How To Prevent The Red Ring Of Death And
Optimize Your Favourite Console
A Short Report
For The Busy Gamer!
By Sam Moffatt
http://xbox360repairguidex.com
Contents
Introduction.............................................................................................. P1
What Is The 3 Red Lights............................................................................P2
Why Do You Get The Red Ring Of Death....................................................P3
How To Prevent The Red Ring Of Death From Wrecking Your Life............P3-4
Introduction
Hi guys, thanks for reading my short report on How To Prevent The Red
Ring Of Death. If you follow the tips I’ve set out in this guide, you’ll
enjoy more bang for your buck and extend the lifespan of the xbox
360 guaranteed, so take note.
I’m not going to try and waste your time with the fine details in this
guide. You can find more in depth information on all things to do with
the red ring of death by heading to my website, you’ll find all you need
to know there. This report has been written as a quick reference guide
for very busy people like yourself.
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What Is The 3 Red Lights?
The 3 Red Lights, or the RROD is a hardware error. Reportedly 1 in 3
gamers have suffered since the launch back in 2005. It is indicated by 3
red rings/lights near the power button - if you have it, it will typically
look like the image below
Why Do You Get The 3 Red Lights?
There are loads of conspiracy theories flying around the net about why
you get the RROD. Some people say that it is a hardware problem
deliberately built into the console to limit the lifespan of the consoles- in
more literary terms- built in obsolescence. I don’t buy that. I think it was
simply a case of bad manufacturing from the outset.
One of the main reasons the console suffers the red ring of death is due
to overheating. Although this is one of the main triggers, it isn’t the
main cause, because a high performance piece of technology should be
able to handle the heat it generates. Laptops and televisions do, so why
can’t the Xbox 360?
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The engineering faults which have been said to cause the red ring of
death are listed below:
Lead Free Solder
Lead free solder was used in the engineering of the console to prevent
children being exposed to it. As a result, the type of solder which was
used was too brittle, eventually developing tiny hair line cracks which
obstructed the electrical current.
Graphics Chip
The graphics chip has been blamed more than anything else for the
RROD.
The chip was built in-house by Microsoft and has been blamed for giving
off way too much heat. Instead of outsourcing the graphics chip to
experienced developers like AMD or Nvidia, Microsoft opted to develop
the graphics chip in house to save them millions in development costs,
in the end to the detriment of customers. However, Microsoft have
taken major steps to resolve the RROD in future units by using an
outside vendor to create a more efficient chip, but thousands of
consoles still have the old graphics chip.
All in all, the immense heat loosens up the connections of the various
components on the motherboard, such as the graphics processing unit,
resulting in the 3 flashing red lights.
How To Prevent The Red Ring Of Death From Wrecking
Your Life
Remember, overheating triggers the red ring of death, because the
graphics chip and the lead free solder can’t deal with it. So, if we can
keep the console from roasting day in day out, we have a fighting
chance of preventing your console from breaking down with the 3 red
lights.
Here are some tips I highly recommend you follow
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1. Keep Your Console In A Well Ventilated Area
This is obvious I know, but surprisingly a lot of keep their console in an
enclosed area like a cabinet packed tightly against other appliances like
a DVD player and a hi-fi system. This only exacerbates the overheating
problem, so here’s what I suggest: keep your console close to where
there is a source of fresh air, be it a window, fan or an air vent.
2. Keep Your Xbox 360 Off Your Carpet
Placing your console on a carpet whilst playing your console for long
periods isn’t healthy for your consoles at all, imagine all the fibres and
dust which are embedded within your carpet, and now imagine all the
crap that is likely to have been sucked into your Xbox 360. The way you
can remedy this is by placing your console on a hard flat surface like a
book or a table.
3. Clean It
Chances are, your air vents are dusty, especially if you keep your
console in cabinet or on a carpet. Take a look and get into the habit of
scanning your air vents and wiping away any residue and dust with a
cloth or a tissue. I don’t recommend using a cleaner for this by the way.
Also, it may be worth using compressed air to blow dust out. Do this on
a regular basis- around once a week.
4. Give Your Xbox 360 A Rest
We all love all day marathon gaming sessions, but not allowing your
console some rest in between is doing more harm than good. I used to
play on my console for 12 hours+ over the weekends, until I got the
RROD. I guess I learned the hard way. Just let it sleep, and I mean
taking out all of the leads.
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All these tips are common sense, but you’ll be surprised at how effective
they are.
Extra Help
If you have any questions or require any help with regards to the 3 red
lights, take a look at my website http://xbox360repairguidex.com or
drop me a line at support@xbox360repairguidex.com for help and
support.
Have a great day and thanks for reading
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