Can I use a can of compressed air to rid my Xbox 360 of overheating problems?
Asked by
Parrappa (
2428
)
July 12th, 2010
I’ve had my Xbox 360 since launch and have had nothing but trouble. I’ve had to send it in 3 times to Microsoft already (red rings twice and a faulty disk drive) and by now my warranty has long since expired.
Now I’ve been getting two red rings which apparently means it’s overheated. I can’t afford to buy a new Xbox so I was considering taking it apart and spraying the insides with compressed air to remove the dust. I was wondering if this was a good idea and if it will help fix the problem. Also, do I have to take it apart? Can I just spray inside the holes on the back without actually dissecting my Xbox?
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6 Answers
First off, have you called Microsoft? I’ve had friends get their boxes replaced. Its worth a shot.
The best way would be to take it apart. That’s really the only way you will get all the dust out. Ideally I like to clean out my computers with compressed air twice a year, so its a good idea.
If you don’t want to take it apart, I would just stick a vacuum nozzle on the vents and try to suck the dust out. Trying to blow it out with compressed air would just succeed in burying whatever is in there deeper.
Just clean it out well keep it in a open place. And possibly get a nyko intercooler
Open it up and gently vacuum it out. Then use compressed air while holding it sideways so the dust and crud falls out. Pay attention to the fan and heat sink areas.
Do you have it in an open spot so it gets good airflow and avoids the sun? Any extra airflow is a good thing.
Yeah it’s in a well ventilated spot however it’s on a soft carpet which could be the problem. I was hoping to avoid taking it apart, because frankly, I’m lazy, and it seems like the type of thing I’m gonna have to make a day out of. I haven’t actually called Microsoft yet though so I’ll do that first. Thanks guys.
Never put a 360 on the carpet. Keep it on a wire rack or elevated on a short board. Always keep it horizontal. Never stand it vertically. This keeps the heat sinks evenly pressing down on the chips. The air vents on the bottom must have moving air. Even better, buy a cheap notebook computer cooling pad with three fans. Put the 360 on it. Get the Nyko intercooler. Get the latest one that has its own independent power supply. It is time to take the case apart and thoroughly clean it. If this doesn’t get it running, you might need to buy the second generation GPU heat sink. It does a much better job of cooling the GPU.
Alright. It’s settled then, I’m going to take it apart. Wish me luck guys, this could be the end of my Xbox 360.
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