xbox 360 question

[jp_2031]

I heard Microsoft updated the hardware of a 360 to help prevent the ring of death - But how long ago did this happen? I am debating weather or not to buy a xbox which is " a year and a half old "

So, would this xbox be too risky?

He also says, its hardly used. he can count the amount of times hes played with it on his fingers.

[Mobius1]

The "Jasper" revision, which runs cooler thanks to microchip size shrinkages was released around August last year, so it's unlikely that this unit you're considering is such one.

I have a Jasper myself, they're supposedly RRoD-proof, but really, no one knows yet. They might just take longer to break!

The only way you can tell them apart is on the power label on the back. It MUST say "12.1A" which basically means the unit has a 12.1A rating on it's 12V rail. Older units have higher ratings, such a 15A. I went into Gamestation and asked if I could look at their boxes. If you peep through the hole in an Xbox360 carton, you can see the current rating on it. I just kept asking around until I found one... though it did raise a few eyebrows!

[Mobius1]

Oh, and as an addendum:

It's worth looking for a Jasper unit. They do run cooler and, since the majority of hardware faults of the 360 are heat based it makes sense to look for one. Yes, Microsoft extended the warranty for the "Red Ring of Death" to 3 years, but if your video chip conks out due to heat (which it did on my original console after being fixed for an RRoD) then the warranty doesn't cover you.

Here's an article about Jaspers you might want to look at if you're interested in finding one and the potential benefits:

http://www.anandtech.com/gadgets/showdoc.aspx? i=3472

[jp_2031]

Brilliant, thanks guys :)