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General discussion

360 Elite or 360 Preminum???

May 30, 2007 10:34AM PDT

Aliright, I'm not a huge gamer, just a caual one. I think the only factor for me in this is the ports and hd sizes. We don't have a HDTV yet, but the compent video cable is probaly ok for me. Now, I don't think I will be downloading a bucnch of shows and music, plus I can always upgrade to the 120gb later. Plus, I think I may like the white color better. Any help wanted. Thanks

treemen

Discussion is locked

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I'd say...
May 30, 2007 11:08AM PDT

If you don't plan on watching HD-DVD movies via the HD-DVD accessory, don't worry about the HDMI port on the Elite. And if you're not planning on downloading a lot of content off Xbox Live, a 20GB HDD will be more than adequate for game saves and what not. Replacing the Xbox HDD might be a bit more difficult than you think it is, but it can be done as well.

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However...
May 31, 2007 1:59AM PDT

If you do believe that someday you might want to upgrade to the 120 gigabyte hard drive, then cost-wise it only makes sense to buy the elite. The cost of the 20 gigabyte hard drive is $100. The cost of the 120 gigabyte hard drive is $180. The ratio between size and cost is way better in the 120 gigabyte hard drive. Also, even if you only download little content from Live, when moving the content to the other hard drive you will always have to sign into Live to view that old content. This is for security reasons. So for $80 more, you will get 100 more gigabytes. And besides the point... I like the black better than the white. The black fits better in most entertainment systems.

~ecnerd09

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Except...
May 31, 2007 2:46AM PDT

First off, the 360 uses laptop HDDs for heat and size reasons, so those prices seem a bit low for those components. Second, six months from now, those prices will likely be quite a bit less.

The main drawback I see, is that it's not exactly as simple as just swapping one drive in for the other if you do it yourself. You'll have to find a program that can format the new drive in a way that the 360 wants it, and copy the dashboard files over.

I suppose there's also the possibility that you could be banned from Xbox Live, because it might cause some of the records about your system not to match. If you don't activate an Xbox Live account until after putting in the new drive, it probably won't be a problem, but if you do it after... Who knows. Microsoft tends to ban first, and never ask questions later. If it's a mass ban operation, they might offer some flimsy excuse.

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You are Mistaken
May 31, 2007 12:18PM PDT

The prices I mentioned are not low. They are correct. With the release of the elite was also the release of the 120 gigabyte hard drive sold separately. Again, the 20 gigabyte hard drive is $100 and the 120 gigabyte hard drive is $180. Both these products are sold specifically for the Xbox 360. Also these prices will most likely not drop in six months. Microsoft sells these products not for direct profit. The profit they make is from the games themselves. The Xbox is sold at a very reasonable price and will probably remain there until a new series of game system is released in a few years. When buying an Xbox 360, regardless of being a core, premium, or elite system, you will get what you pay for and that will not change. In other words, the price will remain to be fixed on these consoles.

Secondly, there is no main drawback to swapping hard drives ( other than the one I mentioned previously about the old Live content that can only be accessed once signed-in ). The 120 gigabyte hard drive will come with a transfer disk and a hard drive connectivity cable. All you have to do is hook up two hard drives to one console using the included cable, pop in the transfer disk, follow the on-screen instructions, and then you wait until the transfer is complete. The previous 20 gigabyte hard drive will be wiped and your old data will now be on the 120 gigabyte hard drive. Obviously, since this process was intended to happen, one will not get banned from Live.

In conclusion, if someone is debating over buying a premium or elite console, I will strongly advise them to buy the elite. It's very well worth the extra $80. The extra storage will be very handy especially since there is so much to download for FREE from Live ( game demos, game trailers, game extensions, and miscellaneous items).

~ecnerd09

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not really difficult...
Jun 15, 2007 12:56AM PDT

replacing the harddrive wouldne be difficult,just expensive considering the 120gb harddrive is $149.

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From an owners perspective
Jun 12, 2007 5:52AM PDT

I have been a Xbox 360 owner for some time now and congratulate you choosing the better console Wink Anyways the Elite is a better buy IF you do not already have a Xbox 360 console. The 20GB hard drive fills a lot faster then you think it will (Trust me I have one) You have to remember that the HDD not only stores your: game saves, Xbox Live Arcade Games, Demos, Gave trailers, Movies, Music and a lot more, but it also holds the software of the Xbox 360. The Elite is a better buy. I will soon be buying the 120GB HDD to replace my 20GB HDD.

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20gb hard drive
Jun 15, 2007 12:58AM PDT

the so called 20gb harddrive is not 20gb's. its more like 14. when mine was smack empty when i first got it it said I only had 14 gb's remaining.

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Uh
Jun 15, 2007 6:27AM PDT

That is because the HDD has approximately 6-7GB of space that is used for system files, much like a PC HD.

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uh no
Jun 15, 2007 12:46PM PDT

no, if that was the case then how would the core system operate...it doesnt have a hard drive.

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Thats not the case
Jul 19, 2007 4:04PM PDT

The HDD plays a big part in the performance of the system because it is used for caching and stuff. Thats why take-two was troubled when developing GTA4 for the 360 because some systems don't have HDDs.

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Stay Premium
Jun 26, 2007 2:07PM PDT

The elite docent strike me as a system for core gamers really. It gives me more of a media center to me. People download big hd movies and they keep them rather than delete them even though they are linked to your account. As a gamer i would keep the premium, if you want you can wait until maybe the holiday season and the core will be dropped and the elite will be the new premium and the premium the core replacement.

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I dont think thats the case
Jul 1, 2007 9:26PM PDT

I am pretty sure Microsoft loses money when it sells an xbox. I do not think that they will lower the price unless the components themselves become cheaper.

Also, the Elite is for a gamer. With all that space you can keep all your demos and game trailers.

ecnerd09

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elite
Jul 10, 2007 8:11PM PDT

go for the elite.