Xbox 360-RROD Help

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Flare Blitz

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Well, I recently got the Red Ring of Death. (It was a "brand new" preowned console and I bought the hard drive.)

The strange thing is, it wasn't overheated. Can anyone explain why I got the RROD?

Thanks in advance.
 
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Wikipedia said:
Electronics industry newspaper EE Times reported that the problems may have started in the graphics chip. Microsoft designed the chip in-house to cut out the traditional ASIC vendor with the goal of saving money in ASIC design costs. After the multiple product failures, Microsoft went back to an ASIC vendor and had the chip redesigned so it would dissipate less heat.[25][26]
One possible cause of the General Hardware Error may be cold solder joints. The added mass of the CSP chips (including the GPU and CPU) absorb the heat flow that allows proper soldering of the lead-free solders on the motherboard, therefore, the solder has not properly melted underneath these chips, which can lead to voids (air bubbles) and weak spots in the solder known as cold solder joints. Because of prolonged constant temperature changes inside the console, the voids cause cracking. Some people[who?] claim this issue does not exist, and claim it is caused by a confusion over this issue. They have suggested that the dull appearance only suggests that the joints are cold soldered, as lead-free solders, even when properly soldered, take on a dull appearance that non-professionals might mistake for a cold solder joint (as the older lead/tin solder solder-joints became dull when not heated sufficiently). This suggestion is, however, rejected by the majority of experts. Lead-free solder requires a greater amount of heat (213 degrees celsius) to solder properly when compared to older lead/tin solders (185 degrees celsius).[27] The Nyko Intercooler has also been reported to have led to a general hardware failure in a number of consoles, as well as scorching of the power AC input.[28] Microsoft stated that the peripheral drains too much power from the console (the Intercooler power cord is installed between the Xbox 360 power supply and the console itself) and can cause faults to occur, and stated that consoles fitted with the peripheral will have their warranties null and void. Nyko has recently released an updated Intercooler that uses its own power source. Nyko claims this problem no longer occurs with new versions of this cooler. However, Microsoft still considers it an unlicensed add-on and will void the warranty of machines showing signs of its use. There is no data available to indicate whether the Intercooler decreases the chance of hardware failure.[28] However, if the Intercooler fails, it can hinder rather than help the overheating problems.
The game console heats up during use, and given enough time, the temperature inside can reach very high levels due to insufficient cooling. An overheated Xbox 360 is indicated by both left quadrants lighting up red. Because of the way the Xbox 360 is constructed, this may result in stresses building up between the delicate ball grid array solder joints of the CPU and GPU and the motherboard, causing them to break. The problem is exacerbated by the specific type of lead-free solder used, a type which is more brittle than the older tin/lead solder that was used in the past and the GPU's location directly underneath the DVD drive.[29] Microsoft needed to make room for the DVD Drive, so it shrank the heat sink.
German computer magazine c't, in an article titled "Jede dritte stirbt den Hitzetod" (tr. "Every third One Dies of Heat"), published in July 2006, blames the problems primarily on the use of the wrong type of lead-free solder, a type that when exposed to elevated temperatures for extended periods of time becomes brittle and can develop hair-line cracks that are almost irreparable.[30][31] Also, according to the same article, Microsoft has created an internal account, funded with more than $1 billion, dedicated to addressing this problem. The fund would only be fully depleted by $100 in repairs to every existing Xbox 360, or complete replacement of every third Xbox 360 ever made.[32]
The article also revealed that representatives of the three largest Xbox 360 resellers in the world (EB Games, Gamestop and Best Buy) claimed that the failure rate of the Xbox 360 was between 30% and 33%, and that Micromart, the largest repair shop in the United Kingdom, stopped repairing Xbox 360s because it was unable to fully repair the defective systems. Because of the nature of the problem, Micromart could only make temporary repairs, which led to many of the "repaired" systems failing again after a few weeks. At that time Micromart was receiving 2,500 defective consoles per day from the U.K. alone.[30]
The console's design utilizes heatsinks, vented openings, and fans to aid in dissipation of heat, but the potential still exists for excessive heat buildup inside the console if these measures become insufficient. Users are advised not to obstruct air flow to the enclosure vents or power supply. Problems associated with overheating include reduced system performance and instability that may result in crashing or hardware failure. Xbox 360s with "Falcon" motherboards, which use the smaller device geometry 65 nm CPUs, are reportedly less susceptible to these failures.[citation needed]
According to the October 2007 issue of The Official Xbox Magazine, there are reports that new Xbox 360 Elites and newer Premiums, as well as officially refurbished units, have larger heatsinks. It has yet to be determined how far this fix has gone in alleviating the issues.
Some third-party manufacturers have also introduced external cooling devices that attach to the console, and claim to help prevent the console from overheating.[33] However, reports indicate that some such devices can do exactly the opposite, including the attachment melting on the console itself, possibly damaging the internal microprocessors, and voiding the product warranty. Also, when the attachment is powered by the Xbox 360's power brick, it might overheat the power brick, causing even more problems. Third-party cooling devices are available which use their own power sources.[34]
Click to expand...
This shows some of the various Causes of the RRoD... well, looks like your gonna have to send it back to the company~
 
Thanks.

It looks like all of those problems are related to overheating, so that doesn't really answer my question.

The information about the cold sober joints might be my problem. (I tried copying and pasting the quote, but my computer is screwed up right now.) I just bought it yesterday, so I still have a warranty. (Though GameStop is obviously closed since it's Christmas.) I won't send it to Microsoft since it will be a waste of money and from what I've heard, the same problem usually occurs again.

I'll probably end up buying a guide if I'm not able to get a new one.
 
Raine said:
Thanks.

It looks like all of those problems are related to overheating, so that doesn't really answer my question.

The information about the cold sober joints might be my problem. (I tried copying and pasting the quote, but my computer is screwed up right now.) I just bought it yesterday, so I still have a warranty. (Though GameStop is obviously closed since it's Christmas.) I won't send it to Microsoft since it will be a waste of money and from what I've heard, the same problem usually occurs again.

I'll probably end up buying a guide if I'm not able to get a new one.
Click to expand...

Heres the reason, heat from the GPU and CPU causes it to warp over time. So even if it doesnt overheat, the connection between the cpu and the hot gpu breaks, and BAM!!! Rrod. To fix it, there are fixes like X clamp. Also, try trading it in at gamestop, they buy broken xboxes.

And also, rrod repair is free. Register it at xbox.com and they will fix your rrod or e74 for free, because of an extended warranty.
 
Hardware sometimes if the problem, not just over-heating.

Gligar13 said:
And also, rrod repair is free. Register it at xbox.com and they will fix your rrod or e74 for free, because of an extended warranty.
Click to expand...

No, they won't, because the console is pre-owned. The OP said "Brand new preowned" which is weird as, a pre-owned console is not brand new...

But yeah, preowned consoles immediately lose their warrener, I believe. I may be wrong though.
 
There's no telling what's up with it. No worries, though, they should fix it for free as long as you don't tamper with it or anything, and as long as they are willing to work on a pre-owned console.

You also have to count on the previous owner not having tampered with it, either, because if something has been done to it like he toweled it (which is only a temporary fix) to get it to work long enough for gamestop or wherever you bought it to take it as a trade, then you're screwed because they can tell and they won't accept it.

I hope things work out for you. Let this be a lesson to you, though...never ever EVER buy a pre-owned console. You have no idea what that thing has been though before it landed in hands. They almost always have something wrong with them, and the places that accept them for trades only make sure they'll turn on and off and play a game for a couple of seconds.

:/
 
I suppose if you tell Microsoft that it wasn't preowned, but just say that you got it a while ago but you no longer have the receipt... They may accept it and repair it for free.

Maybe...?
 
Well, my friend successfully did this 2 weeks ago, and my other friend is doing it tomorrow.

Buy a 360 from a store, bring it home, remove it from the box, put your broken 360 in, bring it back and say it's broken. New, free Xbox.
 
I recently discovered that was a general hardware problem. There is a 30-day warranty and I was planning on returning it today.QUOTE=Virtual-Z;1257284]Well, my friend successfully did this 2 weeks ago, and my other friend is doing it tomorrow.

Buy a 360 from a store, bring it home, remove it from the box, put your broken 360 in, bring it back and say it's broken. New, free Xbox.[/QUOTE]
The thing is, my Xbox is pre-owned, so it has a handwritten serial number tag that I'm unable to take off, so that won't work, unfortunately.

There is a very small chance that they won't check.
 
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Well, I hear the people at Zellers are stupid...they didn't even take my friend's 360 out of the box to check! But, it is really risky.
 
immewnity said:
Easy fix: get a Wii. More energy efficient by far.
Click to expand...

..But I already have a Wii. xD

I already returned it and I'm planning on buying a new one today, if it works, I'll request a mod to lock the thread.
 
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