Vertical or Horizontal?!

[Juskin]

I have all 3 next current consoles, but I still have yet to figure out this seemingly simple question. I used to keep all my consoles horizontal to help keep the disks from scratching.

Then I hear about vertical being best for each console in order to keep them from overheating.

I guess what I'm trying to ask is which way is really best for the games and the console. Should I switch it up every so often? Or keep it one way.

Also, feel free to post which way each of your consoles sits. Let's make this an insightful thread, folks!

[Trebuken]

I got my 360 at launch, keep it horizontal and it works fine though I have seen an occasional red light in the ring.

Got my Wii a couple months after launch, keep it vertical and it has had issues. Presumbably from the GPU overheating, but it could be the component cables...

Launch window PS3 is horizontal and never had a hiccup.

Maybe we can gather some statistics and see if it matters...

[Pantechnicon]

I've never placed a disc-based console vertical and don't think I ever could. I guess it's just a holdover from my days as one of the last generation that listened to music on LP's.

As for the question of overheating, I'm not too knowledgeable about the science of air currents in small spaces, but it seems to me like a console with a horizontal orientation would dissipate heat faster than one that's positioned vertically. I reason thus: Warm air rises above cool air, so heat coming off of a horizontal system board is going to get pushed up and out in a shorter amount of time than a vertical system which will actually pass heated air from the ground level not just up, but across the components on the surface of the board (conceivably warming components past tolerances) before dissipating out the narrower surface area at the high point of the unit.

I'm not sure I did a good job of explaining that.

[Sudo]

My PS3 and 360 are both horizontal. I had my Wii vertical before I sold it, though.

[skaar]

Horizontal for all.

Why stress the drive if you don't need to?

[carlcarlson]

The only one I have is a 360, and it will forever stay horizontal. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think gravity likes vertical disks spinning at 1000s of rpms.

[ProgrammingAce]

it doesn't *really* matter which way you have them, but if they're horizontal, they can't fall over. Thus, i keep them all flat.

[Juskin]

Horizontal for all.

Why stress the drive if you don't need to?

Well, that's a good point. But you also have to consider that consoles overheat easier when they're horizontal, or so I've been told.

[dlopez9069]

my wii and 360 stay vertical. haven't had any problems so far, although I do flip my wii if I want to play GC.

I personally think that the whole fear of puting them vertically is soething that used to be true and for some reason people still believe it. Technology has come a long way and problems like that have for the most part been fixed.

[DKTheArcadeRat]

I have my Wii vertical in the supplied stand, haven't had any problems. My 360 is horizontal, and haven't had any problems, as long as the areas the systems are in allow for ventillation, they should not overheat unless dust or such accumulates.

dave

[GnawRadar]

360 stays horizontal and my Wii stays vertical, if I had a PS3 it would be horizontal due to how big it is I would rather have it horizontal and not risk it falling over.

[skaar]

Looking at the inside of the 360 it seems like the cooling would be better served being horizontal.

But then again, desktop cases for PCs are theoretically better for heat... but try to find one. I still hate running drives sideways. I'm old and set in my ways.

[HYB]

All horizontal. They go better with my classics, and so far my launch 360 is liking the horizontal. I've discovered the first RRODs in my friend cirle, console in vertical position. The ones that have had it horizontally never had any problems. Wii also sits on top of the 360 much more nicer horizontally.

[Juskin]

Ok, so far horizontal is winning!

I'm actually going to test my Wii out horizontally. I keep hearing weird disk drive noises, perhaps they'll go away when I do this...

[MeTmKnice]

With slot-load devices i do not believe it really matters, or with items were the disc "clicks" into place. However, I believe for systems like the fat PS2 or the 360 there could be a problem at some point. Most of the time, it is more due to vibration that affects scratching and playback.

[segagamer]

Horizontal for my consoles as well...

[Ze_ro]

Then I hear about vertical being best for each console in order to keep them from overheating.

Well, I don't know about that... with the 360, the edge that you'd have to stand it on for it to be vertical is mostly composed of exhaust holes... so if you stand it vertically, those are all blocked. With it standing up, I suppose there is more airflow around the system as a whole... which is more important? I have no idea.

At any rate, all my "vertical-capable" systems are currently horizontal. Not for any specific reason other than they fit best that way in my setup.

--Zero

[Cinder6]

A while back, somebody did thermal imaging of a vertical and horizontal PS3, and found that the vertical system was much hotter than the horizontal one. Here's the link. Judge for yourself whether it's an accurate set of tests.

As for me, I keep my systems horizontal. With the 360 and PS3, they're much too long to fit vertical, plus I think they look silly that way (and I'd imagine loading a disc into a vertical tray would get annoying; at least with the PS3, it's a feeding mechanism). Plus, I have cats. Cats don't mix well with things you don't want knocked over

[CelticJobber]

I have my PS3 in vertical position, merely because I have a severe lack of space on my entertainment center and that's the only way I could make it fit. I haven't had any problems so far...