Buying an Xbox 360

Buying an Xbox 360 is on the mind of many avid gamers for good reason. The Xbox 360 is a popular video game console, and Microsoft is continually updating, upgrading and offering more accessories and products for your device than any other manufacturer out there today.

However, despite the Xbox 360 being the most popular in the world video game system that does not mean you should simply run to your dealer of electronic goods and collect the first Xbox 360 that is seen. As with any major purchase decision, research is the key to making an informed buying decision.

Despite the Xbox 360 enjoying unmatched popularity, there are certain things you should consider before ultimately buying your Xbox 360.

Buying an Xbox 360 -Is it right for you?

There are a few models of Xbox available when buying an xbox 360. Every variation of the Xbox or Xbox 360 has features and functions different than the other. And while the new Xbox 360′s should be easy to locate in a wide range of shops, other versions may be hard to locate if out of stock or sold out. Definitely you should investigate exactly what you want before you buy an XBox.

Buying An Xbox 360 -Accessories?

You can enjoy buying an Xbox 360 just for pleasure, but then you have to consider how else to use your Xbox 360. Will you keep it with you at home to play? Will you take with you to the home of a friend, or even work and school? For each use of the Xbox 360, there are many accessories you can buy from stores and protect your device. You have to wonder if you’re willing to spend the extra money for the full range of accessories for Xbox 360 that Microsoft has to offer.

How much is enough for me

Are you a fan of video games, play all you can take all the time? Or do you have a limited amount of games you love? If you are the first, then you want to get an Xbox 360 with the most memory you can afford. The larger the memory capacity, more games you can download, store and play on your Xbox. But if you’re the latter, then you will not have to spend so much on an Xbox 360, since it does not require exceptionally large memory capacity.

Ask what your Xbox 360 CAN DO FOR YOU

We all know that the Xbox 360 is ideal for games and movies. However, the Xbox 360 can be much more than just a gaming system. Xbox 360′s can connect online with the world if you wish. You can shop for Microsoft Xbox 360 items of every fasion if you want. If you want your Xbox 360 to be everything you need, then you should expect to spend extra money for it. However, if you only want your Xbox 360 to play games and nothing else, then you will not have to spend so much money.

No matter what type of XBox 360 you get or how to use, you should do some research before making that purchase. It is never a good thing when you buy something you really do not need, or when you buy something that does not meet your needs and expectations. However, when armed with knowledge, you are sure to buy the XBox 360 right for you.

Buying an xbox 360.

Xbox 360 Freezes

So you just brought a new Xbox 360, and already your Xbox 360 freezes after years of gaming? This is a problem faced by many Xbox owners as of now. It is, fortunately in most cases not your fault. It happens to be in the very design of the Xbox 360. In order to give the Xbox 360, the most elegant look, the developers have all the electronics crammed into a small box pulsed arc.

There are two chips inside the Xbox 360 as you know, the CPU and GPU. These happen to be the most important chips in the console that deal with almost everything that happens within the console. Once the Xbox 360 is playing a long time, the CPU and the GPU starts to get heated, added to the poor ventilation system, which tends to freeze the system as Xbox 360 freezes up graphically. Normally, the system shuts down to prevent damage to critical components. When every time the console is heated, the solder that is there to maintain the components start to break, leading to a flashing red light indicating that the problem needs attention.

Xbox 360 Freezes -why?

There are several reasons why an Xbox 360 freezes, you do not need the hardware overheating repair all of the time. The first reason, of course, is the reason just discussed above, the overheating of the GPU and CPU, which is a major reason why the Xbox 360 freezes. Sometimes it is the dvd that would create the problem. If you've been popping a striped or almost broken disc into the console and waiting to play a game high SPF, please do not blame your system.

In most cases, the issue of freezing is related to the updates that are required to play a particular game. When changes are required for the proper functioning of the game is not available in the console, there are plenty of possibilities for the console being frozen. One more reason that may cause the problem of freezing is the issue of cache. Whenever the cache of the Xbox is full, the game you are playing, will not be able to load the temporary resources in the cache, therefore, your Xbox 360 freezes.

There are many ways that you can fix xbox 360 freezes problems. You need not have to rush to the repair shop giving away huge sums of money to some repair guy for an issue you can repair yourself in a matter of minutes. It is good advice for you if you can make a quick search on it, and find some videos that are useful in this regard.

Xbox 360 Freezes -What can we do?

First you have to open the console using poker nose pliers and remove the faceplate and the bolts that hold it. Under the plastic box, metal box would have to be removed by Torx 10. Remove the motherboard and the fan. Carefully remove the fan, heat sink to reveal the CPU and GPU chips. Cleaning of all this and apply some thermal compound on the CPU and GPU is good if you use Artic Silver 5, and let it dry. Replace the heat sink back into the chips and put everything in place. This should help resolve the blockage occur due to overheating and control all the reasons why your Xbox 360 freezes.

If this is a little complicated get the manual shown in the video at the top of the page. It comes with sweet bonus software like ripware and more.

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This repair kit will make the job drop dead simple to fix the problem of xbox 360 freezes.

How To Repair Xbox 360

There are many options available when learning how to repair Xbox 360, ranging from the use of Xbox 360 repair manuals, or the use of YouTube videos which show in detail how to repair your Xbox 360. Here are some of the ways we can start working on repairing your Xbox 360 and let you get back to gaming.

click for the best how to repair xbox 360 guide

Here are a few of the repair methods you might have heard of and what ones you need to avoid like the plague.

How To Repair Xbox 360 -The towel trick

This trick is for a quick fix for your Xbox 360, and can temporarily fixes the Xbox 360 by up to 3 to 4 weeks. Although a large number of bloggers and Xbox 360 gamers have found that the towel trick works, it is recommended as less than ideal for the Xbox 360 and wont last coming months.Basically the strategy is to intentionally overheat your xbox 360 and remelt the broken solder connections inside.

The towel trick if it works at all will ultimately make your problem worse as it can weaken the solder connections in other important components as well.. You can check out the towel trick if you want.

How To Repair Xbox 360 -YouTube Videos

This is also a decent way to fix your Xbox 360 as there are abundant how to repair Xbox 360 videos showing instructions on how to fix your Xbox 360. However, most of these videos are very complicated and require someone with any amount of expertise to understand and repair the Xbox 360.

Another problem with most videos on YouTube, is that not done in a professional manner and not shown in detail or in a simple step by step on how to fix the Xbox 360. What happens if you get stuck?

If you’re a technical novice to all this, I heartily recommend not using YouTube videos to learn how to repair xbox 360 because of the likely confusion you will encounter with these home-made videos on YouTube.

How To Repair Xbox 360 -Repair Guide

There are guidelines that provide solutions for the best answer, as they show how to repair Xbox 360 in detail, step by step, all the ways you can get a solution to your Xbox 360 3 red lights. Most of these services or repair guides are committed to making it easier to repair and are aimed at beginners as much as is possible.

Most of these guides provide support 24 / 7 Helpdesk support to get your Xbox 360 fixed. You can use these lines of support at any time to request for assistance on your Xbox 360.

Local Repair

Local repair shops around the neighborhood in general charge about about $ 100 for repairing your Xbox 360 and can take up to 4 or 5 days. This service is good, provided you do not mind the fee, compared to repairing your Xbox 360 in 2 hours and for less than $ 30.

There is a chance that local businesses also provide a warranty, such as giving you up to 1 week or so if in the case of the Xbox 360 is broken again.

Microsoft Repair

This costs the most, up $ 140 in repair costs and take 4 to 8 weeks for your Xbox 360 to complete the fix. This method is not recommended, as it is too costly and time consuming and not worth it he did.

Conclusion

Which method is best? Comparing all the methods, the easiest, fastest and most profitable way to do it (without damaging your Xbox 360) is to use a repair guide like the one in the video at the top of this page.

How to repair xbox 360.

Red Lights Xbox

Sad to say, but more than 40% of users experience the red lights Xbox problem? That is saying it mildly … It's more like a major disaster for the players more determined to keep gaming! You might even think that the end of the world has come. I bet you are even considering buying a new one. A friend of mine did that … buying a new one and then forgot about the setting of the first and guess what? Yes, the second did the same … was fragged by the dreaded red lights xbox problem!

There must be a better way out and not … in exchange for a PS3 would be … well … just not right, after all, love your Xbox 360 games!

Red Lights Xbox -What Causes It?

Since getting a new one does not really solve much and the cost of your hard earned dollars that you may not have at the moment, I will instruct the other two options available to you. I will also describe the root cause for red lights Xbox.

If you have 4 red lights on the power of the ring that means you are in luck. This means your Xbox 360 is not detecting a connection AV. It may be just unplugged or need to be cleaned. If that does not work try for another loan or buy a new one.

1 or 3 red lights on the Ring of power is to specify a number of types of hardware malfunction. You can even detect an error code on the screen. E64 is an error in the DVD drive, E67 is a hard disk error and so on. A solution can be as easy as reloading the disc or a good old reboot. However, if you're reading this I bet you already tried and did not work. Their solution will be a bit tricky, but not afraid … is entirely feasible. See the two options below.

2 red lights means your Xbox is too hot. This can make your console does not operate for a period of time. Unplug, unwind and let your brick cool. It should work again when cooled. Make sure your console is on a solid surface (not carpet) so that air can get underneath, and in a well ventilated area. Overheating of an Xbox is actually rooted in a couple of design flaws and if this problem persists, you have to take any action added. Again, the following two options.

Red Lights Xbox -What Can You Do About It?

1. Returning your Xbox 360 to manufacture. Manufacturing has acknowledged several errors in design and is willing to address them. That have provided guarantees for one to three years. The warranty is only good if the console has not been opened or tampered with, so if you have been a bad boy (or girl) and nose inside the protected status of your brick is no longer valid. If everything is still closed then call 1-800-4MY-XBOX and see if it is covered. If you are its free. If not it will cost about $ 150 (ouch!). Note, reserves the right to manufacture the console repair or exchange with a refurbished or new. Down time: 2-6 weeks (Bummer).

2. Repair your Xbox 360 yourself. This may seem a little tricky at first but really it is not. You might think that the issue of fixing the Red Lights Xbox 360 is beyond your capabilities. Think again. If you are not under warranty and do not have $ 150 or like the waiting time that choice begins to look better and better. If you have a quality guide and understand the problems, fixing the Red Lights Xbox 360 edition will be a breeze.

The solution is to get a good quality of instructions, one with not only in print, but also video. This type of program has helped 10s of 1000's to fix your Xbox 360 Red Light in subjects in just one hour … for under $ 30!

As usual, the logic of the common good is a recipe for implementation. By identifying the difficulties and weighing their options after taking some action, you can have your Xbox 360 running in no time. Possibly without spending much money! Having solved that by no means will you ever have to agonize over any red lights Xbox  issues again.

Be sure to click the banner above to solve the red lights Xbox problem.

Three Red Lights Xbox 360

When working with the dreaded three red lights xbox 360, the light energy source will be red, orange or green. Well I want you to be green, if possible.
However, if it's orange you're still not out of the doghouse yet. Here are some tips to fix three red lights Xbox 360 when the light of the power supply is orange.

An orange light that lights up in the power of your system that will pass through one of 2 reasons. This is going to happen as the console is off or the power supply is disconnected from the console. Such behavior is quite common, as it indicates the power supply is in standby mode. What confuses many people is that the light of the power supply can still be illuminated orange when the console is off. This can make it difficult to

Three Red Lights Xbox 360 Why It Happens

The cause of three red lights on xbox 360 could simply be that the power cord is not inserted fully into the outlet of the console. When you have to start worrying is if the light of the power supply is orange, but the console does not boot up or start.

If this is the case, you have the dreaded three red lights Xbox 360. There are some basic steps you might want to take.

Disconnect the wire that connects the power supply to the console.

After doing this, disconnect the power cord from the console. Then you can reconnect all cables and attempt to turn the console on again. As with any game console, the Xbox 360 is susceptible to problems and errors. The players worst nightmare, which many fear is the three red lights Xbox 360.

Three Red Lights Xbox 360

This happens when, 3 red lights flash on the Ring of Light on the front of the Xbox 360. In this example, the upper right quadrant light is the only light that flashes red. There will be times when the light in the energy supply of Xbox 360 turns red or turns off completely.

You can identify this when the power supply light changes from green to orange to red while using your system. This is commonly referred to as three red lights xbox 360.

There are several reasons why this occurs, but occurs when external power source has noticed a foul. The power supply has several built in safety measures to help protect your system and prevent damage to the console and the power supply itself.

If any of these 3 conditions fail to pass, the light will turn red or completely off. The red light could be an indicator of the power supply is too hot. If this is the case you want to cool the power supply for many hours in a well ventilated space. Turn off the system and not on again until the power supply cools.

As soon as it has cooled, the light energy source will change from red to orange, which in turn allows the console to operate again. If connected to an extension cord, a surge protector or power strip, the amount of voltage will be incorrect. In this situation, try to plug the supply into the right outlet. Three red lights xbox 360 is a common issue with Xbox owners.

The last correction for the system red light is trying to use a different power cable and power supply. If you have another thread of energy and supply unit, try the console with this. If the console does not light, the difficulty is the console itself.

At this point you need a quality Xbox 360 repair guide, check the video at the top of this page for a solution for three red lights xbox 360..

e74

The e74 error is a common problem with the Xbox console. With the Xbox 360, you can enjoy countless hours of high definition games with some of the best-selling games. However, the Xbox 360 is not without flaws and these flaws are in the form of annoying bugs and mysterious where the flashing red lights are the only clues that indicate what the problems are accurate.

If multiple lights around the power ring are flashing, the problem is very specific and this error can be easily seen by checking out the website of Microsoft's Xbox support.

e74 Xbox Errors

The dreaded Red Ring of Death, which is symbolized by three flashing lights is the worst of mistakes and fortunately this particular error that will be covered is not so bad, but still needs attention because it occurs quite often in systems with overuse.

Xbox 360 errors are a bit more descriptive, if only the back light power ring flashes. When the top of the ring flashes an error code to be displayed on the screen with an E and a two digit number the first digit is a 7 or 8.

The causes of error E74

Each error code for different hardware highlights a specific problem, as the DVD drive or hard disk. The E74 error is a bit more common than the other errors because the light only occurs when there are problems with the GPU or cable, which is pretty much what has prolonged much abuse during the life of the game.

Microsoft describes the E74 as a general hardware failure, but in reality, the problem is more like a larger version of the 2 error red lights, which is caused by overheating.

What makes the e74 error different is that the thermal glue used to keep the GPU at the site expands due to heat exposure. This allows the GPU to move freely during the processing that allows you to break their relationship with the motherboard.

The GPU handles the realistic graphics and visual effects and without it, all that appears is the E74.

If the GPU is fine, it could be a slight possibility that the problem is with the AV cable that transmits the graphics on the screen. This is unlikely, but possible, especially if the Xbox 360 is not used very often.

Microsoft recently extended the expansion of the 3 year warranty to cover the error, in addition to the Xbox 3 red lights error. So if your system is still under warranty, then you can send to Microsoft to fix.

However, if you're not under warranty, then you can correct the error itself. There are many repair guides that give step by step instructions on how to fix the E74 error. You can try doing a search or check the video in the top of this page.

After fixing the problem, be thankful that you do not have to buy a new console as others have done. The next time you try to keep the 24-hour marathon game to a minimum. After all everyone needs their sleep.

Click the banner above to fix error e74.

Dragon Age Origins Review

While December 25th for most people is Christmas, November 3rd was mine so here is my Dragon Age Origins Review. The biggest RPG this side of Oblivion was FINALLY released and that of course is Dragon Age Origins.

Before I get started, I would like everyone to know that I got this for both PC and X360 and I will discuss the specs for each.

Dragon Age Origins Review -Here we go

Installation – Installed in about 10 to 15 mins to the 360 took about a 1/2 an hr for both my desktop and my Macbook Pro in bootcamp.

Graphically speaking, the game looks great on my desktop. I am running a 256Gb Overclocked Nvidia 8600GT so i can run most setting on medium to high with little slowdown.

Surprisingly, the Xbox’s graphics are a bit disappointing. Some of the colors are muted and some of the faces look a bit mashed and when doing cut scenes there is quite a bit of jitter and when there are many things going onscreen at once, the frame rate takes a hit. And that’s bad considering how great Mass Effect looked 2 years ago and this is keeping in mind that again, I installed this game on my 360′s hard drive.

On the Macbook, (Nvidia 9400M) it runs ok with all the settings down low and actually looks pretty ok despite the settings, but it’s what I expected. I installed it on the laptop because I will be traveling quite a bit during the holidays and I don’t want to drag my 360 everywhere I go! I do plan to boost the onboard RAM and I am hopeful that it will help the game run a bit better.

Dragon Age Origins review -I liked it on PC

Camera-wise, the PC has the best option in that you can go from a 3rd person POV to an over world tactical view which lets you plan on where to move next and formulate your fight plans.

Control wise, while the PC has superior controls (as most PC RPGs do anyway) surprisingly the 360 manages to keep everything organized and easy to find using the control pad but still it’s a shame if you are using a mage you are still limited by key assignments where you can place your most used spells.

Now, playwise, (***Warning there will be spoilers!***)I am using a male elf mage on the 360 and a female Human warrior on the laptop. I put this in detail for the very reason to test what I have read so far in that NPCs will treat you different ways and indeed they do! In some areas people will indeed talk down to the mage because he is an elf as elves are the minority in this game and in the other instance many will be shocked that a woman is also a warrior. Thank you Bioware for putting these issues in this game. I have actually gotten to see at least one character react differently to these 2 characters of mine and expect to see more!

One thing I have noted so far is that the mage’s origin story takes a little longer to play as that character has to go through an initiation phase to become who he sets out to be and this is even before he is set to become a Grey Warden and something tells me that within that portion, will play itself out later on in the game! As for the choices you make early on much of the mage’s story concerns himself with another apprentice there and his breaking of the rule while in training to become a mage. This storyline gives you a taste of the 1st major decision that will set the game in motion and when that section finishes you will be in for a bit of a surprise and the payoff is nice indeed for it to be so early!

Dragon Age Origins Review -Grab it from the link above

The Warrior origin is a bit more straightforward and shorter and involves a family betrayal which winds up in murder. The decision that you make here determines which companion will come with you as you flee for your life.

Eventually you start to learn about the Grey Wardens and why they fight the darkspawn. This is where you start to see the difference in this game vs. Oblivion and how Bioware managed to work in so many tried and true stories (Star Wars and LotR specifically)to make the player feel a sense of desperation that the world is looking to you to save it. Some of the places in Felderen while nice to look at does indeed feel dark and dreary most of the time. People are fighting to stay alive and one step ahead of the darkspawn and there is a general feeling that there is little hope left. No one can be trusted but at the same time almost everyone has a story to tell. So, when it was said that this would be a dark fantasy, they were not kidding!

The NPC interaction in your party is most interesting of all with just some of the banter that goes back and forth. So, in essence, it’s as you heard. They kid around, tease and sometimes hate each other due to your decisions. You cannot do everything to please all of them but this will test you to see how you get through this game by trying to keep your groups together. Also the dialogue for this game so far is excellent!

I won’t get into the leveling system as I feel that it’s something that you as a player would need to see for yourself and tune to your liking.

Combat-wise, there is a lot of it and to be quite honest, this could have used a bit more polish as sometimes, it’s difficult to distinguish what you are targeting and hoping that you don’t hit your friends. Pausing constantly doesn’t always work because it detracts from the flow of fighting.

10 Hours in, I am very satisfied with this game and I can’t wait to see the DLC the comes out for both systems particularly the PC version since there is a toolset that will keep this game going for longer than the original 80 or so hrs that it will keep us busy! So, if you haven’t done so, run out and get this game because it’s well worth it!

Dragon age origins review