Xbox 360 250GB Elite Console Review

I just received my new 360 "Slim" today and so far I have been VERY impressed with the changes to the hardware. I really like the new soft touch buttons and the nice little "CHIME" each makes when you activate it. A single chime sounds to open or close the disc tray, and a multi tone chime sounds when you turn the machine on or off. The DVD drive is fast to open and seems to read the game discs a tad faster than my 360 PRO which this unit is replacing. The IR port provides the same range of control for remotes as the original design, so contrary to what some people were speculating, the IR port integration on the front of this new machine has no effect on IR range or performance that I can detect. I really like the dedicated SPDIF socket for my optical digital audio cable! I never liked the funky way it had to attach to the AV cable on the original system. Although I am using a wired eithernet connection for my network connection, I am pleased that there is now a built in "N" WI-FI system onboard.

The reduced size of the console is also a welcome change, along with the sleek new ALL BLACK chassis design. The new all black controller is also nice looking but feels basically the same as previous S style controllers I already own.

Migrating my data over from my previous 360 was fast and easy using a SanDisc 16GB USB flash drive which I purchased here as well. Took about 5 minutes to make the transfer from the flash drive to the S, but I still had to manually configure my internet settings to use the same static IP address my previous machine used. I was surprised that these settings were not automatically updated on the new machine when I transferred my profile. Not a big deal, but I was a little surprised by that.

Game play and overall performance is identical to my 360 Pro. I see no difference in software performance other than the DVD drive speed I mentioned above.

I do notice that there is a lot more heat coming out of the top fan port than I recall with my 360 Pro's exhaust ports, but this could simply be related to the fact that there are two exhaust fans on the older model which vent out of TWO locations on the back instead of just one large exhaust fan and port on the top of the S model. I will trust that I do not encounter any heat related issues with this machine due to the smaller chassis. I have never had any heat related issues with my other 360 consoles.

Overall, I am pleased with my purchase and would recommend this new machine to anyone looking to upgrade their older 360, or considering the purchase of a 360 for the first time. This new machine only helps to demonstrate that the XBOX 360 system along with XBOX LIVE is hands down the best choice for HD gaming to date.

I should mention that I also own a PS3 Slim console but find that the SONY online network does not compare in features or performance to the 360 with XBOX LIVE. I use my PS3 console primarily as a Blu-Ray DVD player which it excels at in my opinion.

Anyone trying to decide between which of these two HD gaming systems to buy should definitely test drive both systems ONLINE before buying. The difference in the online experience is night and day.

UPDATE: 7/2/10

I just completed an extended run of my new Slim console having let the machine run continuously without turning it off for a total of 165 hours. I am pleased to report that I did not see any of the heat related issues I have seen reported in the handful of 1 and 2 star reviews. The power brick remained slightly warm to the touch and the cooling fan never came on once. The machine itself remained cool to the touch in all areas except at the heat exhaust port on the top of the console. The cooling fan on this vent varied in speed over time and based on what I was doing with the console. The game discs themselves remained only slightly warm after extended gaming sessions.

All in all I remain very pleased with this new design. The improved cooling system is doing its job and the console has shown no signs of difficulty performing any of the tasks I have asked it to do. This ranged from playing single player games, online games, streaming NetFlix video content and watching free videos off of the LIVE marketplace.Get more detail about Xbox 360 250GB Elite Console.