Unfortunately, last week on the 4th of April my Xbox had the dreaded RROD. That particular console was a refurbished unit from Microsoft, which I had received to replace another RROD (original console from that died in July 2008, after about one year), in August 2008. So it lasted a good 2.5 years, and then suddenly decided to die on me. It was pretty unfortunate, and I was upset but there wasn't much I can do about it. My warranty for RROD/E74 coverage had expired in August 2010, and the standard warranty in November 2008. I didn't bother to renew my warranty every year, mostly because I wasn't aware of the process and it would have cost me $75 to have it continue onwards from November 2008 to now (you can't renew the extended RROD-only coverage). After going for so long without a single problem I didn't think it would fail anyway. The refurbished unit was supposed to include a GPU that used less power than the original. But it seems that even that is prone to failure just as well, if given enough time.

I wasn't sure if to attempt a fix from the numerous videos online, or just opt for the slim. I decided to just purchase the slim for a few reasons:

1.) I already had $150 in Amazon gift card value on my account, and there was a special promotion this week where if you bought a $200 Xbox 360 Slim 4GB, you would get $50 promotional credit on a future purchase. This offer was a match from Target, so it was limited. I ended up paying $68 out of pocket, with a $50 credit coming back. Given the sheer number of Amazon purchases I make in a year, credit there to me is just as good as cash. You really can't beat free two day shipping and free release date delivery (with my one-year trial of Amazon Trial just for being a student), competitive price matching, numerous promotions and excellent customer service. I would have no tax as well, but I happen to live in New York, one of the few states that Amazon has tax in. Still, anytime I have ordered or traded in something to Amazon, I have never had a problem.

2.) I have never even built a computer before. The videos on YouTube have good explanations and guides, but I wasn't comfortable trying to open up my 360 and try to attempt the x-clamp fix, reflow, or any of the other popular methods used to fix the RROD out there. On a related note, I didn't even have a guarantee that the problem wouldn't reoccur, and I would have to open it multiple times and try to locate and fix the problem. I would hate to constantly have my gaming interrupted in order to do this, especially when I have a lot of friends on live and we're having a good session.

3.) I would need to figure out a list of everything I needed: wrenches, washers, heat sinks, clamps, torx screw drivers and that would cost around $30-40 alone.

4.) My original model had no HDMI port, while the slim would. I'd rather use digital over analog, even though some people say you can't notice the difference.

Ok, yeah the fourth reason is pretty weak. But compare fixing an Xbox 360 for the first time with minimal hardware experience (I once installed RAM and a DVD-R/W drive on my computer but honestly, that's it), compiling a list of and buying the necessary tools, looking around for guides, and the constant thought that at any given moment, there's a chance I could mess up rendering it inoperable, or if I do succeed, this model could RROD at some point in the future. Yeah, a brand new $18 Xbox 360 Slim sounds like a much better option to me too.

I opted for the 4GB over the 250GB HDD bundle because it was $100 cheaper, and the latter didn't have any $50 promotional credit. Besides, I already had a 120GB HDD from original console. Sure the enclosure was different, but I saw numerous videos explaining how to remove the hard drive and insert it into the new slim case. You have to love Microsoft for trying to not only monopolize on Xbox 360 accessories, but also trying to make you buy a new one when upgrade to a Slim because their poor design on the original model caused it to fail in the first place. I know I said I had no hardware experience, but this was incredibly easy. I got the HDD out by simply removing eight screws, and now I'm waiting for the plastic slim hard drive case I ordered from eBay, which simply snaps and locks into place.

My original Xbox is in an auction on eBay for parts, to hopefully be sold to someone else with more experience who is willing to fix, and use themselves or maybe even resell. They aren't going for a lot on eBay. I saw other auctions that were the same as mine (old pro unit, no HDMI port) end at around $30. It's not much, but it is something. I already sold my wireless adapter because the Slim has wireless built in. They honestly should have just done that from the start, like the PS3. If I don't get a good price, I simply won't sell it. It would be a good experience if I do keep it. I'll be able to attempt to fix it with no real fear of having messed up my primary gaming console and that sounds much less overwhelming. If I do end up destroying it, it would suck but it's not the end of the world. I'm all for learning.

I did the entire license transfer process already, and when I get my case I'll attach my hard drive and download all of them. I don't need to download the actual content over again because it's the same exact hard drive. Those who went and bought a new hard drive for the slim must not only pay for the hard drive itself, but a transfer kit as well. I'll be sure to extend my Slim warranty before it expires this time.

On a more positive note I signed up for the Xbox Live Preview Program to beta test the Spring 2011 update. I have participated in all to date, but this seems to be the most involved one. They will be shipping everyone free copies of Halo:Reach with a new disc format to test. Additionally, we will gain other rewards for helping them, but so far they haven't been revealed. I already owned this game, so I went ahead and sold it after I knew I was accepted to the program. Now that I have a new slim system, hopefully I can look forward to some more uninterrupted and enjoyable gaming, especially with the Gears of War 3 beta launching soon.