Getting a second-hand X-Box

[Tatsu]

Could this be a problem? I heard some stuff about cheap hard-disks or other hardware problem with older models. Now I've seen a used X-Box at my local cash converter store and thinking about buying it. It is tested and it also has a 30 days varanty on it. But it is without box and I don't know how old it is. Did they change anything regarding newer X-Boxes and is it maybe risky to buy a second-hand one? Any infos would be nice since I don't know much about the X-Box.

[chrisbid]

if you are looking to eventually mod the machine, you may be better off with an older xbox

[njiska]

The claim that old xbox's suffer from bad hardware is a blatant lie. Of the 3 current manufactuers only Sony uses cheap parts. I think anyone who has had a PS2 for over a year or so can attest to that.

While it's true that some xbox's have had their drive fail, the number of occurance is fairly low and it falls well within the normal failure rate for any HDD. In otherwords the chance of drive failure is really low.

If you're planning on modding the xbox it won't matter because you'll probably replace the drive anyways.

I've had a model 1.0 xbox that was manufactured in AUG 02 and it's just fine, no hints of failure or anything. In fact the xbox is suprisingly well built. You can drop a 50lbs weight on it and it'll still work just fine (thank you xplay).

If i were you i wouldn't worry about it. I myself am planning on purchasing a second xbox second hand and i'm not the least bit worried.

Hope this is useful.

[Tatsu]

This is very helpfull, thanks a lot! :) I have an old PS2 that is still working very well (got it used two years ago). And if Sony uses cheap parts that still work, then Microsoft can't be bad with expensive (or normal) parts. So I'll go for it, I hope they still have it when I'm off from work!

[tholly]

im a complete fan of xbox (i have 3 different colored consoles) and id have to say that unless you plan to mod the system, just save your money and invest in a new one

i cant recommend buying a used xbox

i meticulously take care of all my system, and one of my xboxes got the dreaded DRE

[goatdan]

I am personally a fan of buying new when you can. The difference in price between a new and a used Xbox is not usually that much, and you can usually find an Xbox with some pack in games that will make it nearly the same.

The thing is that while I will agree that the Xbox has some solid hardware, I am always worried about the person that owned it before you. I don't mind buying used if there is no option or if you know where it is coming from, but if you get an Xbox that has been beat to death it may not work for long.

Unless you can save more than $30.00, I would go with the new. Also, what type of controller does it come with? If you want a Controller S (as you probably do) and the used one comes with a hamburger controller, you will have to spent another $30.00 to get a new controller S (or about $25 for a used one).

[bargora]

My advice would be to check which model of DVD drive the Xbox has. I'm not aware of any problems with the hard disk, but the Thompson drive is the least reliable of the three models of drive that Microsoft uses in their Xboxes. I had to replace mine after about a year of use. I realize that this is only anecdotal, but many others have experienced the same thing. Search the internet for Xbox and Thompson and DDE (dirty or damaged disc error).

You can tell what kind of drive the Xbox has by examining the tray.

http://www.llamma.com/xbox/Repairs/xbox_dvd_version_comparison.htm

I would only buy an Xbox used if it had a Samsung or Phillips DVD drive.

[SoulBlazer]

Exactly why I bought a used XBox when I got mine about a year ago. I wanted one with a Samsung drive, so I went to my local EB (and it helps I am well known there) and the manager personaly checked all of their used systems for me till we found one with a Samsung. It was refurbished, had a one year warrenty from EB, and the S type Controller. That system along with five games only cost me $160. :D

[TheJuggala]

The only bad thing i have to say about older xboxes is if they haven't already been updated with the latest Xbox Live, then i'd be hesitant. My older one that i bought didn't have it and when it tried to install it, it totaly F*&#$(# it up.

I've also helped fix a bunch at my college that did the same thing. Other than that, i would reccomed buying it used to save money.

[njiska]

Actually it's usually not a problem to udate an older model to the new version of live. I've done it several times now on a whole range of different model xbox's and i have never had a a problem. As for DVD Drive Reliability. My Thompson is just fine. The only problem that is has is that it's not very complatible with CDR media, however the samsung drive is highly uncompatible with DVD+R/RW media.

So i'd say if you're not modding try to find one with the Samsung drive since it'd be more useful to you.

If you are modding go with the older thompson drive unless you have a burner that allows you to change the DVD+r/rw Book type to DVD rom. Incidently if you change the book type it'll make a DVD+r work on a lot of devices that don't normally read them.

[jonjandran]

So i'd say if you're not modding try to find one with the Samsung drive since it'd be more useful to you.

If you are modding go with the older thompson drive unless you have a burner that allows you to change the DVD+r/rw Book type to DVD rom. Incidently if you change the book type it'll make a DVD+r work on a lot of devices that don't normally read them.

This might possibly be the worst advice about an Xbox that I've ever read.

NEVER buy a used Xbox with a Thompson Drive. You may get lucky but the odds are that it will have DRE or develop them.

[njiska]

DRE problems are not as common as everybody seems to think. In fact of the many xbox's i've/handled i've never experienced it. Ii don't even know anyone who has experienced it. Now i'll admit that the Thompson does experience errors while the samsung doesn't, but it's A: Not very common and B: the abilkity to read DVD+r's with out adjusting the booktype is worth the minor risk.

DRE is a problem but it's minor compared to what you might think. It's an Xbox, not a PS2.

[jonjandran]

DRE problems are not as common as everybody seems to think. In fact of the many xbox's i've/handled i've never experienced it. Ii don't even know anyone who has experienced it. Now i'll admit that the Thompson does experience errors while the samsung doesn't, but it's A: Not very common and B: the abilkity to read DVD+r's with out adjusting the booktype is worth the minor risk.

DRE is a problem but it's minor compared to what you might think. It's an Xbox, not a PS2.

I repair them and deal with people who do the same...... It may not be as bad as the PS2 , but a lot of Thompson drives will go bad after a year or two.... I'd say it's a big enough problem that I would NEVER recommend a used Xbox with a Thompson drive to ANYONE ....

[njiska]

I guess we'll just agree to disagree then. no point arguing over it. When it all boils down to it the big difference between your opinion and mine is the risk. I'm willing to risk the thompson failure because i've never known anyone who experienced it and i want dvd+r compatibility. You've had problems and you don't think it's worth the risk. So what do you say we leave it at that?

[sabre2922]

My XBOX is over 2 years old now and has been through hell and back and has been passed around like a 2 dollar whore LOL compared to my PS2 which has never left the house.
one of my friends borrowed it for 3 months and had his PS2 SETTING ON TOP OF MY XBOX :angry: then another friend had it at his "party pad" and it kept getting stepped on and one of the controllers was burned by a friggin cigarette.
Ive had to clean it inside and out 3 times in the last 3 months.
The drive opens a little slower I guess and its a little louder when playing Mechassault and a few other games for some reason but other than that it still works fine.
So all in all I would say that ther are pretty tough.
Also my current Xbox has the Samsung drive.
My first Xbox had the Thomson drive and I never had any problems with it for the year that I had it.

[squidblatt]

My Thomson drive gave me DDEs the moment I took it out of the box. When I called support, the rep said they'd been getting "a lot" of calls about the problem, and that I should send it in right away. Reps will now refuse to admit that they ever heard of the problem. It was no hassle since it was under warranty to have them replace it with another drive, which happened to be another Thomson. A few weeks later, I had to send it in to get the video card replaced. About six months after the warranty expired, I began getting DDEs again, but didn't do anything about it since I didn't want to pay for the repair. Now the DDEs are so common that virtually any game is unplayable, so I'm going to have to get a new system. I will definately avoid the Thomson drives if I can help it. If you do even the slightest amount of research on the topic, you will find more than enough evidence of the poor quality of Thomson drives to warrant caution.

Oh, and it may be revealing to note that when I posted my experience in very sober terms on the xbox.com forums, it was deleted immediately.

[jdc]

I bought a used Thompson-drive XboX......and it's never had a single hiccup. It was a rental machine for a Blockbuster store. (this was back when the new price was still really expensive and it was a way to afford one)

It's got not so much to do with the brand of drive.....but the user history of the machine. Just like a used car, how did the previous owner treat it? Most gamers that I've seen are very neglectful of their hardware and software....all the while claiming to "take good care of their stuff". How many people run a cleaner through their systems after every 10 hours of gameplay, as per manufacturer's recommendations? How many people limit the time that the machine is running without a break? Not many.

It's all luck of the draw when buying a used machine because there are too many unknown variables.

I wouldn't buy a used XboX today because there has been enough time for the majority of them to be abused. A replacement guarantee is small consolation for a crapped out used XboX if I've already got a month's worth of game saves on the HD. You can't be reimbursed for those.

[Tatsu]

I've allready bought the X-Box and in the beginning I was really afraid it allready is broke. It couldn't read the disk and then the game froze after some minutes (it's a used game with some small scratches on it). I tried again since the second try everything works just fine. I don't have a clue which drive it has but as long as it works I don't care...

[SoulBlazer]

Well, we can help you with that. What does the tray look like when it's open? Does it have a large opening, a small opening, or a opening with two circle holes on both sides?

I just hope you got a warrenty on it. A one year warrenty from EB for mine really helped with peace of mind.