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General discussion

Question on the 360 Red Ring of Death

May 22, 2007 1:50PM PDT

I've had my 360 for about 8 months now and have only recently worried about the dreaded ring of death. I was wondering how many people actually get this. Was it only on the early 360's? Or on the new ones too? One last thing. Is it possible that it is inevitable and that one day I am bound to get the ring because the 360's heat is warping the internals? Thanks.

Discussion is locked

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results vary
May 23, 2007 2:23AM PDT

Some people have had theirs working flawlessly since launch and some have had to return/exchange broken 360s upwards of 5 times. I have had to return 2 360s and both lasted about 8-9 months. Just be safe and order an extended warranty with MS if you haven't already.

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I would think
May 23, 2007 4:41AM PDT

That if the system has lasted around 8 months, and nothing has happened, you're PROBABLY in the clear. Assuming your usage habits don't change much.

If you play it a few hours a day now, and continue to only play it for a few hours a day, I wouldn't expect anything to happen. If you only play it a few hours a day, and then start having marathon sessions once Halo 3 comes out, there's always a possibility you'll run into problems. If you already do the marathon sessions from time to time, and you cut back on your use, I would also expect nothing to happen.

I would also think the units lacking a hard drive would be less at risk of heat issues. Simply because you don't have the hard drive generating heat as well.

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Still Troublesome
May 27, 2007 7:36AM PDT

My 360 was purchased in Nov 06, and I just recently had to send it in because it was freezing up and had the 3 flashing red lights. I wouldn't say that it is inevitable that yours will do this too, but you should be careful. One of the games that I play will cause the 360 to get extremely hot, while others seem only to raise the temperature slightly. I thought that this was a big concern, and suspect that it caused this problem. I hope that you bought some kind of extended warranty, since it looks like you are coming to the end of yours.

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FYI
May 31, 2007 12:33PM PDT

It may help just to keep your console in a well-ventilated area. On a shelf with plenty of clearance should be sufficient. Also, keeping the unit away from very dusty carpets will surely extend the life of the Xbox.

On a side note: There are Xbox accessory cooling fans. These attach to the back of the console. However, I am doubting their efficiency since it seems that they will not be able to really cool down the processors deep inside the case. (Anyway, adding to the noise of the 360 is certainly not a plus).

All in all, I agree with the rest. Get an extended warranty.

~ecnerd09