Why does my Xbox 360 have 3 red rings?

Microsoft rushed the Xbox 360 to market so they could claim the crown as 'the first next-gen console' and, just like their software, it had bugs in it. Unlike their software it wasn't easy to release a Service Pack to fix the problem and that's where the X-clamp kit come in. Think of it as Xbox 360 SP1.

When the console shows 3 red flashing segments it has overheated. This is for a number of reasons:

The GPU and CPU are made with old technology, the side effect of which is that they run hot.
This coupled with a tiny heatsink for the GPU tucked under the DVD Drive means that the heatsink can't pull the hot air away quick enough.

Microsoft uses a Ball Grid Array design to attach the chips to the board - the chips are stuck to the motherboard by a grid of solder balls. When these chips overheat, because the design of the heatsinks isn't good, because the motherboard itself can't cope with the thermal load and because the thermal pads between chips and heatsinks are cheap and inefficient, then the chips will peel off the motherboard. Added to this the lead-free solder within the motherboard can also break apart as the console overheats.

The result of all this is the RED RING OF DEATH!

Q: What is the X-Clamp kit and why does it work?

An X-Clamp kit is a set of bolts and washers to replace the Microsoft X-clamps and hold the heatsinks in place on the chips. A good x-clamp kit also comes with decent thermal paste (like Antec) to replace the cheap and nasty MS thermal pads which hold in a lot of the chip's heat.

Q: Does it matter what games I play or if I leave the console plugged in?

Some games will tax the GPU more than others but the only guaranteed way not to get the RROD is not to use the Xbox 360!

Leaving the console plugging in all the time might cause any power spikes going through your electricity supply to blow the console but there is a power brick between the console and the wall socket so it's unlikely. Nonetheless it is always a good idea to use a Surge Protector.

Q: Is it better to keep the 360 flat or upright?

It makes no difference. As long as it's not flat and on a carpet! The problem with being upright is that some early consoles had a tendency to score the discs when upright so it is safer to play with the console flat.

Q: Just what is the "Towel Trick" and does it work?

The towel trick involves taking a towel and wrapping it around the console and then turning it on to cool the insides. This melts the solder under the chips and reattaches them to the motherboard. But because it doesn't fix the original issue - cheap thermal pad and heatsinks not bolted down properly - you will get RROD again within a day.

What towel-tricking also does is superheat the capacitors which will blow up and turn the console into a doorstop.

Q: Have Microsoft fixed the problem with the newer Elite consoles?

The newer Elites made in 2007-08 have a new CPU but the same old GPU so they still overheat and still get RROD. However, the new 'Jasper' console has a new GPU as well as CPU and so far seems to have fixed the problem. These consoles were made after Dec 2008 and have a 150W power brick.

Please note that if your console is unopened Microsoft have a 3 year warranty for 3 red light errors (and also some 1 red light errors).

Please take your time to look at my listings - 'xbox_expert' where I have the UK's best-selling X-Clamp fix kit.

Xbox_Expert