What Causes The Red Rings Of Death On An Xbox 360 Console?

XBOX 360 deals have made this console very affordable and ahead of the other game consoles

, when comparing price and value. Xbox 360 deals are available on almost every gaming network and departments stores shelves. The Xbox 360 has been held in the highest regards as a cutting edge gaming console. There is a large following of gamers that use this type of console. The Xbox 360 is plagued by a problem called the Red Ring of Death.

The leading causes of this problem can be directly related to the following problems:

Overheating of the unit. Overheating occurs in three major areas of the Xbox 360 console the first area is the GPU, which stands for (General Processing Unit). The GPU controls instruction and functions of the console software. While performing these instructions, heat is generated and dispatched through a Heat sink that draws away the destructive force from the GPU. The problem here is that as time goes on and the console ages the destructive thermal forces destroy the plastic consuls ability to keep everything firmly secure and furthermore allows the warping of the actual base that the GPU is secured too, This in turn causes a flood gate of problems to follow, such as breaks in solder joints related to the GPU connection.

Power brick Problems are the second major culprit of the Xbox 360 gaming console. The Power brick contains the actual power supply that powers up the gaming console in essence it is like the heart of the system. The Power brick takes 120 volt electricity and reduces it to a smaller more manageable voltage that your Xbox 360 can run on. In the process of reducing and supplying the Xbox 360 with power large amounts of heat are created from the transformer found inside the Power brick. The heat left unchecked by the fan and ventilation holes causes the unit to generate the red ring of death error. Containing the Xbox in too small of an area without proper ventilation can cause this failure quicker than anything else.

Solder Joints. The overheating caused from other members and components of the Xbox 360 can cause solder joints to pull apart or just generally fail. As the console becomes aged and used the thermal elements begin to warp and contract the plastic case that so cleverly shields the internals from the destructive outside forces. The real problem however is that these same precautions meant to shield and protect the components from outside forces has caused the containment of heat that causes the solder joints to become stressed and fail.

The summary here is that excessive temperatures created from the power supply in the Xbox 360 causes the unit to breakdown over time generating the red ring of death. To protect the Xbox and prolong its life you would need to remove any and all dust from exhaust and ventilation holes on the Xbox 360 and not contain the unit in an area limited from ventilation. Beware of any Xbox 360 deals that offer units that are used without warranty that apply to this defect.

by: Craig Brolin

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