If you want to find out just what is different between the original Xbox 360 and the new 360 Elite, look no further. Externally, a nice black paint job and some minor other touches but on the inside, it’s not quite the same.
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Archive for April 19th, 2007
With Hitachi releasing the first 1000GB or 1TB hard drive, I sit here pondering why hasn’t there been any competition in the extreme performance/gaming market with the Western Digital Raptor? Since 2003 Western Digital has been the only company to market a 10,000RPM hard drive to the enthusiast crowd. Well actually it was first introduced to the high-end server market but eventually found its way into the high-end desktop/gaming community. Why would anyone want a 10kRPM hard drive in the first place? Well, most home user hard drives spin at 7200RPM. Those 2800 extra RPMs add quite a bit of kick to a computer. That 2800 RPMs mean faster start up times, faster loading of game maps and textures.
Now why aren’t other hard drive manufacturers like Seagate or Hitachi breaking into this particular niche? My only guess is that they believe that it is just not profitable. Well duh McFly, I’m sure some of you have just slapped your foreheads thinking the same thing. However, from an enthusiasts view, I think and feel more selection is better for all of us, don’t you think? I can wish and hope that Seagate or Hitachi eventually breaks into this market.
However, when I gave the tech the numbers on this computer I was working on, he seemed to be reading from a script and when I asked him what does code 2 and 4 mean he said the SATA cable is not connected – he was wrong.
Let me give you a little background into this computer. I’m working on it for a client. The main symptoms is that as soon as the unit receives power, the indicator light on the power button immediately starts to flash orange. I was unable to turn the computer on. I replaced the power supply and the orange light flashed constantly, again. I then disconnected everything except for the power supply, and CPU. I was hoping to at least get the unit to turn in then I could go from there by plugging each component back in one by one. I eventually came to the conclusion that the motherboard was bad.
I spoke to the client and she still had warranty with Dell. She called Dell and then the Dell tech called me. We spoke like I mentioned earlier, and eventually I was able to convince him that it was a motherboard problem.
Dell shipped the motherboard out next day air and I received it just before lunch.
As I was tearing down the Dimension what do I find?
You see that nasty corrosion? I don’t know what the hell that is but it isn’t dust. I tried blowing it off with a compressed can of air but was unsuccessful.
For reasons beyond me that was the only area of the motherboard that had that build up. Everywhere else was spotless.
So in conclusion, if you experience the dreaded blinking orange power light, make sure to check your motherboard for blown capacitors as well as something like the above pictures show.