Xbox Red Ring of Death

If flashing red lights are a new experience for you, make certain that you count three red lights (see picture to the right). Four red lights also form a red ring but it is not the red ring of death. A brief description of the other error codes including the four red light error are given here.

Photo by Pablasso.

There are two broad reasons why your Xbox 360 will flash the red ring of death:

1.) When the console doesn't get adequate power. There are a number of ways that this can happen but it can be easily identified and fixed without opening the console.

2.) An overheating Xbox. When this happens, the Xbox is designed to shut itself down. Sometimes it does so before any damage occurs but not always. If no damage has happened, then avoiding the red ring of death comes down to avoiding overheating. How this is done will be described further down in the troubleshooting section.

If damage has taken place, then you will have to make use of your warranty if you have one or you will have to do some repair work. (See the "repairing your Xbox" section below).

The reason for the overheating is a combination of design issues as well as improper usage of the Xbox. Components within the Xbox (primarily the GPU and CPU) use a lot of power and consequently generate a lot of heat. The cooling system is barely able to keep up with this.

It doesn't take much to cause your Xbox to overheat. Just a bit of improper usage on the part of the owner will do this. Sometimes it will overheat regardless of how well you treat it.

An in depth explanation of the design problems that contribute to the red ring of death are explained as follows:

The Xbox 360 design has several high-power components that occupy a small space. Now, high-power components (the CPU and GPU in particular) also put out high amounts of heat. The console deals with this by using heat sinks, vents, and fans to dissipate this heat. Because there isn't much cooling capacity in reserve, this system easily overheats if the needed airflow into the Xbox 360 gets obstructed. When the heat levels get high enough, assorted design flaws start to act up leading to the red ring of death.

Although many adults use the Xbox 360, it's also used by children. This is why lead free solder was used in it's manufacture. One major drawback to this is that lead free solder is more brittle. Long term exposure to heat and warpage of the motherboard stresses the solder which can cause micro cracks to form. These cracks weaken solder joints which may break over time. The cracks also affect the flow of electricity.

The X clamp is a questionable design because the clamp presses down with a non uniform force. This uneven pressure gets more intense when the GPU and CPU get hot, which makes the motherboard bend and flex. Lead free solder joints that are very brittle are stressed with the flexing action of the motherboard. When this stress is repeated over time the solder joints snap.

One common cause for many ring of death failures is bad thermal paste connecting the CPU and the GPU to their respective heat sinks. High quality paste that is properly applied should last for years. Poor quality paste can break down in months. Improperly applied paste can cause immediate problems. In the past, Microsoft has accidentally left foil on the heat sinks. This foil renders the thermal paste useless. Improper thermal paste application during manufacture is possible.

The soldering process during manufacture was done at too low a temperature. When lead free solder is under heated, the resulting solder joint is full of voids and other defects. These weak joints won't hold up for long even under normal circumstances. If you include the other Xbox faults such as running too hot and warping of the motherboard, you've got the perfect formula for failure.

Instead of going to an experienced vendor for its chip design (ASIC vendor), Microsoft designed the graphics chip in house, in other words, on it's own. They did this in order to save some tens of millions of dollars in the cost of the design.

Although Microsoft has some experience here, it doesn't come close to the level of expertise of the ASIC vendors. As a result, their graphics chip is inefficient in that it dissipates too much waste heat.

This problem dovetails in with the weak cooling system in the console.

Microsoft has gone to an ASIC vendor in the US and had the graphics chip redesigned. This move goes a long way to resolving the overheating problem.

However, there are lots of Xbox units in use that still have the old graphics chip. These will continue to be susceptible to heating problems.

If you are thinking of getting your Xbox repaired either by yourself or by a repair service, please try out the trouble shooting tips below first. These don't involve opening the console and are easy to do. You should also try these tips before using your warranty as well. No sense in doing the packing and shipping and being without your Xbox when the problem could have been quickly solved on your own. I don't want to get your hopes up here but you never know, these tips may do it for you.

If the first tip doesn't help, then proceed to the next and so on.

Yes, this seems a bit silly but depending on where you live and the time of year, electrical brown outs can happen especially in hot weather when everyone has their air conditioner running. A momentary dip in electrical power can trigger the ring of death.

You may have a loose cable or cord. Any cables and power cords that can be removed should be disconnected. Unplug the power cable from the wall plug. Firmly reattach all cables and cords back into the console. Now connect up the power and turn on the console.

If you notice any damaged cables or cords, replace them.

Turn off the console, unplug the power and then disconnect the hard drive. Now plug back into the power and turn the console back on. If the console does not show the three red lights error, turn it off and disconnect the power cord from the wall. Finally, reconnect the hard drive, plug in the power, and turn on the console.

If you are using a surge protector, plug strip, or extension cord, remove them and plug the power brick directly into the wall. Surge protectors can be defective and long extension cords will reduce the power available to your power hungry Xbox.

Your wall outlet may not have adequate power. You can rule out this possibility by trying your Xbox on a different wall outlet that's on a different circuit. This usually means in a different room (but not always).

The power brick may be overheating. When this happens, it doesn't supply the required power to your Xbox which triggers the ring of death. It won't run cool unless it gets adequate ventilation. Keep it off of shag carpeting. Don't place it on your bed covers or sheets.

Another possibility is that the power brick is defective. If you have a spare or can borrow one from a friend, try it out.

If you think that your machine has overheated, then turn it off and let it cool down. Ensure that the cooling vents are not blocked in any way and keep your Xbox 360 in a ventilated and open area.

Verify that the fans are actually running.

Do not place it near any sources of heat. There are obvious sources like heaters and radiators and such. But less obvious sources include the electrical devices that are sitting on top or beneath your Xbox. Direct sunlight can also heat up your Xbox.

Try removing any dust buildup on the vents.

Cool off your console with a small fan.

Keep the rear of the console clear. Don't push it up against a wall and keep any debris away. This includes not allowing any cords and cables to get all bunched up in this area.

Don't do any all day gaming marathons. Limit your gaming to just a few hours, then turn it off and let it cool down for a while. The warmer the room temperature is the shorter your playing time should be.

If you're still having problems after trying the above suggestions, getting your machine repaired is the next step. All Xboxes experiencing the ring of death have had their warranties extended for three years beyond the purchase date. If you have opened up your console this warranty is void.

If you're not used to working with your hands, then sending your Xbox back to Microsoft is the safest way to go. For most people this is worth the few weeks of waiting before getting their Xbox back. It doesn't make sense to do otherwise unless you're feeling comfortable about doing the repair yourself.

For those who are inclined to take matters into their own hands, the quickest and cheapest option is to repair it yourself using this guide. If you can follow directions, it's fairly simple to do. My sister recently repaired her kid's Xbox.



This guide will fix these problems:

Freeze ups
Distorted Graphics
2 red lights error
3 red lights error (ring of death)

E74 Error - this is the error where you get text on the screen saying E74

The fix will take you 40 mins to do and you do not need any special equipment just a screwdriver set and a few household items. It has a full set of videos and a guide to take you through each step with ease. It assumes that you are a complete novice, not one single item or process is left out. There is a customer service that you can contact to answer any questions that you may have.

If you do this fix following the videos you will have a working xbox. The fix is permanent.

This repair guide has eight high definition videos that cover each step of the repair. Every detail is shown and explained. Included is a 45 page ebook containing 81 photos that you can refer to after viewing the videos.

A brief description of each of the eight videos is shown next. The photos are still shots from the actual videos in the guide. I had to reduce their size by 8% to make them fit on this page.

Video 1: 360 Case Disassembly - 7 min 43 sec



Disassembly is shown with the removal of the hard drive, face plate, side panels, the bottom case cover, the eject button, and the top case cover. This is followed by removal of the CD drive, fan shroud, and then the fans.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Video 2: Motherboard Extraction - 1 min 35 sec



The motherboard extraction video shows the removal of eight screws, the plastic cover for the lights, the RF module, and finally the removal of the motherboard itself from the casing.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Video 3: Removing X-clamps & Heatsinks - 1 min 59 sec



X-clamp removal is demonstrated followed by heat sink extraction.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Video 4: Cleaning Thermal Paste - 4 min 40 sec



The old thermal paste is cleaned off of the CPU, GPU, and the heat sinks using thermal paste removal fluid. Thermal surface purifier is applied to the CPU, GPU, and the heat sinks to further clean the contact surfaces.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Video 5: Applying Thermal Paste - 2 min 41 sec



The proper technique for applying new thermal paste to the CPU and GPU are demonstrated in this video.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Video 6: X-clamp Modification - 6 min 30 sec



The mounting screws are removed from both heat sinks. The heat sinks are bolted back into the motherboard using a different set of screws and washers. The x-clamps are not used anymore.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Video 7: Baker mod - 4 min 57 sec



This video shows the procedure for making the solder balls under the GPU melt. This will ensure a good connection between the motherboard and the GPU.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Video 8: 360 Reassembly - 7 min 32 sec



There is no need to remember how the parts are supposed to fit back together because this video will show you the exact sequence for reassembly.

Some tips on using this guide:

1.) Follow every step in the correct order as shown in the guide. Don't improvise. Use the exact screws and washers specified. The screw thread and lengths are important. So are the thickness and the material of the washers. Some of the washers are non-metallic and there is a reason for this: they don't conduct electricity.

2.) Have all the tools and hardware ready before you start the repair.

3.) Make sure your work area is not on a carpet. Static electricity is can damage the internal components of your Xbox 360.

4.) Place the screws and washers in a bag so they don't get lost.

5.) Preview the video and then read the corresponding page in the ebook before starting each step of the repair. Pay attention to any warnings printed in red.

6.) Don't pull the casing apart until the tabs in the front and the back have been released. See the second photo on page 13 in the ebook.

7.) When removing the x-clamps look carefully at the second photo on page 24 of the ebook. You must pry your screw driver between the gap indicated. Don't ever lever against any of the board components.

8.) Don't forget to position and plug in the fans as shown on page 39 top photo in the ebook. You must do this for the baker mod step to work.

9.) If you are using a PC computer, there is a trick you can use to change the size of the videos. First, click anywhere outside the video. Then use ctrl + to zoom in on the video and use ctrl - to zoom out. If this doesn't work, it's because you did not click outside of the video boundary.