Oh No, Your XBox 360 Has The Red Ring Of Death. Now What?

 Photo by Ryan Glenn 

Are you reading this because you have an XBox 360 with the red ring of death? Don't feel all alone, it is estimated that 35% of all XBox owners will experience the red ring of death. The important thing now is to get it fixed. There are several options to do this.

First, let's talk about what could be causing your 3 flashing red lights.

The 3 red lights on the power ring of your Xbox 360 usually mean that your console has suffered from a "general hardware failure" and will not operate. One red light usually means a hard drive or disk failure, two red lights generally mean that your console is overheated. A full 4 red lights is an indication that there is a loose or bad cable, usually a video cable. In this article we will be dealing with the 3 red lights commonly referred to as the "red ring of death" or RROD.

During the manufacturing process, Microsoft failed to remove some foil on the heat sink. This foil interferes with the transfer of heat by not allowing the proper functioning of the thermal compound. The result is that excess heat is allowed to build up inside your console. This excess heat can cause your Xbox to malfunction and shut down. This left over foil is one of the most common causes of the red ring of death.

The best option if you still have warranty left on your Xbox is to send it back to Microsoft for repair. This repair will generally be free. If your console is already out of warranty or you have opened the case yourself, there are other options available.


There is a very important thing you should know. According to Microsoft, the warranty to repair the red ring of death is being extended to three years. If your console is still under warranty, you will void the warranty if you open the case yourself.

You can still send it back to Microsoft for repair. If the warranty is void or expired, it will probably cost you around $140.00 plus shipping for repair. You should also plan on being without your Xbox for somewhere between 6 to 8 weeks. You could also take your console to a local repair shop. This option will be faster but possibly more expensive.

Another option is to repair your Xbox 360 red ring of death yourself. Should you choose this option, make sure that you have the proper information to do the job right or this could end up being the most expensive option of all.

Can You Fix Your XBox 360 3 Rings Of Death?

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The reason you are reading this is probably because you are one of the estimated 35% of XBox 360 owners that has the 3 rings of death. Now you are here because you are looking for options to get your console fixed.

Good news, you have come to the right place.

A general hardware failure in your XBox console is what triggers the 3 flashing red lights. One major cause of the XBox 3 rings of death is a graphics chip that puts out too much heat. The graphics chip was designed "in house" by Microsoft in order to save money.

Unfortunately, Microsoft's experience in the manufacture of chips did not match the expertise of their vendors that produce these chips on a regular basis. The result was a chip that put out too much heat. Microsoft has since gone to a chip provided by an ASIC vendor that does a lot to reduce the heat produced.

Although the new consoles are produced with the more efficient chip, a lot of the XBox consoles that are in use today still have the old chip and will suffer from the overheating problem. The excess heat in the console causes solder joints to crack or break and chips to weaken or shut down altogether.

Your XBox can be sent in to Microsoft for repair. If the console is still under warranty the repair should be free. If the warranty is expired or void, it could cost around $140.00 plus shipping to get the unit repaired. In addition to the monetary expense, you may have to wait 6 to 8 weeks to get your console back.

You can take your console to a local repair shop. This option should be faster but will probably be more expensive. Another option is to fix your XBox 3 rings of death yourself. In order for this option to deliver the desired results, you will need to have the information to make sure you do everything right. Clicking on the link above will take you to a Squidoo lens that will give you more information.

There is one important thing to remember if you decide to fix your console yourself. The warranty on XBox consoles suffering from the 3 rings of death has been extended by Microsoft to 3 years from date of purchase. If your console is still under warranty you will void that warranty if you open the case yourself.

Your XBox 360 Has The Red Ring Of Death And You Want It Fixed Fast!

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I am sure that the reason you are reading this is because your XBox 360 has the red ring of death and you need to find out how to fix it fast. You are probably wondering why this happened, especially right in the middle of a good game.

The flashing 3 red lights on your XBox usually mean that you have a general hardware failure. While this failure can be caused by many different things, one of the main causes is a bad clamp design on the heat sink. The XBox has an "X-clamp" design which makes the clamp press down with an uneven pressure. As the heat rises inside the console, this uneven pressure gets worse causing the motherboard to bend and flex. When combined with brittle solder joints caused by using lead free solder, this bending can cause the solder joints to snap.

Your XBox may still be under warranty. Microsoft has said that they are extending the warranty to fix the red ring of death for three years. If you still have warranty left and crack the case on your console, you will void your warranty.

The best option if your XBox is still under warranty is to send it in to Microft to have it fixed. The fix is usually free, although it usually isn't a fast fix. It can take from six to eight weeks to get your console fixed this way.
One other option is to take it to a local repair shop that does XBox repairs. While faster, this is also a much more expensive option.

You may also want to take things into your own hands and fix it yourself. Just remember the warning above. If you decide to take this option, you will definitely want information on how to do it right. One gamer had the same idea and you will want to see what he did to have a permanent, fast fix for his red ring of death.

Why Does My XBox 360 Have The Ring Of Doom And Can It Be Fixed?

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Your XBox 360 has the ring of doom and you are wondering why and if it can be fixed. The why for the ring of doom is 'general hardware failure' and can be caused by a number of things. The main cause is that in the manufacturing process, Microsoft used lead free solder. They also used the wrong kind of lead free solder. While this solder is safer for children when they are playing with or around your console, it is bad for solder joints.

Lead free solder is brittle at best. The type that was used in the manufacture of the original XBox doesn't hold up well to high heat over prolonged periods of time. To make matters worse the initial soldering temperature was too low leaving voids in the joints. These brittle solder joints crack and break over time and then the electrical flow is disrupted, causing the ring of doom.

The good news is that the ring of doom can be fixed. Microsoft extended the warranty covering the ring of doom to 3 years from date of purchase. If you have warranty left, Microsoft will generally fix your XBox for free. If you have opened the case of your console or the warranty time has run out, there are still alternatives. One word of warning though, if you do still have warranty left and you open the case on your console, you will void your warranty.

There is a good Squidoo lens that tells about what happened to one gamer and how he fixed his XBox360 ring of doom himself. You should check it out and see if it will work for your problem too.

Is Your XBox 360 Out Of Warranty And Has The Red Ring Of Death?

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So your XBox360 has the red ring of death and it is out of warranty. What do you do now? First let me say that Microsoft extended the warranty covering the red ring of death to three years from date of purchase. If it has been longer than three years since you purchased your XBox or you have already opened the case to do some mods or repairs, chances are the warranty is gone. If you do still have warranty and you open the case, you will void your warranty.

Now that we have the disclaimer out of the way let me tell you one of the reasons your console may have the red ring of death. One of the main reasons is HEAT. The original console was designed in such a manner that the heat does not easily dissipate. The console is in a small case without a lot of ventilation and this allows the heat to build up inside, causing all kinds of problems.

One of the first things you should do if you are experiencing the red ring of death is to try turning your XBox off and let it cool down. You can try assisting the cooling with a small external fan. You should also make sure that the vents on the console are clean and free of dust.

Once your console is cooled down, turn it back on. If you still have the red ring of death you will need to try other options. You will want to read about what happened to one gamer and what he did to fix his out of warranty XBox 360 red ring of death. Another option is to send your console in to Microsoft to have it repaired. The downside to this option is that it can cost about $140.00 and take as much as six to eight weeks to get it back.