The red ring of death is caused by the Xbox getting hot during operation. Doe to its bad design, it generates too much heat and it is not able to cool itself because of an undersized cooling system. Additionally, the work load placed on the Xbox by many popular Xbox games out there adds to the problem.
When the Xbox gets hot, the mother board bows and flexes. The soldering on the mother board also gets flexed causing small cracks to form. With enough repetition, some of the solder joints can break.
Another problem caused by repeated heating is degradation of the thermal compound between the CPU and its heat sink. The thermal compound between the GPU and its heat sink can also break down over time. The thermal compound provides a heat conducting join between the CPU (or GPU) to its heat sink. When the thermal compound degrades, the heat sinks can’t keep the CPU or GPU cool.
So the key to avoiding and maybe fixing the red ring of death is to do everything you can to keep it cool. This means keeping the cooling vents clear of obstructions and dust. It means using your Xbox in cool ventilated areas in your home. Do not use or store it near any sources of heat.
You will also have to look after the power brick because it too cannot be allowed to overheat. You should also avoid using your Xbox 360 over extended periods of time. Your Xbox needs to be allowed to cool down after every 2 or 3 hours of operation.
There are other circumstances that can cause the red ring of death and some can even give you a false ring of death error. But the most serious and common reason for the red ring of death is overheating. Repeated overheating can seriously damage your Xbox 360.
Marc Sandford is a gaming addict and author. Get Xbox 360 repair information about fixing the Red Ring of Death.
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