RING OF DEATH FIXES - updated 22 July 07

Please let me know if you have different or new info, top tips and advice that may help other "dead ringers".

Is there really a fix for the Ring of Death? I ask this as my repaired 360 ROD'ed 20 minutes after I got it out of its repair box. Microsoft have admitted to the issue by extending the guarantee for this error.

Some 360s come back with extra heatsinks in them and some don't ( someone posted today in another forum that theirs just got back without one). A new 65nM chip is on the way that uses less power and pushes out less heat, but that's not going into consoles for some time yet.

Microsoft has not been too forthcoming about the exact nature of the problem, preferring instead to take each case on its individual merits. So all we can do is speculate. The only thing I can be sure of is that the reliability issue is still not sorted out.

Prevention is better than cure, so make sure all sides of your 360 are well ventilated. Putting the horizontal 360 up on blocks, to aid airflow through the bottom vent is worth a try.

Plugging anything into the 360 to cool it can potentially make it hotter by using the 360's power. High current USB devices should be powered by phantom USB power supplies.

Laptop lap-fans might be an idea - if you don't connect them to the 360.

The following repair methods are for information only. They are both dubious to me because they both require the console to overheat.

OPENING YOUR CONSOLE WILL INVALIDATE ANY WARRANTY!

THE METHODS SUGGESTED BELOW ARE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS!

YOU WOULD BE LIKELY TO DAMAGE YOUR 360 IF YOU TRY THEM.

PLEASE REFER ALL SERVICE TO QUALIFIED SERVICE AGENTS.

The X-Clamp Fix

This fix is particularly difficult and will immediately invalidate any warranty if attempted. x360s have a "tamper-proof" construction that defends well against the curious. It sounds tricky for even the most competent electrical technician. There are items that need to be "bent off" and this process can easily destroy a motherboard, even in the hands of an expert. The fix also suggests on removing the fans and overheating the chips for a short period. This would rely on the thermal protection system kicking in and is as dubious a practice as the towel trick, in my opinion.

I'm including it on the site as it shows a valuable insight into the way 360s are made and the links show good pictures of the innards of a 360 and the "air tunnels" that provide cooling from the huge heatsink. Better to view those pictures than the innards of your own 360.

By Pho-Zoon from EuroGamer.net and UnPanda in the Ring of Death forum

I thought it'd be worth posting an almost-comprehensive rundown of how to fix - permanently - the problem of the freezing 360. The method is incredibly simple, but taking apart the console in the first place can be an absolute bast.

This fault, signified either by the three red rings of light or by the occasional freezing of the image onscreen ten minutes or so into play, is the product of a simple design flaw that's got something to do with the motherboard flexing as the console heats up. This causes the soldered joints to break, and the GPU to... well, give up the ghost.

So after my third Xbox bricked itself last night I thought I'd look up the 'x-clamp' fix, since someone had mentioned it in another thread. Someone with too much time on his hands going by the name of 'lawdawg' had posted a guide with links, and so I decided to give it a try. It took about two hours to do, and since then the 360 has been running solidly, for roughly 6 hours, without fault (I thought I'd break it in).

Mind you, it was an excruciating couple of hours, and it can get pretty bloody fiddly at times. But I was out of warranty anyway, and I'd already decided MS's £85 repair fee was completely outrageous. Anyway, here are the links, since it seems the number of people on EG with borked 360s has become pretty massive.


Guides

The Fix

How to disassemble a 360

Removing the two X-clamps which hold the heat sinc in place


Parts and Tools

-8 Screws: 5mm diameter, 0.8 x 10mm
B&Q reference number: AVF-069918

-32 Metal washers: 5mm diameter
B&Q reference number: AVF-064968

-Thermal Compound (for putting between the heat sinc and processor)


-T8 and T10 star screwdrivers
-Small screwdriver / pointy tool (for prising open fastenings on the case)
-Ordinary screwdriver


The issue is that the two X-clamps on the underside of the motherboard have been designed to cheaply but effectively fasten the heat sinc to the board, whilst simultaneously forcing the GPU and CPU chips upwards and against the sinc in order to encourage better heat dissipation. Unfortunately, as the clamp is made of metal, it heats up and expands a considerable amount; this, coupled with the fact that it is shaped so that it bends inwards, means that the board and chips end up being stressed and strained as the 360 is used. This eventually leads to failing solder tracks and in turn a garbled broken signal outputted by your Xbox.


If you try the methods linked above there are a few things you ought to know first:

-There is no drilling or soldering involved in this fix: you are simply replacing the dodgy clamps with screws (which hold the heat sincs securely in place without messing up the chip itself).

-There are only two clamps on the whole board, both of which are found are on the underside. At first it looked like the second heat sinc was resting on a third clamp - in fact this is just part of its design, it has four feet. You'll see when you take it off the chip.

-Taking off the clamps can be difficult: lever each of the four corners off with the small screwdriver, but try not to slip and damage the board or any of the components.

-The above-linked tutorial suggests cleaning the top of the processor to remove the remaining thermal compound. In my case hardly any was there in the first place, and so I didn't bother. As long as you apply some more gunk it shouldn't be an issue.

-Although it may seem a bad idea to place metal washers against the motherboard, they don't really make contact with any important circuitry and so they work just as well as nylon or fibre washers (besides, those are difficult to find).

-The method above may state otherwise, but there really isn't any need to overheat the system deliberately after you've done the modification. Mine works fine now without doing this. If you do find that it is still giving you the three red lights, then sort out the soldering by disconnecting the fans and leaving it on for a couple of minutes.


This is only worth doing if your warranty has run out, since opening the thing voids it anyway. Over 400 people on another site have reported complete fixes as a result of this technique, and none of these have had problems with their systems since then. One thing's for sure, I'm never buying another Microsoft product again.

The Towel Trick

This is not recommended. Some visitors have requested I remove this from the web site as it is not a valid or satisfactory means of repair.

Fatfish, from UKGamer.net said this:

"Might I make one suggestion though - remove the video and mention of the towel trick. Firstly, it's not a guaranteed fix, and even if it does cure it, it's likely to only be temporary. Secondly, it's not exactly the smartest idea in the world - wrapping up electrical items in towels whilst they're running in order to make them overheat............doesn't sound a little risky to you at all? Plus, (IMO) mention of half baked ideas like that just undermine the overall aim - to provide an informative and helpful site to aid those who will face the same issues over the coming months/years.

If I didn't know better and I saw that video, I'd immediately have doubts as to the credibility of the other useful material and information you've got on the site.

Thanks, I totally agree about the lunacy of trying this. I'm still going to link to it because I think people who have not heard about it need to have enough information, so they don't waste their time searching for some of the less objective accounts of this fix.

This involves wrapping the console in a heavy towel for 40 minutes, whist turned on. It does sound dubious to me and quite a fire hazard, but I've heard reports that it can bring a console, once cooled down, back to life. Do this at your own risk. It may well further damage your console. Do not leave the room and keep a bucket of sand handy, if you do decide to use the trick."

I reckon If it does work (I've not tested it), it does so by heating the innards of the xbox, so much so that the cooked components, softened solder and warped board move position under the heat so that connections are re-established - temporarily. I'd question this as a fix as there is no real exploration of the causes. The box would be just as likely to pack up again, given a slight tap.

Please do not try this trick at home. It will not sort your 360 out in any long-term way and is more likely to damage it further.

OPENING YOUR CONSOLE WILL INVALIDATE ANY WARRANTY

THE METHODS SUGGESTED BELOW ARE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS

YOU WOULD BE LIKELY TO DAMAGE YOUR 360 MORE IF YOU TRY THEM

PLEASE REFER ALL SERVICE TO QUALIFIED SERVICE AGENTS