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Xbox 360 an that!

1980-20..1980-20..
edited December 2011 in Chit chat
Im thinking of getting a 360 as im itching to play a bit of sky rim.

The cheapest one ive seen is ?144 for the 4gb ones, is there any cons to only having a 4gb hdd.

I wont be playing any online games or doing anything that requires me to pay any subscription to m$, im assuming all game patches and updates that dont contain new content are free?

Anything else i need to look out for?

Cheers!
Post edited by 1980-20.. on
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Comments

  • WhizzBangWhizzBang
    edited December 2011
    The main 'con' to having a 4GB hard drive is that you will have to run the game off this disc rather than install it to hard drive. Hard drive installs often result in faster running games and also make the xbox quieter.
  • 1980-20..1980-20..
    edited December 2011
    Hmm ok but didn't i read on here that skyrim runs slower from the hdd?
  • redballoonredballoon
    edited December 2011
    You may find it hard now, but i bought a 2nd hand one from game last year - a 60GB old style black elite one - for ?120. In fact, the HDD may be larger. I don't have it connected to the web but to get online you'll need to create an Xbox Live account (i think). Most of the newer games will have an Xbox360 on the disc and will install it if needed. As for game patches - i've managed absolutely fine with a game direct from the box. Arkham City had a patch but i've never needed it as the game works fine without it...as it should!! This isn't PC gaming ROFLCOPTER!!
  • redballoonredballoon
    edited December 2011
    I cannot fathom why a game would run slower when installed on the HDD. Games do run slower when running from disc and i can't see why Skyrim would be any different unless it's inherently broken.
  • WookieeWookiee
    edited December 2011
    redballoon wrote: »
    I cannot fathom why a game would run slower when installed on the HDD. Games do run slower when running from disc and i can't see why Skyrim would be any different unless it's inhererintly broken.

    happened with some of the Halo games I think - basically all down to how they coded it....some optimise it for the disc
  • DarenDaren
    edited December 2011
    1980-20.. wrote: »
    Hmm ok but didn't i read on here that skyrim runs slower from the hdd?

    Games load quicker and quieter off the HDD.

    However, some people (me included) found that Skyrim's textures weren't loading in fully if the game was installed the to HDD. Bethesda recognised this as a bug, and advised to run the game from the DVD disc until a patch was released.

    I installed it to a USB stick instead, to save wear on the DVD drive, and also because it's too noisy running off the dvd drive. The textures are fine now. However, the 1.2 patch they released earlier this week broke more than it fixed, so I am not updating until they fix the patch (which should be next week). So I'm still running it off a USB stick.
  • redballoonredballoon
    edited December 2011
    Daren wrote: »
    However, the 1.2 patch they released earlier this week broke more than it fixed, so I am not updating until they fix the patch (which should be next week). So I'm still running it off a USB stick.
    I tell you, I hope this isn't going start becoming the norm for console games - releasing not quite finished games so it can be patched on install on your Xbox or PS3. Say what you like about the Wii, but at least that's not something you'll generally have to worry about. Of course, maybe that's just Nintendo. I can't imagine a Mario or Zelda game getting released unfinished so they could then patch it or complete it with a large download (though, I bet they wish they could've done that with the Wind Waker to fill in the 2 missing dungeons originally planned for release).

    Hell, and that goes for DLC, too! WB and Rocksteady produced an amazing game but it seems like the Catwoman stuff was ripped out at the last minute and then they ****ed it up even more with codes.
  • BiNMaNBiNMaN
    edited December 2011
    thought the 4gig model was internal memory not a hdd

    anyhoo the lastest games have new security which has caused a load of headaches over on xbox live forums. I can't install any new stuff on my hdd, keeps coming up scratched dirty disc on brand new games. Other issues are new games are freezing or just refusing to play.

    They include MW3, Halo CE anniv, Battlefield 3, Skyrim and a few others

    there was (a suspected) silent update that has caused the problem, microsoft skirt the issue on the forums suggesting that your console needs to be repaired etc, there are a lot of unhappy folks on the forums

    saying that my eldests 60gig 360 (cream one with hdmi not sure what revision) has no probs at all, my 3 month old 250gig 360slim is being a pain in the arse

    based on what I'm experiencing get youself a decent second hander, places like gamestation still give 12 month warranties on them

    but again it's up to you really
  • DarenDaren
    edited December 2011
    redballoon wrote: »
    I tell you, I hope this isn't going start becoming the norm for console games - releasing not quite finished games so it can be patched on install on your Xbox or PS3. Say what you like about the Wii, but at least that's not something you'll generally have to worry about. Of course, maybe that's just Nintendo. I can't imagine a Mario or Zelda game getting released unfinished so they could then patch it or complete it with a large download (though, I bet they wish they could've done that with the Wind Waker to fill in the 2 missing dungeons originally planned for release).

    Patches have been coming out for big 360/PS3 consoles games for years. Big complex games will only get properly beta tested when the masses of the public gets their hands on them. No matter how much in-house testing the companies do, they won't find every single bug.

    And Nintendo isn't immune to it. Twilight Princess had a game-breaking bug which stopped you from progressing any further if you saved the game at a certain point, many hours into the main quest. They advised users to start again, and had to ship new versions of the game to stores.
  • BiNMaNBiNMaN
    edited December 2011
    redballoon wrote: »
    I tell you, I hope this isn't going start becoming the norm for console games - releasing not quite finished games so it can be patched on install on your Xbox or PS3.

    bought a second hand copy of Gran Turismo 5, 3hrs to update and install to the hdd

    mainly due (I think) to how slow sony servers are if your not on playstation network plus

    bag of poo
  • ewgfewgf
    edited December 2011
    I much prefer console to PC gaming, but even so I have to suggest getting Skyrim on the PC as opposed to on a console, as the (free) user made mods can totally transform the game, from minor things like bug fixes and interface alterations, to graphical enhancements, all the way through to huge new quests, characters, and abilities. It's very early days (Morrowind has been out for nine years now, and still has mods being made for it), but have at look at what's already available:

    http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/top/
  • guesserguesser
    edited December 2011
    a 4 gig hard drive?!?

    I assume this is actually something flash based, an SSD right?

    My spectrum has a 20 gig hard drive...
    My rubbish website including the redrawn Amstrad schematics and the Sinclair Wiki.
  • redballoonredballoon
    edited December 2011
    Daren wrote: »
    Patches have been coming out for big 360/PS3 consoles games for years. Big complex games will only get properly beta tested when the masses of the public gets their hands on them. No matter how much in-house testing the companies do, they won't find every single bug.

    And Nintendo isn't immune to it. Twilight Princess had a game-breaking bug which stopped you from progressing any further if you saved the game at a certain point, many hours into the main quest. They advised users to start again, and had to ship new versions of the game to stores.
    oh, yeah, I know - I do work in software dev so I'm well aware that a product can never be bug free. It should never get released broken, though, and require a patch to get it to work.

    The most refreshing thing about Nintendo product, though, is that it pretty much works "out the box". The PS3 patches have always been notoriously bad, particularly for the time that's taken to download and install.
  • deadpan666deadpan666
    edited December 2011
    With regards to Hard Disc space..it depends on how many games you intend to play too! I quicly filled up my 20Gb drive with saves and Arcade games...

    If you want to download anything like Beyond Good & Evil or Daytona USA they'll take up a bit of room...you'll only manage about 3 of the newer Arcade titles on a 4GB drive...

    If you're only going to play 2 or 3 games, and never download anything at all, then 4Gb should be fine...and remember if you do decide you need more space you can also add up to 16Gb via USB Memory too...
    The Black Cauldron (PC)
  • milemile
    edited December 2011
    1980-20.. wrote: »
    Im thinking of getting a 360 as im itching to play a bit of sky rim.

    The cheapest one ive seen is ?144 for the 4gb ones, is there any cons to only having a 4gb hdd.

    I wont be playing any online games or doing anything that requires me to pay any subscription to m$, im assuming all game patches and updates that dont contain new content are free?

    Anything else i need to look out for?

    Cheers!

    remember that any dlc will take up memory, i think all my fallout 3 extras came to 2 gb in the end.

    you may be finding a lot of games on the arcade section that you might fancy having too

    you can always shell out for another hard drive later on though.
  • MattLambMattLamb
    edited December 2011
    I had a SNES once.
  • AndyCAndyC
    edited December 2011
    redballoon wrote: »
    I cannot fathom why a game would run slower when installed on the HDD. Games do run slower when running from disc and i can't see why Skyrim would be any different unless it's inherently broken.
    If a game is really pushing the system the change in balance between reading from the disc and the hard drive can impact performance. When hard drive installing was first made available there were a few games that developers advised you not to install, Burnout Paradise being one I remember specifically.

    Personally I'd avoid a 4GB system, unless you've also budgetted to pick up a hard drive from elsewhere. Sooner or later you will want one.
  • 1980-20..1980-20..
    edited December 2011
    Had a quick look at gamestation on line and they sell 2nd hand 60gb for ?109 im assuming they wont sell anything that been opened up or user repaired in any way but im still a bit wary of getting a second hand one.

    So for 40 extra dabs i can get a spanking new one but the down side is its only 4gb but then again im not going to be downloading any games or DLC.

    What warranty period do ms give for this RRD stuff.
  • festershinetopfestershinetop
    edited December 2011
    Its worth buying a brand new 360 incase it rrods then at least you have the 3 year warranty.

    I bought an Arcade version which has a measly 500 mb card built in but i managed to get a 20gb HD for ?12 on ebay. This is more than adequate as i have room to install a game or 2 and download a few arcade titles off xbl. When i finish the game i uninstall and install another one.

    Skyrim is my 100th game for the xbox now and i still havent felt the urge to buy a larger HD as i dont feel the need to install every single game on the off chance ill play it in 6 months time.
  • milemile
    edited December 2011
    festershinetop wrote: »
    Its worth buying a brand new 360 incase it rrods then at least you have the 3 year warranty.

    I bought an Arcade version which has a measly 500 mb card built in but i managed to get a 20gb HD for ?12 on ebay. This is more than adequate as i have room to install a game or 2 and download a few arcade titles off xbl. When i finish the game i uninstall and install another one.

    Skyrim is my 100th game for the xbox now and i still havent felt the urge to buy a larger HD as i dont feel the need to install every single game on the off chance ill play it in 6 months time.

    afaik the newer models dont come with a 3 year warranty, as they reckon to have solved the problem more or less. ;)
  • zeropolis79zeropolis79
    edited December 2011
    I picked up a 360 for my best mate for Christmas - cost ?30, works fine but no HDD. Does anyone have any cheap drives (and I do mean cheap) - the 20gb would be fine, he won't be on the Internet downloading games, movies or music.

    Thanks.
  • Dave FountainDave Fountain
    edited December 2011
    I suppose the answer would be to buy a PS3 instead. Apologies if someone has already mentioned this.
  • 1980-20..1980-20..
    edited December 2011
    ps3 looking at ?180 quid with 160gb.

    The more a look at it the more i cant be arsed i might wait till January and see if the prices come down any.
  • DarenDaren
    edited December 2011
    mile wrote: »
    afaik the newer models dont come with a 3 year warranty, as they reckon to have solved the problem more or less. ;)

    Yep, the major cause of RROD was due to cracked motherboards as a result of long term overheating. The consoles used to run at pretty high temperatures, you could literally cook an egg on the motherboard when it was running (there are youtube videos of this). Over time this heat caused the motherboards to crack.

    For newer models, they reduced the input current significantly, resulting in much lower temperatures, so the boards now won't break. My 360 has seen several hundred hours of usage (probably about 1000 hours now), with no problems.
  • milemile
    edited December 2011
    also the new consoles have feather touch buttons, so you dant have to mash them with your bulbous fingers. :p
  • WookieeWookiee
    edited December 2011
    mile wrote: »
    also the new consoles have feather touch buttons, so you dant have to mash them with your bulbous fingers. :p

    Yeah which baffled me for a while as walking past the bloody thing tripped the disc switch :lol:

    Well done Gates, fixed the bulbous fingers problem....now you need to fix the furry beer belly problem ;)
  • beanzbeanz
    edited December 2011
    1980-20.. wrote: »
    Im thinking of getting a 360 as im itching to play a bit of sky rim.

    The cheapest one ive seen is ?144 for the 4gb ones, is there any cons to only having a 4gb hdd.

    I wont be playing any online games or doing anything that requires me to pay any subscription to m$, im assuming all game patches and updates that dont contain new content are free?

    Anything else i need to look out for?

    Cheers!


    You can pick up RROD units here in the US for $20. EASY fix too, basically take off the heatsink, apply new thermal paste and reattach the heatsink tighter than (insert something that would likely be filtered here).

    They have RROD 'kits' that give you new bolts and hardware but you don't really need em, I've fixed many without using extra stuff.

    EDIT: Mine is a self repaired RROD unit that I got for free about 4yrs ago...been working fine ever since.
  • beanzbeanz
    edited December 2011
    redballoon wrote: »
    I cannot fathom why a game would run slower when installed on the HDD. Games do run slower when running from disc and i can't see why Skyrim would be any different unless it's inherently broken.

    Definitely runs Skyrim quicker on HD than DVD, I just installed it yesterday due to 'hickups' on the disk and now it's nice and smooth.
  • 1980-20..1980-20..
    edited December 2011
    beanz wrote: »
    You can pick up RROD units here in the US for $20. EASY fix too, basically take off the heatsink, apply new thermal paste and reattach the heatsink tighter than (insert something that would likely be filtered here).

    They have RROD 'kits' that give you new bolts and hardware but you don't really need em, I've fixed many without using extra stuff.

    Aye i've heard they are easy to fix, someone suggested that a giraffe would be capable of doing the repair. But i have never ever ever ever ever successfully repaired anything!
  • ZnorXmanZnorXman
    edited December 2011
    1980-20.. wrote: »
    Aye i've heard they are easy to fix, someone suggested that a giraffe would be capable of doing the repair. But i have never ever ever ever ever successfully repaired anything!

    That's just because you're not a giraffe ... but that's just me pointing out the obvious, thankyouandyou'rewelcome!
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