Just got a Used Xbox...

[slip81]

I did a serch and couldn't find anything so I figured I'd start a new topic. I just got a used Xbox from Gamestop today and it seems to work fine and has a Samsung drive. I've heard before that most of the drives that were in the Xboxes had a tendency to give DRE's except for one. Was the Samsung the good drive, or should I return the thing and pay the extra $30 for a brand new system?

P.S. Panzer Dragoon Orta rules :)

[atomicthumbs]

It's always nice getting a brand spankin' new system. It's worth the extra $30 for the assurance that no one has slapped your console around... Except you.

[tholly]

i would return for a brand new only if the new one has a samsung or phillips drive in it


dont get a thompson drive new or used


samsung used is a good drive, so if you do keep it, i will feel pretty confident in it

[Half Japanese]

A Winner Is You.


Samsung > Philips > Thomson. I had a few DRE's with my Thomson (that thing hated Genma Onimusha) and I've only had one problem with my Philips (wouldn't read Evil Dead, the game, which I promptly returned).

Great purchase, but now you are presented with a fork in the road:

Do you get Xbox Live and enjoy the wonders of online play

-OR-

Do you choose the dark side of hacking the Xbox, exploiting it for near-unlimited entertainment possibilities?


Halo 2 means I'll be stuck with the first choice for a loooong time.

[DigitalSpace]

Congrats! The Samsung drive is great.

[slip81]

Well I have to go back to gamestop and return it. As of this morning the drive will not open when the button is pressed, the LED just flashes green and the thing makes a sound likes it's trying to open but won't. So it looks like a spanky new system for me. I'm kind of bummed though cause this one came with the small controller and preloaded with cool music and saves. At least I'll have a nice new one under warranty. Anyone know what drives they stick in the new ones now?

This will also be the last time I buy a used system from Sony or Microsoft too, went through 3 used PS2's before I got fed up and payed the $300.00 for a new one. My used GCN on the other hand is great.

[SoulBlazer]

I think you just had a bad experience. I walked into my local EB about six months ago and came away with a refurbished XBox with a Samsung drive. Unit has been PERFECT for me so far, and I saved nice money by getting a used system.

I agree I would'nt buy a PS2 used, but I think you just had some bad luck.

Ask the clerk if they have any refurbished systems and to check the drives of each one to see what they have. My EB did for me. ;)

[bigdaddychester]

am I missing the post about how to tell the difference between the 3 drives short of opening up the xbox?

do all the brand new models come with a samsung or phillips drive?

[slip81]

am I missing the post about how to tell the difference between the 3 drives short of opening up the xbox?

do all the brand new models come with a samsung or phillips drive?

Samsung drives have holes in the tray, philips and thompsons have rings in the tray and are almost identical, the only difference is that the width of the smaller ring on the thompson is bigger.

Drive Pics (http://www.llamma.com/xbox/Repairs/xbox_dvd_version_comparison.htm)


I think you just had a bad experience. I walked into my local EB about six months ago and came away with a refurbished XBox with a Samsung drive. Unit has been PERFECT for me so far, and I saved nice money by getting a used system.

I agree I would'nt buy a PS2 used, but I think you just had some bad luck.

Ask the clerk if they have any refurbished systems and to check the drives of each one to see what they have. My EB did for me.

I think I got the last used system they had, if they have another I will definately do that and check the drive before I leave. If not though I don't mind paying the extra money for a new one. I think it's a shame though that the consumer has to go to such lengths now to ensure the quality of a relatively exspensive item. When you pay two or three hundred bucks for something I think it should work properly for more than a few years.

[spoon]

I bought my brother a used xbox with a samsung drive about 6 months ago. Thing works like a champ.

[Kamino]

i went with a brand new one in jan 04.
Oh yeah, and get TOEJAM AND EARL THREE....\m/

[gamegirl79]

Great purchase, but now you are presented with a fork in the road:

Do you get Xbox Live and enjoy the wonders of online play

-OR-

Do you choose the dark side of hacking the Xbox, exploiting it for near-unlimited entertainment possibilities?


It's possible to have the best of both worlds by installing an on/off switch for the modchip. :)

[Leo_A]

"At least I'll have a nice new one under warranty. Anyone know what drives they stick in the new ones now? "

Can't really answer that completely, but they're still using Phillips drives.

Bought a new Xbox this weekend with NCAA Football 2005 and Top Spin packed in, and it was a Phillips.

[The Manimal]

I would prefer NEW but I will probably end up going USED because I want a Samsung drive :(


Though I wonder if it would be better for piece of mind if I bought a NEW one and then buy a used one with a Samsung drive (if the new one doesn't have it) and swap it out -_-

[SegaAges]

i got a halo edition xbox for 175 from wal-mart. i never opened it up to get more games since it was a le version. everybody and their mother play games online now, and i would suggest you not hacking the box for that reason alone. as soon as i get my xbox live, i will be schooling dp'ers in some capcom vs snk 2, so be ready dude.

[The Manimal]

Can't you do both with the hard drive?


I don't understand this X Box Live VS Emulator/ROM thing...

[slip81]

Well I returned the faulty system to Gamestop and got a full refund because they didn't have any systems new or used. So I went over to EB and they were also out of new and used systems so I got a factory reconditions one for the same price ($119.19) plus the $15 one year waranty. I get the thing home open it up and, BAM! Thompsons drive. Oh well :( I'm gonna crss my fingers though becuase it seems to work fine, and it is factory fixed and under a year warranty so I figure ifthe drive is gonna crap out it will do so before Nov 2005. Hopefully I can be one of the few who gets a good thompson. Wish me luck :)

If this one craps out though I'm gonna make it a point to open up the box in the store and have them plug it in to check the drive, the only reason I didn't this time is because it was all sealed and everything and I was with other people who were in a rush.

[SoulBlazer]

That's why I picked a quiet time to go into my EB....when the manager himself was there, knew me quite well, and had no objection (since the store was dead) to plugging in a couple XBoxs and looking at their drives.

Good luck on your purchase. That one year warrenty is better then anything you would get with it new.

[goatdan]

So I went over to EB and they were also out of new and used systems so I got a factory reconditions one for the same price ($119.19) plus the $15 one year waranty. I get the thing home open it up and, BAM! Thompsons drive. Oh well :(

I would suggest borrowing a DVD remote and checking out some DVDs in it right away. The Thompsons that are crappy tend to not work with a lot of movies (suggested picks for stuff that doesn't work properly: Lord of the Rings Extended Versions and disk 3 or 4, commentary tracks on just about anything, short TV show things like Simpsons or whatever).

[goatdan]

Bought a new Xbox this weekend with NCAA Football 2005 and Top Spin packed in, and it was a Phillips.

Oh hey...

Slightly off topic, but do these two come on a single disc? I've been wanting to pick up Top Spin, but I don't want to pay a ton for it. I picked up Jet Set Radio Future / Sega GT and Star Wars / Tetris for under $5.00 apiece around town, and would love to know that I'll be getting these two in a year for that price ;)

[Leo_A]

Yeah, they came on one disc.

[slip81]

That's why I picked a quiet time to go into my EB....when the manager himself was there, knew me quite well, and had no objection (since the store was dead) to plugging in a couple XBoxs and looking at their drives.

Good luck on your purchase. That one year warrenty is better then anything you would get with it new.

the store wasn't busy, I was with friends who had to be someplace else at a certain time so I couldn't dilly dally.


I would suggest borrowing a DVD remote and checking out some DVDs in it right away. The Thompsons that are crappy tend to not work with a lot of movies (suggested picks for stuff that doesn't work properly: Lord of the Rings Extended Versions and disk 3 or 4, commentary tracks on just about anything, short TV show things like Simpsons or whatever).

That's not really a concern for me. I don't plan on ever having to run a DVD movie disk through it. I already have a dedicated DVD player for region 1 films and a PS2 to play multi region DVD's

[omnedon]

Thomsons take 18 months to 2.5 years to die usually.

[TheJuggala]

It also depends on how much you use it; all the ones i have fixed the people usually play alot (mostly college kids) and it craps out faster, i myself have one which is a thompson.

Bought it used 7 months ago used from someone who thought it was broken and have yet to have problems, of course i only use it like a few times a month.

IMO Samsung is the best you can put in and it's the one i always put in when an xbox needs a new drive.

[slip81]

Well I don't plan on playing feverishly everyday so hopefully that will extend the life of the system, and if the drive does die on me after a year it doesn't seem to hard to replace it, at which point I can put a Samsung in. I was also reading on an Xbox repair site that the newer Thompson's are better than the old ones. So hopefully the combination of casual use and taking good care of it will make it last, cause I really want to enjoy my Xbox.

Now all I have to do is make sure to get it modded before next Nov, that way if I mess it up I can get another. My main reason for buying the thing was to turn it into an emulator, and to play the cool exclusive games :)