Nearly one in every three Xbox 360 consoles fail, according to retailer reports
By several metrics, the Xbox 360 is the most successful console so far of this generation. Despite the startling pace of the Wii, the Xbox 360 still has the most consoles sold worldwide and the longest list of games and exclusives. For a gamer looking for online-enabled high-definition gaming today, the Xbox 360 appears to satisfy those needs.
One often overlooked factor when considering a console purchase is reliability, an area that is becoming apparent where the Xbox 360 falls short. Anecdotal evidence is heavily pointing to Microsoft’s latest console as being significantly more prone to failure than what consumers are accustomed to.
Microsoft has said before that its Xbox 360 failure rate falls within three to five percent, what it believes to be well within industry standards. Internet reports from Xbox 360 owners, however, suggest that the failure rate is much higher than that.
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I think the irresponsible owners aren't the problem this time. In a normal situation, it's often the consumer's fault for not taking care of their properties. I believe it's a major flaw in the design of the motherboard (mainboard).
So when the system gets too hot, the combination of loosened solder with a mainboard that flexes from heat causes the GPU or CPU to actually break its connection from the board - resulting in the 3 red lights and secondary error code 0102 (the “unknown hardware error” code).
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This is a growing problem and it is even happening with the new Elite model.
What I don't appreciate is how Microsoft keeps denying that such a problem exists. Especially when some repair services are now refusing to accept any more Xbox 360 units. Microsoft is perfectly aware of the problem and it is building up over time. It's obvious there is a problem when there's an article out there about a man who had to replace his Xbox 360 11 times. Click here for the story.
This will turn really ugly if Microsoft continues to deny it.
I advocate for consumer's rights. It irks the crap out of me when a corporation pulls this kind of stunt and then tries to pull wool over our eyes. Microsoft has a long history of misleading their customers and this is nothing new.