being a Falcon Elite) I have no confidence at all.

FYI my 360's were kept in a smoke and pet free house, on the top level of a glass hifi stand.
Click to expand...

Wow that is some failure rate you have there :(
 
Wakinglimb said:
For me, I probably wont ever buy a current design 360 again, if they completely remake it (i.e. a slim version I might) but there are inherent design flaws in the current model. Having fallen victim to RROD 5 times now (tha last being a Falcon Elite) I have no confidence at all.

FYI my 360's were kept in a smoke and pet free house, on the top level of a glass hifi stand.
Click to expand...

Your saying cooling is the issue yet you might buy a newer slimline model?

Fwiw I had a original 360 premiuim, paid far too much for it :) It had a fair amount of use before rrod easter this year. MS relented and took it for repair and exchanged it for a falcon(?). This one gets A LOT of use - mostly as a media extender and has worked flawlessly. Smoke free home but I do have a short haired dog that sheds a lot.
 
rp2000 said:
Figures for early PS3 and 360s were approximately (which is all you can hope for really) <3% broken PS3s and 30% broken 360s.

360 has got better, PS3 has got worse, I don't think it would be unfair to say 5-10% for PS3 and 15-20% for 360. You will never get an accurate figure as so many people will say "but mine hasn't broke" as a counter argument and use examples of "people they know".

Various firms that repair consoles (3rd parties) have reported figures as well, which you may be able to find on google, I am sure joystiq.com has had articles when such companies release figures.

Disclaimer: I don't know much about Wii failure rates, but I suspect they are lower than 360/PS3 as you don't hear/read much about them (and unlike 360 and PS3 they haven't made it onto BBC Watchdog, yet :) ). The figures I have given are just vague approximations, I am sure others will have a different opinion, but I think they are fair based on what I know and have read.


rp2000
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I think rp has hit the nail on the head pretty bang on with his post Link.

I'd also add that I wouldn't really worry about failure rate in the long run, I've had 2 Xboxs go since launch, and always had them replaced quickly by Microsoft. My PS3's still going fine, but I've seen other people that have had more failures than their Xbox.

I'd say it's more of a slight annoyance when they fail than a major problem. Some people just seem to be unlucky with them though. :)
 
You know if your 360 dosn't die as fast as M$ would like they ban your console for no reason and say you broke some rule but don't tell you what you did. =D In most cases I found games seem to look and run better on the 360. The reason I'm getting rid of it is I find the PS3 to be more practical. As in it does everything. I haven't found out how to get it to tidy up my place yet though. :(
 
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