red ring of death on a 360 :-(

[exibar]

I post seeking help of the old or not so old wise ones :-)

   I have the dreaded RRoD, quadrants 1,3,4.  I took the xbox apart, and it seems to be ok now that I blew out the dust bunnies.  But, I'm concerned it'll come back.  Is there any "cure" for the RRoD that is available?  or any mod that I can do to help keep that evil RRoD away?

 thanks all!
 Mike B

[SithMaster]

Its overheating so using the intercooler might help or you can cut out one side and add two computer fans into the mix.  I forget where I saw that mod but if you google for fans and 360 it should appear.  Apart from that keep it somewhere open (ie not on a shelf thats enclosed) and don't use it for long periods of time.

[somunny]

Why'd you take it apart?  Isn't it under warranty until at least November?

[SavannahLion]

...and don't use it for long periods of time.

 

[Samstag]

Google for the "x-clamp" mod. That should help.  It's too late to get warranty work if you've already broken the seal, so you might as well give it a shot.

I just sent mine in last week.  In my case once it started having trouble I couldn't get it to run for more than a couple of minutes at a time.  They received it today and already sent out a replacement.

[Dazz]

I am a strong believer in the X-Clamp fix...  I've fixed several RRoD'd 360's with the fix and not a single one of them have ever shown signs of happening again.

[JackTucky]

you can still send it in for rrod repair if it's been opened.  They will warn you 10 times that they will send it back but they won't.  I know several people who have done this.  I sent mine back with modded DVD firmware and got a different refurb'd xbox back.
=J

[big daddy]

In case the original poster wasn't aware:

On July 5, 2007, the Vice-President of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business division published an open letter recognizing the console's problems, as well as announcing a 3 year warranty extension for every Xbox 360 console that experiences the "general hardware failure" indicated by three flashing red LEDs on the console

[exibar]

Thanks for all the replies all!   I've been out of town and haven't had a chance to get back on :-(

  yes, I'm aware that the 3 year extention is still active, but I've opened it up to flash the DVD.  I seriously doubt that they'll still honor the warranty on a unit that's been opened.
   
    Yah, it came back for sure.... It won't stay on for more than a minute :-(   I'll give the x-clamp fix a google and pick up the kit.  I was also thinking of simply overheating the GPU to allow the solder to re-adhere... I read about that on the Llama's site....  I think I'll try the x-clamp first though...

    Now unless someone can tell me for sure, for sure, that Microsoft will take back an opened system for repair of the RRoD, I'll pick up the x-clamp kit.

  thanks again all!
    Mike B

[erictrumpet]

I'll just chime in here with my experience. My 360 was new in 2006 and in 2007 I got the ring. At that time it was out of the 1 year warranty (this was before they added the extension), but they still took it back to fix it. The turnaround was crazy fast: they sent me a shipping box which I got 2 days after my phone call, I shipped it that day (postage prepaid), and within a week I had it back. I was amazed at how fast they did it. No problems since. I do not have a lot of faith in the Xbox, I think the Apple-style design was a stupid compromise particularly when it comes to cooling, and the DVD drive is ridiculously loud... basically I would have preferred a well-built unit that didn't look all Steve Jobsey but hey they didn't ask me when they designed it! Anyway, they surprised me with awesome customer service on my red ring. Your experience may differ. And of course since you opened it I guess this is all moot

Eric.

[exibar]

well, so far so good....   I picked up some screws and washers tonight and replaced that poor designed x-clamp with the screws.   I let it burn in a bit, then re-booted and had half hour of play time until I figured it was cured....

  The big test will be my son....  he'll play Halo 3 for days without stopping...  He's the real test :-)

 thankyou all for the help!  I have my fingers crossed it's fixed for good !!!

  Mike B

[versapak]

well, so far so good....   I picked up some screws and washers tonight and replaced that poor designed x-clamp with the screws.   I let it burn in a bit, then re-booted and had half hour of play time until I figured it was cured....

  The big test will be my son....  he'll play Halo 3 for days without stopping...  He's the real test :-)

 thankyou all for the help!  I have my fingers crossed it's fixed for good !!!

  Mike B

You may still run into an E74 error, which is a GPU problem.

Letting your 360 overheat in the x-clamp fix only really heats the CPU, since the guide doesn't really stress the GPU much. If your GPU had been unseating at all, it wouldn't be fixed by that.

If you do run into an E74 error in the future, the first thing I would try is a heat gun. Just blow it on the GPU heat sink for a bit. Since you already did the x-clamp replacement it should seat properly with just that.

[M.Lanza]

[Daniel270]

I've only seen the RROD once on mine.... and that was before I bought the Intercooler fan unit.   It's been loud, but ringless since....

[AcidArmitage]

i just got e74'd! .... sonofabitch! 




 

[ark_ader]

So is  good to say that buying a Xbox 360 instead of a PS3, considering all the heating problems, is a definate no no?

I want to get a core unit with that Xim mod.  Will I have to take the mobo out of its case and mod it to cool it down?   

Whats up with the noisy DVD drive?  Are there alternatives?

[AcidArmitage]

well even though I just got e74'd, I would still buy a 360 before a PS3. The box to send it in for repairs is on its way now and I'm just gonna be screwed over for a week or two.

[SithMaster]

So is  good to say that buying a Xbox 360 instead of a PS3, considering all the heating problems, is a definate no no?

I want to get a core unit with that Xim mod.  Will I have to take the mobo out of its case and mod it to cool it down?   

Whats up with the noisy DVD drive?  Are there alternatives?

I read somewhere that the noisy drive can be fixed with a firmware update but that is most definitely a lie.  Of course you could chip the xbox to run games off an hd to fix the problem of a noisy disc drive.

[Singapura]

I read somewhere that the noisy drive can be fixed with a firmware update but that is most definitely a lie.  Of course you could chip the xbox to run games off an hd to fix the problem of a noisy disc drive.

Don't confuse the Xbox 360 with the original Xbox. The 360 can't be chipped to run of the hard disk (yet).

[AcidArmitage]

well after the fall update you can download the disc onto the hard drive (but youll still need the original disc)

[AtomSmasher]

So is  good to say that buying a Xbox 360 instead of a PS3, considering all the heating problems, is a definate no no?

I believe the overheating problems have been fixed in the more recent versions of the 360, so just make sure to get one with hdmi output (the earlier models don't have hdmi).

[AcidArmitage]

ehhhhh mine had HDMI output lol

[AtomSmasher]

ehhhhh mine had HDMI output lol

heh okay, maybe they haven't been completely fixed, but I'd bet the odds of getting a bad one have been substantially reduced.  I remember hearing about another version getting released after the hdmi was added which was supposed to reduce the problems even more.  Anyone know if that got released yet?

[Samstag]

ehhhhh mine had HDMI output lol

heh okay, maybe they haven't been completely fixed, but I'd bet the odds of getting a bad one have been substantially reduced.  I remember hearing about another version getting released after the hdmi was added which was supposed to reduce the problems even more.  Anyone know if that got released yet?

There have been a couple of improvements, but nothing necessarily tied to HDMI.  The first was an improved heatsink on the GPU.  They can put that on any motherboard so if you get a refurb you should have the heatsink.  Last fall they started using the "falcon" chipset which uses a 65nm CPU to reduces the heat generated (and cost).  Rumors say that the next iteration will be the "jasper" model which uses a 65nm GPU.

[AtomSmasher]

ehhhhh mine had HDMI output lol

heh okay, maybe they haven't been completely fixed, but I'd bet the odds of getting a bad one have been substantially reduced.  I remember hearing about another version getting released after the hdmi was added which was supposed to reduce the problems even more.  Anyone know if that got released yet?

There have been a couple of improvements, but nothing necessarily tied to HDMI.  The first was an improved heatsink on the GPU.  They can put that on any motherboard so if you get a refurb you should have the heatsink.  Last fall they started using the "falcon" chipset which uses a 65nm CPU to reduces the heat generated (and cost).  Rumors say that the next iteration will be the "jasper" model which uses a 65nm GPU.

I know none of the improvements are tied to directly to HDMI, but HDMI is a recent addition, so if you get one with HDMI then you should have the falcon chipset with the heatsink.

Just did some checking on the jasper, which is the one I heard was coming up that should reduce the amount of problems even more, and I guess it's supposed to come out in August.

[Samstag]

I know none of the improvements are tied to directly to HDMI, but HDMI is a recent addition, so if you get one with HDMI then you should have the falcon chipset with the heatsink.

I understand your point, but that definitely isn't a safe assumption because many of the original HDMI units used the Elite version of the motherboard, which had no improvements.  I just got back a "refurb" replacement for an Elite that RRODed on me and it doesn't have the heatsink or the Falcon CPU.  I'm just hoping that the next time I send it in I'll have better luck.

[AtomSmasher]

I understand your point, but that definitely isn't a safe assumption because many of the original HDMI units used the Elite version of the motherboard, which had no improvements. 

I did not know that.  Is there any way to find out if your getting a newer version before you buy it (meaning without opening the box)?

[Samstag]

I understand your point, but that definitely isn't a safe assumption because many of the original HDMI units used the Elite version of the motherboard, which had no improvements. 

I did not know that.  Is there any way to find out if your getting a newer version before you buy it (meaning without opening the box)?

I think the Falcon models advertise a 175-watt power supply somewhere on the box.

[massive88]

I think the Falcon models advertise a 175-watt power supply somewhere on the box.

Correct, not all HDMI's are falcons, and 175Watt PSU is the easiest way to tell.

http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/02/05/how-to-spot-a-falcon-65nm-360-in-the-wild/

[AtomSmasher]

Good to know.  I had assumed mine had the falcon chipset because it had hdmi, but luckily I just now checked the power supply and it has a max output of 175W.  You got me worried there for a minute 

[RoomTenONine]

I don' understand why you would be taking your 360 apart IF you have a the 3 RROD syndrome.  ALL instances of this are covered by the modified warranty.  I had an original batch (Sept 2006) 360 last me until May 2008.  Under teh new warranty i received a new 360...no questions asked.  i just sent my broken one in a a new one arrived.  This comes with an entirely new warranty itself.

[versapak]

I don' understand why you would be taking your 360 apart IF you have a the 3 RROD syndrome.  ALL instances of this are covered by the modified warranty.  I had an original batch (Sept 2006) 360 last me until May 2008.  Under teh new warranty i received a new 360...no questions asked.  i just sent my broken one in a a new one arrived.  This comes with an entirely new warranty itself.

Gotta read beyond the first post.


Modding the 360 voids that warranty.

[RoomTenONine]

I don' understand why you would be taking your 360 apart IF you have a the 3 RROD syndrome.  ALL instances of this are covered by the modified warranty.  I had an original batch (Sept 2006) 360 last me until May 2008.  Under teh new warranty i received a new 360...no questions asked.  i just sent my broken one in a a new one arrived.  This comes with an entirely new warranty itself.

Gotta read beyond the first post.


Modding the 360 voids that warranty.

I get that and I did read the entire thread.  Let me clarify: I don't understand why you'd crack it open in the first place.  There isn't anything you can do mod wise worth losing the warranty.  Especially considering how flaky the hardware is in the first place.  We all know more people who've had RROD than not.

[JackTucky]

they won't check that you opened it.  they'll still replace it.  don't believe the crap they tell you when you setup the return.

=J

[versapak]

I don' understand why you would be taking your 360 apart IF you have a the 3 RROD syndrome.  ALL instances of this are covered by the modified warranty.  I had an original batch (Sept 2006) 360 last me until May 2008.  Under teh new warranty i received a new 360...no questions asked.  i just sent my broken one in a a new one arrived.  This comes with an entirely new warranty itself.

Gotta read beyond the first post.


Modding the 360 voids that warranty.

I get that and I did read the entire thread.  Let me clarify: I don't understand why you'd crack it open in the first place.  There isn't anything you can do mod wise worth losing the warranty.  Especially considering how flaky the hardware is in the first place.  We all know more people who've had RROD than not.

Since the only reason to mod a 360 currently is to play copies...


It is pretty darn conceivable that there is a whole heck of a lot of value in taking the risk.

Arcade unit = $279

That isn't even 5 games. How many copies do you think the average modded 360 sees?

[boykster]

they won't check that you opened it.  they'll still replace it.  don't believe the crap they tell you when you setup the return.

=J

Listen to this guy, he knows what he's talking about.  Unless you totally trashed the thing opening it (and it's possible), submit a warranty repair request and be done with it.

[MameMaster!]

I had a DVD drive failure on a modded machine....and microsoft sent me a new one when that failed.

When they asked what went wrong I told them it was the RROFD....and they just sent me a refurb once they got my dead one.

I don't think they even powered up my machine that had been obviously modded as the warrantee sticker was missing.

 

[JackTucky]

I didn't even have RROD.  I had a problem reading discs.  I still told them I had RROD and got a refurb.

=J

[RoomTenONine]

I don' understand why you would be taking your 360 apart IF you have a the 3 RROD syndrome.  ALL instances of this are covered by the modified warranty.  I had an original batch (Sept 2006) 360 last me until May 2008.  Under teh new warranty i received a new 360...no questions asked.  i just sent my broken one in a a new one arrived.  This comes with an entirely new warranty itself.

Gotta read beyond the first post.


Modding the 360 voids that warranty.

I get that and I did read the entire thread.  Let me clarify: I don't understand why you'd crack it open in the first place.  There isn't anything you can do mod wise worth losing the warranty.  Especially considering how flaky the hardware is in the first place.  We all know more people who've had RROD than not.

Since the only reason to mod a 360 currently is to play copies...


It is pretty darn conceivable that there is a whole heck of a lot of value in taking the risk.

Arcade unit = $279

That isn't even 5 games. How many copies do you think the average modded 360 sees?

Like I said already, I personally don't see any current 360 mods as something worth doing in favor of losing the warranty.  Playing copied games for a current gen system that you can go out and buy RIGHT NOW at a 24 hour store is lame IMO.  Support the system and developers while you can.  Save the copying for when you can't buy a game or system any more.

That said if we are counting up the cost of the console itself vs. the money saved from copies, at least use a 360 model that people actually buy.  The arcade unit is a POS that no one in their right mind would buy.  Everyone has either the $450 elite or the $300 "platinum" model.  Plus you have to factor in the cost of the mod itself, any costs to rent the games you will pirate, the cost of the blank media and if we are really being picky the costs of the machine/software you use to copy and burn.  I'd say that's a little more than 5 games. 

I don't want to sound like I'm criticizing you because I'm not.  I'm simply trying to clarify my posts as I don't think you understood my point.  To me the warranty isn't worth losing in favor of a mod considering the likely chance it will break.  It seems as if many opened/modded systems are still being replaced.  I think MS has had so many come through that they just check the error code, send a new/refub back to you ASAP and then deal with the defective hardware later.  They've lost so much at this point with the hardware failures and their focus is now quick replacement...they aren't going to mess with checking for subtle mods.

[versapak]

Like I said already, I personally don't see any current 360 mods as something worth doing in favor of losing the warranty.  Playing copied games for a current gen system that you can go out and buy RIGHT NOW at a 24 hour store is lame IMO.  Support the system and developers while you can.  Save the copying for when you can't buy a game or system any more.

That said if we are counting up the cost of the console itself vs. the money saved from copies, at least use a 360 model that people actually buy.  The arcade unit is a POS that no one in their right mind would buy.  Everyone has either the $450 elite or the $300 "platinum" model.  Plus you have to factor in the cost of the mod itself, any costs to rent the games you will pirate, the cost of the blank media and if we are really being picky the costs of the machine/software you use to copy and burn.  I'd say that's a little more than 5 games. 

I don't want to sound like I'm criticizing you because I'm not.  I'm simply trying to clarify my posts as I don't think you understood my point.  To me the warranty isn't worth losing in favor of a mod considering the likely chance it will break.  It seems as if many opened/modded systems are still being replaced.  I think MS has had so many come through that they just check the error code, send a new/refub back to you ASAP and then deal with the defective hardware later.  They've lost so much at this point with the hardware failures and their focus is now quick replacement...they aren't going to mess with checking for subtle mods.

When replacing a unit, there is no difference between the arcade unit and any other, with the exception of color.

It would be stupid to pay more for a different unit, when you already have all the extra stuff that comes with the them.


Cost of the mod?


It is a firmware flash. As long as you have SATA in your PC, there is no cost for the mod.

Blank media cost $2 a piece retail, and can be found cheaper.


5 games at $60 a piece = $300

5 copies at $2 a piece + Arcade unit replacement $280 = $290



If the argument is that you should support the developers, and not be playing copies than fair enough. That is not at all the same thing as not having value though.


If you are going to be playing copies, than at worst the cost of a replacement system is going to set you back considerably less then you would have paid to buy the games you play.

Chances are that you will be able to fix it yourself with the $10 x-clamp replacement though.