The Red Ring Of Death: How To Fix An Xbox

The Xbox 360 has always been one of the most popular video game systems.  Just as with any other video game system it can glitch and have errors.  T...


The Xbox 360 has always been one of the most popular video game systems.  Just as with any other video game system it can glitch and have errors.  The Xbox 360 video game system is one of the most popular out there today, but at some point you are probably going to need to learn how to fix an Xbox so you can do it yourself.  You can learn to fix an Xbox in no time at all and save yourself money.

When it comes to fixing an Xbox, of course the first step is to figure out what is actually wrong with it.  One of the most common issues that gamers have with their Xbox 360 system is what is known as the red ring of death.  If you see the red ring your first instinct may be to get it fixed by a professional but then you have to pay a couple hundred dollars and wait for over a month to get it back and play your games again so why not do it on your own?  If the problem is that there is a red ring which is one of the most dreaded Xbox 360 problems, the fastest fix is to check and see if you are still under warranty because if you are you can send your system away and get it fixed for free.

Of course if you just bought the game recently it will be under warranty and you can get it fixed for free, otherwise get yourself a fine tip screwdriver and disassemble your Xbox.   Be extremely careful with the motherboard as you are taking it out because this is basically the brain of your system.  You drop the motherboard and break anything and you are going to see a lot more than just a red ring when you turn it back on.  Snoop the X-clamp then unscrew the heat sink so you have access to the CPU and GPU.

Take your time and make sure that you do not bend or break anything.  Now you are going to need to clean the GPU and CPU.  The last thing you want is to miss spots, end up putting the system all back together only to find that you have to go back in and clean the pieces better.  Then you use some Arctic Silver thermal compound over top of the GPU, ensuring that it does not drip anywhere else on the motherboard.

You can find Arctic Silver thermal compound at any basic computer hardware shop.  Once the thermal compound has set you place two nylon washers on each screw.  Add two more nylon washers and then you can piece the system back together.  As soon as you turn the system back on and go to play next time, the red ring should be gone.

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