The biggest concern for a lot of Xbox 360 users is the red ring of death. This is a very common problem and it happens when you see three red lights flashing on the front of the console. The fact that the Xbox 360 has a lot of great and positively addictive games just adds to the aggravation factor when your Xbox dies. This article will give a short description of why the red ring of death comes about and what you can do to head off and even fix this problem.
The red ring of death is caused by the Xbox getting hot during operation. Doe to its bad design, it generates too much heat and it is not able to cool itself because of an undersized cooling system. Additionally, the work load placed on the Xbox by many popular Xbox games out there adds to the problem.
When the Xbox gets hot, the mother board bows and flexes. The soldering on the mother board also gets flexed causing small cracks to form. With enough repetition, some of the solder joints can break.
Another problem caused by repeated heating is degradation of the thermal compound between the CPU and its heat sink. The thermal compound between the GPU and its heat sink can also break down over time. The thermal compound provides a heat conducting join between the CPU (or GPU) to its heat sink. When the thermal compound degrades, the heat sinks can't keep the CPU or GPU cool.
If you can keep your Xbox cool during operation, the red ring of death may be avoided and might even be reversed in some instances. This means that you'll have to take extra precautions at keeping the cooling vents clear of grit, dust, or any other obstructions. This also means that your Xbox should only be used in a cool and well ventilated environment. Also take care not to use it near heat sources such as a radiator or other warm electronics.
You will also have to look after the power brick because it too cannot be allowed to overheat. You should also avoid using your Xbox 360 over extended periods of time. Your Xbox needs to be allowed to cool down after every 2 or 3 hours of operation.
There are other reasons for the red ring of death besides heat. But the most serious and common reason for the red ring of death is overheating. If your Xbox constantly overheats, serious damage can occur.
The red ring of death is caused by the Xbox getting hot during operation. Doe to its bad design, it generates too much heat and it is not able to cool itself because of an undersized cooling system. Additionally, the work load placed on the Xbox by many popular Xbox games out there adds to the problem.
When the Xbox gets hot, the mother board bows and flexes. The soldering on the mother board also gets flexed causing small cracks to form. With enough repetition, some of the solder joints can break.
Another problem caused by repeated heating is degradation of the thermal compound between the CPU and its heat sink. The thermal compound between the GPU and its heat sink can also break down over time. The thermal compound provides a heat conducting join between the CPU (or GPU) to its heat sink. When the thermal compound degrades, the heat sinks can't keep the CPU or GPU cool.
If you can keep your Xbox cool during operation, the red ring of death may be avoided and might even be reversed in some instances. This means that you'll have to take extra precautions at keeping the cooling vents clear of grit, dust, or any other obstructions. This also means that your Xbox should only be used in a cool and well ventilated environment. Also take care not to use it near heat sources such as a radiator or other warm electronics.
You will also have to look after the power brick because it too cannot be allowed to overheat. You should also avoid using your Xbox 360 over extended periods of time. Your Xbox needs to be allowed to cool down after every 2 or 3 hours of operation.
There are other reasons for the red ring of death besides heat. But the most serious and common reason for the red ring of death is overheating. If your Xbox constantly overheats, serious damage can occur.
About the Author:
Marc Sandford is a gaming addict and writer. Get more Xbox 360 troubleshooting advice about repairing the Xbox 360 3 Red Lights Error.
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