Ineffective - save your money
I used a non-contact thermometer to evaluate this unit with my xbox 360 elite.
With the console off and the cooling unit off the case hot spot was 64.5 degrees F.
After one hours operation of both the console and the cooling unit, the case hot spot was 89.9 degrees F.
The cooling unit was removed and the xbox continued to operate for one hour. Now the case hot spot was 87.0 degrees.
So on my unit, using the cooling unit caused the case temperature to rise a little. Save your money,
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Works well, while it does.
First Impression: Very nice. Comes well packaged, and the design is very elegant. It seems very sturdy, and the light is beautiful. Great first impression.
Usage: Worked really really well for a while. I'm sort of a freak when it comes to machines, I actually put a temperature probe in the XBox and had it read temperatures over 3 hours of gameplay. Now I understand small changes could be random, but the result was fairly impressive. The average temperature of the machine dropped over 10 degrees when I used the fan-stand. Very impressive indeed. However, it is (believe it or not) even louder than the Xbox's own fans, but a little WD-40 careful application and some silicon lubricant spray a few days later will fix that.
Problem: Even with the lubrication, after some time, I noticed the noise level dropped. Sure enough, one of the fans had stopped working. Not a big deal, as you can easily replace the fan (it's a 6mm standard fan, the same type that goes in some computer cases). But still, that diminishes the quality of the product, because you shouldn't HAVE to replace the fans(until at least a couple of years later with heavy usage). You should also make sure you dust the fans every now and then. And NEVER put the stand on a carpet when it's on. It'll suck up dust from the carpet and blow it right into your precious console. It also messes up the fans.
Overall: It does the job, but just pay attention. It's far from perfect, but it sure beats another product (which I will not name) that attaches to your XBox and uses the XBox's power supply, and THEREFORE VOIDS THE WARRANTY (and it actually doesn't really work). You'll need to be diligent about cleaning the fans, but seeing as how you're even considering buying this to protect your console, that shouldn't be a problem. If you're unlucky like me, one, or maybe both of your fans will die within a couple of months. But the fans SHOULD, ideally, last a couple of years. The fact that it uses its own power supply is both a gift and a burden. It means you can preserve your precious warranty and not put extra strain on your XBox power supply and the XBox itself, but it also means an extra cable and adapter to carry around. However, getting over these hurdles, the stand's unique vertical design and fan positioning really work well, and do the job.
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It doesn't help!
The problem with this device is that the 360's main fan is on the bottom when standing vertical. Even with a fan, the air flow will get cut off while on a hard surface. I bought the white one, and I got the RROD.
Luckily I got advice from a friend and my RROD went away. the best way to keep the 360 cool is to stand it horizantaly on the box it came in. Not only do I have this, I have an inter cooler EX and a fan set up to keep it cool.
trust me, this works better than buying a product that doesnt help.
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Looks Hella Cool!
You can never really be sure if these so-called coolers ever really actually work, but what I CAN comment on is that it fits the Elite perfectly, as well as having the same matte black color, so you wouldn't be able to tell that it was 2 separate units.
And of course the "Godzilla" green lights are awesome, and it has 2 slots on each side to hold the memory cards.
The plastic "chrome" front is really really tacky though lol.
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