Got a troubled relationship going on with an Xbox360 gaming console? You love it due to the fact that you're insanely hooked to the intense enjoyment that it gives. You really detest it because...um, need I mention the infamous ring of death?
The red ring of death gives many customers a good amount of frustration and hardship. It's likewise given Microsoft a few problems too...to the tune of about a billion dollars or so in repairing consoles under warrantee. Now the first inquiry that needs asking is why?
What exactly are the causes for the three red lights or the ring of death? The main reason is heat. The Xbox becomes overheated when it's used continually over a period of time.
Now, why does the console overheat? There are two parts to the answer here. Firstly, the graphics chip had been designed very cheaply by Microsoft.
Instead of going to an experienced vendor for its chip design (ASIC vendor), Microsoft decided to do the graphics chip design in house, in other words, on it's own. They did this in order to save a few tens of millions of dollars in the cost of the design. We all know that to do the job right, you have to hire a professional.
It's well known that our "home made" efforts just will not work as well as work done by the pro's. Microsoft's in house job is inefficient in that it dissipates too much waste heat. The other part of the overheating problem is that the cooling system is only marginally capable of dispersing the tremendous heat put out by the home designed graphics chip.
It really doesn't take a lot to make it get too hot. Try running the unit for any length of time, particularly in a warm room with no air conditioning and it'll get too hot. The console doesn't deal well with partial blockage of its cooling vent-holes either.
For instance, it is very easy to allow cords and cables to get really clumped up at the back end of the console. This alone will induce the unit to get over heated. Want to run it in that cluttered up recess where direct sunlight can reach it inside that room without air conditioning?
Well, it isn't a good notion either. Of course, you probably don't treat your toys like this, but the point that I'm making here is that consumer products are supposed to be able to tolerate some customer abuse and keep on ticking. An issue that I have no answer to is what went wrong with the quality control process at Microsoft?
There must be a product testing program of some kind in place to protect the customer from buying faulty products. Maybe it was deficient because it failed to simulate typical customer use of the console. Or possibly it was ok, but the management people shipped the consoles out anyway?
All conjectures aside, the great news is that Microsoft has gone to an ASIC vendor in the US and had the graphics chip redesigned. Maybe some day your ordinary Xbox gamer won't know what you are talking of when you mention the red ring of death.
About the Author:
Marc Sandford is a gaming addict and author. Get Xbox 360 trouble shooting advice about fixing the Red Ring of Death.
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