Alright. Since I bought my Xbox 360 off ebay I decided to do research and found several thousand more units for reasonable prices, so I figured.. if these are gonna sell, why not give tips to people on the forum, in hopes they get what they really want?
So.. here it is! The Ebay and Generalized Xbox 360 buyer's guide V1.0
This is not a complete list.
This is not professionally done.
This is just the typical first things to look at.
First off, there are a lot of systems with the label "Platinum" ... as far as I know, there is no such version of the Xbox 360. They MIGHT be refering to the "Platinum Package" that was a Premium Console available with a couple of games for the Holiday Seasons, however this has yet to be confirmed.
Arcade.
This unit has no Harddrive, but essentially is the same as the others, the benefit of having a harddrive is to save your gamer profile on (you can also do this with removable memory cards) and to be able to download content for games for bonus features, and of course, import your own videos/music/pictures to view/listen to on your 360. Harddrives are transferable, and if buying NEW I highly recommend a Arcade version, here is why. They DO have a internal memory of 256MB for saving information, but this won't be enough for downloadable content.
Arcade versions are the most likely to have the new Jasper board, you can identify if it does by peeking through the hole in the box and looking at the power area, if it says 12.1A it has the new Jasper board. The benefit of this board is fantastic, less heat from the use of a better formed system, which helps keep from Overheating and possibly even RROD on you. You can later pick up a harddrive (even a 20GB will work for most people, about 1/2 the 20GB is used for Xbox related things, and 11GB is a lot of room for Download content and music, and remember any DLC you buy you can always re download anytime, so if your pressed for space, you can delete it for games you no longer play as much, and then if you go back you can re-download and play again)
Here is a image of the 12.1A you will look for:
Most old Arcades also come with a 256 memory card, so you can store your profiles and such on there, and take to any Xbox 360 and port them over, as well as download unique things from stores just by putting your memory into the designated areas (Wal-Mart has one stating "get your free content here, just plug in your memory card" and has the little slot)
(Sadly the new Jasper boards do NOT come with this. 512MB versions sell for $30=$50 around my area, Missouri)
Arcade versions also come with some Demo Games and some Freebie fun for all games, so if you don't get the games you REALLY want right now, you can still enjoy gaming.
Premium/Pro consoles.
Pro is just the saying "Go Pro" but many advertise as a "Pro Console" some including a 60GB hard drive. You may NOT get a HDMI Port on these systems, some have them, some don't.
Elite console:
These are hyped up versions, there are very little differences between them, despite shell color or minor revisions. All Elite Units (Except Resident Evil 5 versions) can still RROD as they still overheat , and twist and warp the board. Elite consoles come with a huge 120GB harddrive, and that is pretty much the only real difference since the boards still error. These harddrives alone can easily be $140
Resident Evil 5:
This version supposedly has 100% chance of the new Jasper board on top of a Red/Black color scheme and if bought new, the RE5 Video Game. Also includes a whopping Harddrive, but is also the most expensive system.
"Core" systems:
Avoid this at all costs, these are the original Xbox 360 launches, plagued with more problems then any other, and will likely make so you so angry you will throw it out the window, literally. Prone to lock ups, freezing, RROD, E74, and AbuseByUsers that were angry.
The boards:
The boards they come with vary from generation of Xbox to the next. Only recently have the changes been Sufficient enough to actually consider buying a new system and selling your old.
Jasper.
Newest, best. This board uses less power then any other, the reason is the shrunk size in GPU and CPU, without losing performance. Technology advanced and Microsoft Jumped on it for their 360's as a way to Stop RROD. It is unknown if you might still possibly RROD with this board, however, no systems have been reported as of yet as Red Ringing with it, giving us all much hope for it. This board also has HDMI. This board can also use ANY power brick because it has the least power used.
Falcon.
Long sought out after, this WAS the best board, it has HDMI, and a smaller chip for the GPU (or was it CPU... grr I forgot, but one of them is smaller, using less power and causing less heat) These boards have still RROD before, but typically only from Hot/Humid climates and poor air ventilation. This board can use any but the 150W Jasper Power brick.
Zephyr.
This is the board I have, it has HDMI, but the old chips (the larger ones) and over heats easily if anything goes wrong. uses only 203W power brick. I believe all of them have a "secondary GPU Heat sink" which is really just a heat pipe connecting to a small sink for additional cooling.
Now, some detail tips.
If buying off of Ebay, be aware of a few things.
First off, since you plan to play Online with your friends and stuff, make sure any unit you buy has "MS seal in tact" or "Microsoft Seal In Tact". This means the unit has NOT been opened or modded, this means a heap really, I will explain more as we go.
Do not buy "Fan Mods" or "Rapid Fire controller mod" or any other mod for that reason, or a "flashed" drive, reasons for these are being Illegal, or against Microsoft Policy and you will have your Live account banned if found with them. Also, the DVD it comes with is very important, if they replaced the drive, you may not be able to get on Live with your account, without being banned. This is brutal in most cases, it's hard to find out if someone replaced the drive or not.
If you buy one, I highly recommend making a Dummy Xbox live account and trying to log in with it first, to see if it gets banned from live, this way YOUR profile won't be.
If you are buying a Broken System to fix up, STAY AWAY FROM E74, E73, and typically everything but "RROD" where 3 red lights are blinking. Using the Hybrid X-Clamp replacement, you should be able to fix RROD without much trouble at all.
If you don't wanna fix it or mess with that or unsure if you are capable, I would default back to buying a New Arcade version and a Harddrive used from someone here on the forum. (someone you can trust a little better then just Ebay.)
Be careful buying ANYTHING for Xbox 360 on Ebay, almost everything I have looked up (Harddrive, Power bricks, AV cables, Ethernet, etc) all have Cheap knock offs, and worse, illegally modified/refurbished models that I wouldn't trust.
I would not buy anyone else's Xbox 360 from ebay that has "X clamp replacement" You don't know too much on this, which version they used, what parts, and if they did it properly or not, this could come back and bite you hard if your not careful. This is why I look for "MS seal in tact" on things I buy, including Harddrives.
Stay away from "Intercooler" third party Fans, as these have been known to burn systems in the past. This is an accessory, but it needed said.
There will probably be more, but that should be more then an Eye Full to start you out. There are a lot of things I didn't cover, however, covering every possible thing would be insane to do for a thread. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them, here or in PM or just in threads you start, we will be glad to answer anything you can throw at us.
So.. here it is! The Ebay and Generalized Xbox 360 buyer's guide V1.0
This is not a complete list.
This is not professionally done.
This is just the typical first things to look at.
First off, there are a lot of systems with the label "Platinum" ... as far as I know, there is no such version of the Xbox 360. They MIGHT be refering to the "Platinum Package" that was a Premium Console available with a couple of games for the Holiday Seasons, however this has yet to be confirmed.
Arcade.
This unit has no Harddrive, but essentially is the same as the others, the benefit of having a harddrive is to save your gamer profile on (you can also do this with removable memory cards) and to be able to download content for games for bonus features, and of course, import your own videos/music/pictures to view/listen to on your 360. Harddrives are transferable, and if buying NEW I highly recommend a Arcade version, here is why. They DO have a internal memory of 256MB for saving information, but this won't be enough for downloadable content.
Arcade versions are the most likely to have the new Jasper board, you can identify if it does by peeking through the hole in the box and looking at the power area, if it says 12.1A it has the new Jasper board. The benefit of this board is fantastic, less heat from the use of a better formed system, which helps keep from Overheating and possibly even RROD on you. You can later pick up a harddrive (even a 20GB will work for most people, about 1/2 the 20GB is used for Xbox related things, and 11GB is a lot of room for Download content and music, and remember any DLC you buy you can always re download anytime, so if your pressed for space, you can delete it for games you no longer play as much, and then if you go back you can re-download and play again)
Here is a image of the 12.1A you will look for:
Most old Arcades also come with a 256 memory card, so you can store your profiles and such on there, and take to any Xbox 360 and port them over, as well as download unique things from stores just by putting your memory into the designated areas (Wal-Mart has one stating "get your free content here, just plug in your memory card" and has the little slot)
(Sadly the new Jasper boards do NOT come with this. 512MB versions sell for $30=$50 around my area, Missouri)
Arcade versions also come with some Demo Games and some Freebie fun for all games, so if you don't get the games you REALLY want right now, you can still enjoy gaming.
Premium/Pro consoles.
Pro is just the saying "Go Pro" but many advertise as a "Pro Console" some including a 60GB hard drive. You may NOT get a HDMI Port on these systems, some have them, some don't.
Elite console:
These are hyped up versions, there are very little differences between them, despite shell color or minor revisions. All Elite Units (Except Resident Evil 5 versions) can still RROD as they still overheat , and twist and warp the board. Elite consoles come with a huge 120GB harddrive, and that is pretty much the only real difference since the boards still error. These harddrives alone can easily be $140
Resident Evil 5:
This version supposedly has 100% chance of the new Jasper board on top of a Red/Black color scheme and if bought new, the RE5 Video Game. Also includes a whopping Harddrive, but is also the most expensive system.
"Core" systems:
Avoid this at all costs, these are the original Xbox 360 launches, plagued with more problems then any other, and will likely make so you so angry you will throw it out the window, literally. Prone to lock ups, freezing, RROD, E74, and AbuseByUsers that were angry.
The boards:
The boards they come with vary from generation of Xbox to the next. Only recently have the changes been Sufficient enough to actually consider buying a new system and selling your old.
Jasper.
Newest, best. This board uses less power then any other, the reason is the shrunk size in GPU and CPU, without losing performance. Technology advanced and Microsoft Jumped on it for their 360's as a way to Stop RROD. It is unknown if you might still possibly RROD with this board, however, no systems have been reported as of yet as Red Ringing with it, giving us all much hope for it. This board also has HDMI. This board can also use ANY power brick because it has the least power used.
Falcon.
Long sought out after, this WAS the best board, it has HDMI, and a smaller chip for the GPU (or was it CPU... grr I forgot, but one of them is smaller, using less power and causing less heat) These boards have still RROD before, but typically only from Hot/Humid climates and poor air ventilation. This board can use any but the 150W Jasper Power brick.
Zephyr.
This is the board I have, it has HDMI, but the old chips (the larger ones) and over heats easily if anything goes wrong. uses only 203W power brick. I believe all of them have a "secondary GPU Heat sink" which is really just a heat pipe connecting to a small sink for additional cooling.
Now, some detail tips.
If buying off of Ebay, be aware of a few things.
First off, since you plan to play Online with your friends and stuff, make sure any unit you buy has "MS seal in tact" or "Microsoft Seal In Tact". This means the unit has NOT been opened or modded, this means a heap really, I will explain more as we go.
Do not buy "Fan Mods" or "Rapid Fire controller mod" or any other mod for that reason, or a "flashed" drive, reasons for these are being Illegal, or against Microsoft Policy and you will have your Live account banned if found with them. Also, the DVD it comes with is very important, if they replaced the drive, you may not be able to get on Live with your account, without being banned. This is brutal in most cases, it's hard to find out if someone replaced the drive or not.
If you buy one, I highly recommend making a Dummy Xbox live account and trying to log in with it first, to see if it gets banned from live, this way YOUR profile won't be.
If you are buying a Broken System to fix up, STAY AWAY FROM E74, E73, and typically everything but "RROD" where 3 red lights are blinking. Using the Hybrid X-Clamp replacement, you should be able to fix RROD without much trouble at all.
If you don't wanna fix it or mess with that or unsure if you are capable, I would default back to buying a New Arcade version and a Harddrive used from someone here on the forum. (someone you can trust a little better then just Ebay.)
Be careful buying ANYTHING for Xbox 360 on Ebay, almost everything I have looked up (Harddrive, Power bricks, AV cables, Ethernet, etc) all have Cheap knock offs, and worse, illegally modified/refurbished models that I wouldn't trust.
I would not buy anyone else's Xbox 360 from ebay that has "X clamp replacement" You don't know too much on this, which version they used, what parts, and if they did it properly or not, this could come back and bite you hard if your not careful. This is why I look for "MS seal in tact" on things I buy, including Harddrives.
Stay away from "Intercooler" third party Fans, as these have been known to burn systems in the past. This is an accessory, but it needed said.
There will probably be more, but that should be more then an Eye Full to start you out. There are a lot of things I didn't cover, however, covering every possible thing would be insane to do for a thread. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them, here or in PM or just in threads you start, we will be glad to answer anything you can throw at us.
If i had webspace I'd type an "all you need to know about the 360" guide, and include every little detail I could find on the systems, even Release Dates and all that.
