Xbox 360 "add on fans"

VR3

Ok, I'm sorry - Im all for adding life to components and such, but these aftermarket fans (3 small fans BTW) to extend the life and keep the xbox cooler just seems retarded to me honestly...

I seriously dont get it. Just seems like a way to waste money and get even LOUDER fan noise along with it.

Is there any real merit to this? Does the 360 really run THAT hot?

disneyjoe7

Heat is one issue, but to me power interruptions are worse for a Hard Drive device.

Kris Siegel

The failure rate of XBox 360 consoles due to heat is well under the accepted failure rate for any product. You're more likely to break your iPod than your XBox 360. Everyone seems to think the XBox 360 has some huge problem with heat but it was blown out of proportion by the media.

Keep the XBox 360 in a well ventilated area (don't put inside an enclosed entertainment center) and you'll be fine. The fans are not needed and are only there to play on the fears of consumers.

mutelight

Kris Siegel wrote:

Everyone seems to think the XBox 360 has some huge problem with heat but it was blown out of proportion by the media.

Yup exactly, everyone was thinking that the problem was due to overheating which made the 360s fail but it was an error during the manufacturing process. You shouldn't have to worry about heat issues and if you do you have a faulty piece of hardware.

VR3

I figured that was what it was....

Thanks for confirming. Ive been in EB and Gamestop a few times and everytime Ive had to comment on the rediculousness of these fan extention things..

Demiurge

EVERY system that's released has claims of all of these massive problems. 999,999 times out of 1,000,000 it's bull. These companies don't spend millions and millions of dollars on R & D only to shoot themselves in the foot when they release their products to the consumer. They are severely tested in conditions that the average user will never put the units under in an entire lifetime of use.

We're going to hear the same stuff about the PS3.

PolkThug

I HAVE to have a fan on my standard Xbox, it goes into protect mode after 15-20 minutes if I don't.

Mjr7531

Well, there is a problem with heat, and there is a problem with manufacturing.

Basically, you can't put the XBox in an entertainment cabinet like you could older consoles, otherwise it will cause failure, where the fans should help. http://gear.ign.com/articles/703/703791p1.html
Will it? Hard telling.

The manufacturing problems, heh, well, it was/is? a big problem, there are many people that have had problems with their 360s, one guys had four faulty 360s in a row! However I'll give credit where it's due, Microsoft has been very good about helping people when they have broken down systems.

Demiurge

I doubt anyone would put a wood case around their PC without adequete ventilation either. That's just common sense.

As far as the problems with them -- I wonder how factual it all is. I don't know anyone who has had an issue (I know there are), and nobody here has had one that I can remember. For something supposedly so common it's uncommon unless someone heard or read somewhere.

lanion

I have to heat up my old xbox to get it started. It is very strange.

tommyboy

two words.... extended warranty.

Why wouldn't microsoft make a big deal about this when they can earn pure profit with their extended warranties.;)

bknauss

tommyboy wrote:

two words.... extended warranty.

Why wouldn't microsoft make a big deal about this when they can earn pure profit with their extended warranties.;)

MS offers extended warranties? I thought it was the seller that offered them.

Demiurge

It is. Best Buy, Circuit City, etc. offer their own, not M-Soft.

PhantomOG

not to start a brand name war, but my original 8-bit NES system still works after 17 years. I know M$ and Sony have pretty much taken over the console market, but they both sure as hell could learn alot from Nintendo about product testing/durability.

tommyboy

Demiurge wrote:

It is. Best Buy, Circuit City, etc. offer their own, not M-Soft.

No, microsoft offers their own. I got a sheet with my original xbox that offered a two year warranty with microsoft(i didn't get it of course). and when a friend of mine got the 360, he got their extended warranty, maybe you just missed the sheet offering it...

edit: heres a link showing their warranty...

http://www.xbox.com/en-CA/support/extwarranty.htm

I love it, 52 dollars for a two year warranty!

Demiurge

You're right, I never got the sheet. The only people trying to sell me a warrant was Comp. USA, and I didn't buy it.

Every piece of electronics you buy comes with an extended warranty offering. It's not mandatory.

punk-roc

people who arent smart enough to keep their systems well ventilated may benefit from the extra fans. My 360 was locking up occasionally, after both extended play time and sometimes short play time, and it was just sitting on the alone on the top rack of my unenclosed equipment rack.

It was on its side so only one sides vents were free to air, i propped my xbox off the rack and its been fine with no lock-ups since...

Just some mostly worthless, anecdotal story about a cheaper way to approach the heat issue, they do get mighty warm though

Jason

VR3

Extended Warranities are a joke...

If you own a piece of electronic equipment that breaks within 10 years, you bought garbage. Or a defective unit. IMO.

mutelight

PhantomOG wrote:

not to start a brand name war, but my original 8-bit NES system still works after 17 years. I know M$ and Sony have pretty much taken over the console market, but they both sure as hell could learn alot from Nintendo about product testing/durability.

Well you also have to consider that the original NES isn't even remotely as complex as the modern systems. A 3.2Ghz triple core CPU with a 500MHz GPU generates a lot more heat than a 5.37MHz CPU.