GPU Cooling Mod Cures Xbox 360 RRoD Problem
Disclaimer: this may not be a cure for every RRoD situation.
One Xbox 360 gamer decided he wasn't going to be beaten by the dreaded Red Ring of Death (RRoD). Rather than purchasing a new console, he enlisted a fellow friend and modder "rbz" to take a peek at te problem. According to rbz here in this BenHeck post, he applied "the usual thermal compound fix etc.," and it seemed to work... for roughly two hours.
Annoyed, rbz cracked open the console to take a closer look at the issue. "Firstly I noticed that the bottom of the DVD drive was 'stained' black with heat. If I rubbed the colouring, it wouldn't move," the post reads. "This obviously was a major problem. If the heat had damaged the metal on the metal DVD drive case, it was clearly getting really hot to burn that."
rbz assumed that Microsoft "sacrificed the GPU's heatsink" in order to cram the optical drive into the console's design. But screwing a fan onto the heatsink also meant that the optical drive had to come out and be mounted externally onto the casing. While this isn't exactly attractive, it definitely did the trick.
The process took eight steps: screw the fan onto the GPU heatsink, replace the tiny SATA cable with a longer one, modify the fan plastic so that it fits together again, and then cut few holes in the top of the Xbox-- one to further help ventilation, and another for the optical drive cables. The other steps included testing, closing the console, and mounting the drive.
"It worked fine, even the eject button," the post reads. "It hasnt given him any problems since. This will fix your xbox RRoD (for good, I think) but however you'll have to make your drive external."
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It's getting hot enough to stain the drive black?! Nice design Microsoft.
Goos think my last Xbox RROD'd , and I bought a PC and don't have to deal with this shit anymore.
OMG!
KNOCK IT OFF ALREADY!!!!!!
The new xboxes that are arcade units emit COLD AIR!
problem solved
Just buy this water cooling kit from Koolance: http://www.koolance.com/water-cool [...] uct_id=328
Won't this mod get you banned from Xbox Live?
/s
[citation][nom]danimal_the_animal[/nomThe new xboxes that are arcade units emit COLD AIR!
problem solved[/citation]
Is this still an issue in the Elite models, though?
[citation][nom]danimal_the_animal[/nomThe new xboxes that are arcade units emit COLD AIR!problem solved
Is this still an issue in the Elite models, though?[/citation]
Since the problem is apparently tied to models with a hard drive, it may very well be.
A new PC and Steam was my permanent fix for the RRoD.
@fkssr
An optical drive is not a hard drive.
A new PC and Steam was my permanent fix for the RRoD.
true.. I haven't touched my xbox360 since I got back on steam mearely with a core2duo.
and now that I've tried (a non-steam game) starcraft 2 and found that it automatically defaults all options to Ultra, why would I even need to bother with 360 any more? PC is just as or more fun than a 360. and no monthly fee on top of paying monthly for internet access already.
Isn't the Arcade console the one without the hard drive?
My questions was whether the new Elite versions (with a hard drive) still have the issue.
badaxe2 addressed my question.
Water cooling kits are meant to be for high end PCs with overclocked specs, not the pathetic little xbox wannabe-gamer CPU and GPU...
Water cooling kits are meant to be for high end PCs with overclocked specs, not the pathetic little xbox wannabe-gamer CPU and GPU...
Back in 2005, it was a full generation ahead of PC hardware... (unified shaders on the GPU, 10 MB eDRAM die).
So enough with the console-bashing already. I have a pretty capable laptop, but I still play on my Xbox 360 more.
Also, considering that for $200 you can play a game that looks as fantastic on the Xbox 360 as Final Fantasy XIII or Mass Effect 2, it's quite a steal.
Awesome mod but you shouldn't have to do this to a console. I went PC long ago and happy I am there. Better graphics and I don't have to deal with RRoD or trying to figure out how to keep my XBox from breaking. PC always wins.
No, but being an idiot will surely do. Well, at least it should.
Including people who don't get a joke?
Won't this mod get you banned from Xbox Live?/s
Any system intrusion and tampering can possibly get you banned from xbox live. It has been debated that the system can tell if it has been opened up but generally just if you power it on while the DVDROM is unplugged. So in that case, it should be fine as long as you plug everything back in after it had been opened up.
...and now that I've tried (a non-steam game) starcraft 2 and found that it automatically defaults all options to Ultra, why would I even need to bother with 360 any more?
Man, I wish a SC2 beta invite would make its way to my inbox. Still itching to put that game through its paces.
Agree with fluffycakes..shouldn't have to do this to a console; it's not in my opinion, a solution..just a bodge-job. I think MS should simply release a better case at no extra cost to existing users. It's not like they can't afford to do it. I still like this console, just don't relish the idea of bashing the case to bits to fix a problem MS should have fixed for good ages ago (in my opinion).
I got a new 250Gb XBOX360 for Christmas this year and even with me having it crammed in around a the rest of my consoles it still blows cool air after several hours of non-stop gaming.
I've even taken it on about 10 plane rides now with it banging around as my carrying on and it still runs perfect and is blowing cool air.
But this only works if you're out of warranty... if not you have to send it in and wait 3-xx weeks. Anyway I am really happy with my new jasper... the air coming out is only a few degrees(10-15 C) hotter then room temperature.
I'm still selling it and building a pc from second hand parts when Fermi comes out.
Isn't the Arcade console the one without the hard drive?My questions was whether the new Elite versions (with a hard drive) still have the issue.badaxe2 addressed my question.
The issue has nothing to do with the HDDs, Elite, Arcade, etc. It's about the GPU/CPU in older models being very hot and poorly cooled. Newer boards (in any model) are not as prone to overheating. Falcon and Jasper are significantly cooler-running and more reliable. A lot of repaired models came with improved cooling, too.
This mod was creative, but not needed. There are plenty of internal mods that don't require removal of the DVD drive, for old units with underperforming coolers and hot chips. Heck, xclamping both the CPU and GPU along with some careful application of Arctic Silver 5 is a good start. But you can also buy/make a revised heatpipe cooler (assuming you don't already have one) and/or add additional internal fans. You can also replace the existing case fans with better ones, and mod the fan openings to flow better.
So basically... tons of options that don't require you to stick your DVD drive outside the console in an idiotic fashion. Anyone who builds PCs and is familiar with smart cooling setups can do it on the cheap. Plus, the 3 year warranty I think has covered most people pretty well, unless they voided their warranty. MS f'd up on their cooler design big time, but they did at least beef up the warranty and will repair the systems no questions asked. I can't always say the same for Sony hardware. PSPs and old boxy PS2s especially.
Buy a PS3... there's your fix
"Back in 2005, it was a full generation ahead of PC hardware..."
LOL and now it's 2010... I think that just says it all.
The RRoD really isn't that complicated...
The problem is that the heatsink backplate for the GPU is made of regular old steel, not spring steel, and is the only part applying pressure to the GPU heatsink. This means that over time, the backplate will warp and lose tension (the high heat speeds up this problem, obviously).
After the heatsink is no longer properly secured... well, I'm sure any TH member can guess the consequences.
Thanks guys. That answers my question.
Anything that facilitiates the movement of air in the 360 will help.
Aftermaket coolers.
Placing the box in an open area.
Machining away part of the vents to allow more air in and out.
Turning it off once in a while (SHOCK ... HORROR!!).
This mod is a bit too ugly for me ... happier with the cooler that the box sits on ... more elegant.
OMG!KNOCK IT OFF ALREADY!!!!!!The new xboxes that are arcade units emit COLD AIR!problem solved
not quitre accurate , any console made after xmas 08 uses one of the new mainboards (jasper or vahalla) this included the elites and teh pros and the arcade models, after xmas that year all product liens received the updates so basically jsuta bout any 260 you buy today will most likely ahve teh new revisions , thoguh this fix would be a must for folks that stil have the older decks , my question is if teh fan being moutned on top of teh ehat sink makes things to tight for teh disk drive , why not get two smaller fans a dn moutn them on teh sides of the heat sink , unles the ehat sink is jsuta really wierd design you can sidel moutn screws on one
Just buy this water cooling kit from Koolance: http://www.koolance.com/water-cool [...] uct_id=328
i hope youa re fuking joking dude LOL most only pay liek 200 for thier consoel that thing is like 300 bucks geezus
Buy a PS3... there's your fix
Will you loan me your copy of Mass Effect 2 for PS3?
There's your unfix.
Back in 2005, it was a full generation ahead of PC hardware... (unified shaders on the GPU, 10 MB eDRAM die).So enough with the console-bashing already. I have a pretty capable laptop, but I still play on my Xbox 360 more.Also, considering that for $200 you can play a game that looks as fantastic on the Xbox 360 as Final Fantasy XIII or Mass Effect 2, it's quite a steal.
err no it wasnt , you numb nuts , in 05 , pc had the gf 6000s-7000's series and the ati x800 -1900 series chips,the latter models released right around the same time as the 360 so the 360 was techniclaly on par with pc tech when it released , for teh record all those gpu's mentioned had unified shaders.
Buy a PS3... there's your fix
you must enjoy walking around with a sign on your forhead that says "i'm an a-hole"
i have seen the ps3 both old and new , and sony fans have no room to talk aobut xbox 360 ehat issues, i could cook eggs on the top of my friend's ps3's (he has both the old and the new models)
thoguh i can't do that with my jasper based 360