Think my 360 is about RROD... again

[joutlaw]

I got UT3 and played it a good bit this weekend. I started the game yesterday afternoon and played for a bit. Before it could load the first map the screen got garballed... colors distored and the video was cutting in and out on my TV. I cut the console on and off and it worked fine. This is pretty much exactly how my last one died.

So what are they sending back in return? I'd love to get an HDMI or even Jasper in return. I got my original Xbox360 in Dec. 2006 and this one has lasted about 2 years. Really hoping this one dies before my original 3 years are up.

Update:

My Xbox RRoD'd on Saturday. I turned it on and the 3 quadrants were lit up. Did the diagnostic test by hitting the sync and eject button and got an error 0020.

Called m$ and they say my Xbox is out of warranty as of 11/25/08. The problem is I didn't get this Xbox until December 25, 2006. I talk to 3 different people all the way to supervisor and they can't explain how they base the console age. I assume they go off the console manufacturing date which is utter BS. The only way to resolve this is to find the receipt. The problem is that it was a gift from my mother-in-law. I call her and apologize for asking her, but asked if she knew where the receipt was. She didn't know, but found a checkbook entry where she paid off her Sears credit card in January 2007 for the Xbox. So she is called Sears and they are going to get her statement from the archives.

The whole thing that pisses me off is they can see I first got on Live December 27, 2006, but they won't base that as a determining factor of the console age. I used the free 1 month trial and all.

So hopefully my MIL bought it after December 12, 2006 and her Sears statement is definitive on what she bought. If not I'll take it apart myself and fix it.

 

[viivo]

Sounds like what happens with the hardware scaler is about to die. I'm not sure what they're sending back these days, but it probably won't be a Jasper.

Just turn it on and leave it on until it red rings so you can get it in before the warranty expires.

 

[Queasy]

When I returned my non-HDMI 360 I got a non-HDMI 360 in return. Haven't heard anything about people receiving otherwise. There is a chance of getting a Falcon in return though as MS started making Falcon 360 without HDMI to replace Xenons.

 

[joutlaw]

Originally posted by: viivo
Sounds like what happens with the hardware scaler is about to die. I'm not sure what they're sending back these days, but it probably won't be a Jasper.

Just turn it on and leave it on until it red rings so you can get it in before the warranty expires.

Oh well. I'd be happy with an HDMI one for sure.

It seems like what kills them is the solder cooling off and warming up over and over again...

So does m$ know when your model sold? I got mine as a Christmas present so I don't have a receipt, but pretty sure it was bought around black Friday of 2006. I'm just hoping I don't run into any issues since I'm getting close to the 3 year mark.

 

[joutlaw]

Originally posted by: Queasy
When I returned my non-HDMI 360 I got a non-HDMI 360 in return. Haven't heard anything about people receiving otherwise. There is a chance of getting a Falcon in return though as MS started making Falcon 360 without HDMI to replace Xenons.

Dang... I don't really need the HDMI since I use VGA now and don't have an HDMI receiver, but it would be nice for the future.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: joutlaw
So does m$ know when your model sold? I got mine as a Christmas present so I don't have a receipt, but pretty sure it was bought around black Friday of 2006. I'm just hoping I don't run into any issues since I'm getting close to the 3 year mark.

Go to the Xbox Support Site and register your console. They'll let you know if you're still under warranty or not.

 

[imported_Shaq]

I would cycle it. Play a game or sit at the dashboard for an hour. Turn it off and let it cool for 20-30 minutes. Rinse and repeat. My Falcon got a E74 and I revived it twice with the towel trick and it did it this last time after I had it off for a couple of weeks. Right after I turned it on there were sparles all over the screen. And I played it for 10 hours straight right before I turned it off.

I left it on for over three days and it was fine this last time. So I think cycling it kills it and not heat itself. And of course I bought it used so I don't have a warranty or I would have sent it in.

 

[purbeast0]

if it RRoD's find out what the secondary code is.

while it's RRoD'ing, hold down the sync button and press the eject button. it will blink 1,2,3, or all 4 lights. the 4 lights actually represents a 0 in the error code. press eject again while holding the sync button and it does it again. you do this 4x and remmeber how many times it blinks each time, and that is your error code. it will go back to the normal RRoD blinking after the 5th press.

if you don't get it fixed via warranty, let me know if you are interested in having me fix it. i have gotten into fixing 360 RRoD's.

 

[shingletingle]

Originally posted by: joutlaw
I got UT3 and played it a good bit this weekend. I started the game yesterday afternoon and played for a bit. Before it could load the first map the screen got garballed... colors distored and the video was cutting in and out on my TV. I cut the console on and off and it worked fine. This is pretty much exactly how my last one died.

So what are they sending back in return? I'd love to get an HDMI or even Jasper in return. I got my original Xbox360 in Dec. 2006 and this one has lasted about 2 years. Really hoping this one dies before my original 3 years are up.

You can forget about getting a Jasper. You're just going to get another 360 back that is ultimately going to fail. Just the other day I got back a Zephyr model. I've experienced 3 consoles getting the RROD so far. I have no reason to believe it won't happen again. I'm really considering ditching the 360 in order to get a PS3 Slim.

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: shingletingle

Originally posted by: joutlaw
I got UT3 and played it a good bit this weekend. I started the game yesterday afternoon and played for a bit. Before it could load the first map the screen got garballed... colors distored and the video was cutting in and out on my TV. I cut the console on and off and it worked fine. This is pretty much exactly how my last one died.

So what are they sending back in return? I'd love to get an HDMI or even Jasper in return. I got my original Xbox360 in Dec. 2006 and this one has lasted about 2 years. Really hoping this one dies before my original 3 years are up.

You can forget about getting a Jasper. You're just going to get another 360 back that is ultimately going to fail. Just the other day I got back a Zephyr model. I've experienced 3 consoles getting the RROD so far. I have no reason to believe it won't happen again. I'm really considering ditching the 360 in order to get a PS3 Slim.

the problem with microsofts "fix" is that it doesn't fix the problem at all.

they still use the crappy X-Clamp to hold the heatsinks on, which is THE reason for the RRoD happening in the first place.

 

[joutlaw]

Originally posted by: shingletingle

Originally posted by: joutlaw
I got UT3 and played it a good bit this weekend. I started the game yesterday afternoon and played for a bit. Before it could load the first map the screen got garballed... colors distored and the video was cutting in and out on my TV. I cut the console on and off and it worked fine. This is pretty much exactly how my last one died.

So what are they sending back in return? I'd love to get an HDMI or even Jasper in return. I got my original Xbox360 in Dec. 2006 and this one has lasted about 2 years. Really hoping this one dies before my original 3 years are up.

You can forget about getting a Jasper. You're just going to get another 360 back that is ultimately going to fail. Just the other day I got back a Zephyr model. I've experienced 3 consoles getting the RROD so far. I have no reason to believe it won't happen again. I'm really considering ditching the 360 in order to get a PS3 Slim.

I hear yah... It's quite frustrating. The only thing is I'm heavily invested in Xbox360 hardware... racing wheel, network adapter, rock band drums , 4 guitars, 120gb hard drive not to count 15-20 games.

My wife would also never go for another game system

 

[shingletingle]

Originally posted by: purbeast0

Originally posted by: shingletingle

Originally posted by: joutlaw
I got UT3 and played it a good bit this weekend. I started the game yesterday afternoon and played for a bit. Before it could load the first map the screen got garballed... colors distored and the video was cutting in and out on my TV. I cut the console on and off and it worked fine. This is pretty much exactly how my last one died.

So what are they sending back in return? I'd love to get an HDMI or even Jasper in return. I got my original Xbox360 in Dec. 2006 and this one has lasted about 2 years. Really hoping this one dies before my original 3 years are up.

You can forget about getting a Jasper. You're just going to get another 360 back that is ultimately going to fail. Just the other day I got back a Zephyr model. I've experienced 3 consoles getting the RROD so far. I have no reason to believe it won't happen again. I'm really considering ditching the 360 in order to get a PS3 Slim.

the problem with microsofts "fix" is that it doesn't fix the problem at all.

they still use the crappy X-Clamp to hold the heatsinks on, which is THE reason for the RRoD happening in the first place.

This is what I don't get. Many people claim the x-clamps are the problem. If this is true then why wouldn't Microsoft have simply stopped using them by now? There would be a lot less headache for them and customers.

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: shingletingle

Originally posted by: purbeast0

Originally posted by: shingletingle

Originally posted by: joutlaw
I got UT3 and played it a good bit this weekend. I started the game yesterday afternoon and played for a bit. Before it could load the first map the screen got garballed... colors distored and the video was cutting in and out on my TV. I cut the console on and off and it worked fine. This is pretty much exactly how my last one died.

So what are they sending back in return? I'd love to get an HDMI or even Jasper in return. I got my original Xbox360 in Dec. 2006 and this one has lasted about 2 years. Really hoping this one dies before my original 3 years are up.

You can forget about getting a Jasper. You're just going to get another 360 back that is ultimately going to fail. Just the other day I got back a Zephyr model. I've experienced 3 consoles getting the RROD so far. I have no reason to believe it won't happen again. I'm really considering ditching the 360 in order to get a PS3 Slim.

the problem with microsofts "fix" is that it doesn't fix the problem at all.

they still use the crappy X-Clamp to hold the heatsinks on, which is THE reason for the RRoD happening in the first place.

This is what I don't get. Many people claim the x-clamps are the problem. If this is true then why wouldn't Microsoft have simply stopped using them by now? There would be a lot less headache for them and customers.

no clue, but if you actually see an x-clamp in person and just hold it, you can feel that it is by no means a sturdy piece of metal. i mean you can bend the xclamp with your hands VERY easily.

so when it gets heated up inside of the xbox 360, the xclamp starts to become more 'bendable' and i think that since it's softer and is holding the heatsink to the CPU/GPU, the hold it has on the heatsinks is not very solid and becomes loose.

then when the 360 cools down while the x-clamp is not holding down the heatsink properly, it cools and stays that way.

this, over time, can cause everything to get hotter than it should since the heatsink is not sitting properly over the CPU as it should, and this overheating is what causes the 360 to get RRoDs.

 

[nealh]

well this is not sounding good. I got my 2nd RROD. I will send it in again but I pissed as MS lists the 3yr warranty to expire not purchase date but manufacture on the Xbox360. I purchased this in Dec 06 and the warranty expires 3mo before that.

I cant see how MS can afford to do these repairs over and over on the same machines?

 

[Dari]

Originally posted by: nealh
well this is not sounding good. I got my 2nd RROD. I will send it in again but I pissed as MS lists the 3yr warranty to expire not purchase date but manufacture on the Xbox360. I purchased this in Dec 06 and the warranty expires 3mo before that.

I cant see how MS can afford to do these repairs over and over on the same machines?

I heard they just put them in a referigerator for 360 minutes then send it back out. That's your "repair".

 

[bl4ckfl4g]

Originally posted by: Dari

Originally posted by: nealh
well this is not sounding good. I got my 2nd RROD. I will send it in again but I pissed as MS lists the 3yr warranty to expire not purchase date but manufacture on the Xbox360. I purchased this in Dec 06 and the warranty expires 3mo before that.

I cant see how MS can afford to do these repairs over and over on the same machines?

I heard they just put them in a referigerator for 360 minutes then send it back out. That's your "repair".

What took you so long?

 

[fatpat268]

As far at rrod's go, the best thing you can do is to get your hands dirty and learn to fix one yourself. It's pretty easy to fix, and you'll have a much more stable xbox.

 

[Dari]

Originally posted by: bl4ckfl4g

Originally posted by: Dari

Originally posted by: nealh
well this is not sounding good. I got my 2nd RROD. I will send it in again but I pissed as MS lists the 3yr warranty to expire not purchase date but manufacture on the Xbox360. I purchased this in Dec 06 and the warranty expires 3mo before that.

I cant see how MS can afford to do these repairs over and over on the same machines?

I heard they just put them in a referigerator for 360 minutes then send it back out. That's your "repair".

What took you so long?

It's hard to come up with new XBOX 360 material considering all these RROD posts.

 

[bl4ckfl4g]

Well I guess that does make sense, troll.

 

[Dari]

Originally posted by: bl4ckfl4g
Well I guess that does make sense, troll.

I bet you felt better after writing that. Here's a cookie:

 

[Tom]

is there actual evidence compiled somewhere that jaspers are more reliable ?

 

[fatpat268]

Originally posted by: Tom
is there actual evidence compiled somewhere that jaspers are more reliable ?

Not really, they haven't been out long enough to know the true impact.

They're supposed to run cooler, but that's not the cause of all these RRODs, just an indirect cause.

More often than not, RROD's are caused by insufficient contact from the heatsink on the gpu. I've fixed quite a few RROD 360's, and I'd say about 90% of them actually have loose heatsinks and arent making any contact. Not only that, but the thermal paste is inconsistent. Some chips have a metric ton of the stuff on it (mostly gooped on the side of the processor die) and some have next to nothing.


I haven't opened up a jasper yet, but AFAIK, they're still using the same piss poor x-clamp design. The sad part in all of this, is that if MS changed out the xclamps for less than a dollars worth of hardware, they could've save a lot of money.

But as long as the 360's keep using those pathetic x-clamps, the rrod's will keep coming back. It might take a little longer, but don't necessarily think you're in the clear.

 

[Sadaiyappan]

Buy a ps3

 

[Krakn3Dfx]

Originally posted by: fatpat268
As far at rrod's go, the best thing you can do is to get your hands dirty and learn to fix one yourself. It's pretty easy to fix, and you'll have a much more stable xbox.

What? No.

I shouldn't have to invest my time and money in a flawed-from-the-factory system.

MS needed to recall a majority of these systems, and replace them with Falcons or Zephyrs. Just tightening the screws, booting it up, and sending it out is a slap in the face to people who bought their system when it first came out.

Their billion dollar loss on supporting these flawed systems means nothing to me if it didn't fix my problem in the long term.

 

[Krakn3Dfx]

Originally posted by: Sadaiyappan
Buy a ps3

Got 2 of em .

I pretty much only use the 360 for a few exclusive games now, everything else I buy PS3.