Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death - DIY GPU Reflow

In this video I repair an Xbox 360 that suffers from the infamous Red Ring of Death (RROD). While this is a well documented issue I was surprised at the lack of quality repair tutorials targeting DIYers. Most "reflow" videos are silly hacks (like wrapping your Xbox 360 in a towel) and even tutorials that suggest using a heat gun leave a lot to be desired. For example, I didn't find any tutorials that recommend using quality flux during a reflow attempt.
I think there can be a version of an at-home RROD repair that uses simple tools that anyone can follow, resulting in a permanent fix. I realize this will not satisfy critics, and I am well aware of the sentiment that most folks have towards a DIY reflow, compared to a professional repair using specialized equipment like a BGA reflow station.
Time will tell how long this repair lasts. I'm feeling rather great about its odds :) Let me know what you think.
🎵 Music
Sappheiros - Embrace
"Sappheiros - Embrace" is under a Creative Commons license (CC BY 3.0)
Music promoted by BreakingCopyright • 🍀 Chill Instrumental [...
Affiliated links below to some of the tools I use if you'd like to support the channel:
🖥 Composite and S-Video on my Mac
USB Capture Card: amzn.to/2YM4TT7
(Catalina 64-bit drivers can be found on the manufacturer's website)
🔧 Toolkit
Screwdriver Set: amzn.to/2X7s0Gj
Automatic Wire Stripper: amzn.to/30F5TJm
🖌 Soldering Essentials
TS100 Soldering Iron: amzn.to/2YIJZUR
No Clean Flux Syringe: amzn.to/2NFUZvQ
No Clean Solder: amzn.to/2NHEAqQ
Desoldering Braid: amzn.to/312Grws
🔍 Soldering Add-ons
Tip Tinner: amzn.to/31w2EF4
Helping Hands Soldering Aid: amzn.to/3ihgksP
Heat Shrink Tubing: amzn.to/31wGq4b
Heat Gun: amzn.to/3hsXKgi
🔥 Thermal Compounds
Arctic MX-4 Thermal Paste: amzn.to/2Ak2y8w
1.5MM Arctic Thermal Pads: amzn.to/2Vv1RQU

[@BorderlineOCD]

Nov 11, 2020 update: Due to the increasing volume of comments I'm finding myself answering a similar style of questions over and over. Not your fault, the comment section on KZbin isn't the best format for a lengthy back and forth and unfortunately I can only pin one comment at a time, so apologies for those that asked good questions and shared their perspective. There has certainly been a few excellent discussions here already. Three quick points for this update: 1- "Is it still working": Yes, I've put about 15 hours or so of gameplay on it. I currently have more interesting projects to work on and I'm not gaming on the 360 as often as I was shortly after creating this video. I'm not keeping a scientific count of hours played. I'm just trying to share a rough lifespan of this system given the interest people have expressed in the longevity of the repair. 2- "Will you share an update video": Yes I will. After I get a 100 hours or so of gameplay on it I'll include this in a project update video where I revisit old repairs and share some commentary. If it has failed by then, you will get to find out. 3- "This is a temporary repair and the proper fix is XYZ": That might very well be the case. I make no claims of engineering a permanent repair around very well documented flaws of a poorly designed system. Your mileage may vary. I paid $5 for this console and any suggestion to "properly" repair using method XYZ is not something I'm interested in doing. If you have love for your 360 and want to repair it differently, I salute you and fully encourage you to do so.

[@JayJay-nn4jn]

*Can you share a 2022 update?*

[@SCARFACE-gp4fy]

Great vid got 360 on lunch day had the console sent away 5 times to Microsoft to be fixed red ring every time then gave me a replacement refurbished xbox it was a gen 1 it two red ringed twice eventually they sent me a brand new xbox with two wireless controllers chargers station and 1yr xbox live subscription as a goodwill gesture still have that console still play odd games on it.

[@djlancematthew]

I know that it’s probably very unlikely that I will get an answer, but I’m curious. I have watched this video more than once now because I am getting ready to start teaching myself how to fix consuls that I have easily acquired in abundance broken. What was the long-term turnout of this fix? Did it hold up or did you get the red ring again?

[@ellaquin]

Hi, I got recommended it this 2 years later, is it still working? I also appreciate how you suggested removing the plastic anchors, I never considered that.

[@Flippin_Crazy]

Geez. You are kinda scaring me.

[@sonichuizcool7445]

This is what nobody ever does. Quick, clear and to the point. Love it. His points at the end... its a 1 year old console. worth more in parts than professionally fixing.

[@BorderlineOCD]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@Iamnotafurry2]

It's 12 years old. Not 1

[@bretsutherlandsterriblemem8439]

@@Iamnotafurry2 Probably what he meant. But, the 360 came out in 2005. It’s 15, not 12.

[@duckgoose6234]

Ifixit can show you how to fix it without throwing things away.

[@CollynPlayz]

@@bretsutherlandsterriblemem8439 you do realize it could have been a later mfg date

[@phoenixv2460]

This video reminds me of back ween tutorials on this platform would actually work

[@BorderlineOCD]

Ha, thanks.

[@joftv432]

Yes

[@cafloivedu]

Oh how I wished to have a guide like this when I was younger

[@BorderlineOCD]

Indeed, the internet was a different place in 2005 :)

[@mikeyp4690]

Right? Kicking myself now. Could of done this easily. Yet 14 year old me just went without an Xbox for months.

[@ninesixworm]

Same.

[@shifty2755]

The Internet was a much better place in 2005.

[@cafloivedu]

@@shifty2755 already on the comments

[@iPhone-su8li]

Mate, you saved my launch Xenon. I followed this video and now its working with absolutely zero issues. It's been 2 months now and no RRoD. You have no idea what this means to me man.... thank you❤️

[@potatroncho]

Great video, and very detailed! I'd add a tip: you can use kapton tape to keep those tiny resistors and capacitors in place while reflowing the CPU and the GPU. If someone lingers the heat gun too much on a particular region, and one of those becomes loose, the repair becomes much more difficult.

[@SuperLucasBros]

Great video. As a complete novice I attempted an RROD fix about 10 years ago, using the random KZbin videos with a heatgun on the ANA chip (Xenon board) and washers/bolts to replace the xclamps. In hindsight it was a complete bodge but I flashed the drive at the same time and got about 100 hours out of it before dying again. It cost £15 so I wasn't too upset. Anyway, subbed.

[@BorderlineOCD]

Thanks for the sub. I like hearing these repair stories like yours in a world of primitive KZbin, Amazon Prime in its infancy, no iFixit tear-downs with high res images. It's pretty amazing you brought it back to life by yourself. Your Xenon is the biggest RROD offender so the odds were stacked against you from the start!

[@ComradeRachel]

Haha I did the same thing. Also only lasted for a few more weeks. After that I gave up on it and during a party with some friends we thew the xbox in a bonfire. The caps started popping it was pretty funny.

[@josephvasquez3743]

I never really comment on any video but I had to do it with this one… Is my first time attempting a motherboard repair video if we can call it that and this video is amazing, I was so hopeless that it was gonna work but after I did the process exactly as it is shown I connected my Xbox back and it is perfectly working now, this is the best video in KZbin that shows how to repair this deadly and common error, thanks so much for sharing such high quality content! 🎉

[@HKT-4300]

i feel special to be so early on such a revolutionary tutorial! i can't believe it took this long for a good tutorial to show up!

[@BorderlineOCD]

Haha I'm glad it was so life changing for you! 😝

[@michaelmcmahon8312]

You nailed it dude the perfect correct way to repair a original xbox 360 and literally the only person on KZbin to show us how to do it correctly I've watched basically every video on KZbin to basically fix the red ring and nobody has the correct way of doing so that can't afford the professional equipment used to fix these things so hats of to you and thank you for being that person to finally show us the correct way to repairing this problem and also your awsome😎

[@BorderlineOCD]

Much appreciated my man.

[@kennethconnors5316]

spent 40 years doing board level repairs on mainframe boards , cudo's nice job considering the tools you had , I am impressed PS the info wa excellent and video very cohesive

[@bdlou2000]

This is a fantastic tutorial! I think the key here is that you had technical knowledge of how solder works, what BGAs are, etc. Back in the day, when we were all wrapping towels around things, I'm not sure I'd ever even heard of flux. Everyone was most likely following the "first" tutorial and then trying to make minor improvements at best. As someone who just purchased their first hot air rework station last week, and has a pile of bad Xbox 360's, I see alot of fun repairs in my near future. Thanks!

[@BorderlineOCD]

Haha yeah I hear you. I also think the desperation in getting it to work back then played a role in being willing to try anything. It's an old system now and the repair is more therapy than a desire to get back online and play Halo. Good luck with those 360 repairs. I enjoyed this one, will be working on more in the future when I can find them cheap for sure.

[@eternalgamers10]

@@BorderlineOCD lol you're not wrong there as a 14 year old self, I was exactly in that spot.

[@JBITProjects]

Just bought a $35AU Xbox 360 with RROD and will be following this repair exactly! Thanks so much for all your time and effort!

[@nawarjoud5988]

Did it work?

[@zerocal76]

yeah, how did it go?🤔

[@ferrisbueller3153]

I’ve been waiting for someone to do something exactly like this! Thank You!

[@BorderlineOCD]

Glad you found it helpful. Good luck with your repair.

[@999thenewman]

For everyone complaining, the point was to get this stupid thing running again. Just like life, there are no guarantees. Enjoy while you can because it's all scrap in the end.

[@BorderlineOCD]

Most of you get it :) Some don't like unconventional or hacky repairs. I can understand that, but the alternative isn't something that's feasible for most people either from an availability or cost perspective.

[@999thenewman]

@@BorderlineOCD We can only hope the design construction you took us through helps Microsoft employees know how NOT to design a console.

[@thementeco]

@@999thenewman it wasn't Microsoft's fault. I mean, it was, but so was for the whole electronics industry. The world wasn't prepared for non leaded tin. That's why we have so many electronics with fairly BGAs coming from that age, from notebooks to videogames and GPUs.

[@999thenewman]

@@thementeco Yes, the industry is learning what not to do.

[@rockl79]

@@thementeco this is one thing tons of people get wrong. The issue wasn't actually bgas, rather a faulty flip chip design

[@theunseen8054]

I think this was OUTSTANDING!! You're approach was completely logical and it worked! I'm so happy you were able to save it!

[@hi_tech_reptiles]

Rubbing alcohol, or 97%+ IPA that you use later for cleaning, works for thermal paste quite well in place of Goo Gone and will save you a few bucks lol. Especially if you soak it a little. I use it for modern and retro PCs almost daily. Even the really hardened, old and/or low quality paste gets loosened from it. Great vid! :)

[@vileCR999]

Followed this step by step and I have revived 2 xbox 360's! This is awesome. I'm gaming on my reflowed 360 and having a blast in 2020!

[@BorderlineOCD]

Very happy to hear your system if working. Keep me posted on how long it lasts. I'm sure others will find the information useful as well.

[@JonBlanton]

Hey vileCR999, how's the xbox 360 holding up?

[@pacijentt4367]

Does those xbox still work

[@user-rt9zq8rs9k]

This is one of the best DIY videos for 360 repair . I never thought removing the x clamps would or should be done .

[@Junkyard_Dawg]

That Goo Gone worked nicely. ;) I never liked the cooling solutions for the PS3 and Xbox 360. I've never seen a consoles so plagued with hardware failures as the seventh generation was.

[@BorderlineOCD]

The Goo Gone was recommended by a talented member of the community ;) And it did indeed work very well, so thank you! During my research for this repair I learned the failures were somewhat industry-wide so to speak because of all the new regulations introduced around using lead-free solder. Manufactures were plagued with cold solder problems because their assembly lines apparently didn't appropriately adjust to the heat levels required and it took a few years to get failure rates down. Thought that was quite interesting!

[@mjc0961]

Not to mention loud as crap even when they were working properly. Don't include an adequate heat sink, just run the fan at 100% all the time! Gamers will love their living room jet engines! Microsoft moved away from it with the Xbox One line at least, but Sony stuck with it for every model of PS4. It's pretty sad that my favorite PS5 feature it that it has a real heat sink this time.

[@qwertykeyboard5901]

@@mjc0961 My sister’s 360 is a _lot_ quieter then mine and hers is virgin! Thank god for die shrinks

[@robspear03]

@@mjc0961 too bad the ps5 is riddled with other issues

[@zekepliskin6398]

@@mjc0961 Have to politely disagree with the "every model of PS4" assertion there. My PS4 Pro (revision 3) among others clearly has speed ramping on the fan based on temps. They don't run the fan at 100% full speed all the time. All of the PS4s could do with bigger heatsinks though.

[@icestar65]

Very good video. Lots of good information here and that's detailed, well explained, and unrushed. You got yourself a new subscriber.

[@BorderlineOCD]

Thanks for subbing and glad you enjoyed it!

[@jared7831]

I’ve been enjoying your videos for a while now. I know this video is older but I just used your method and brought a blades system back to life! Thanks so much and keep up the awesome videos.

[@JackRabbit72380]

i been looking for video like this for 20 years you knocked it out of the park nice job!

[@Mason0162]

Came across two Xbox 360s for free that I have not tested yet I might need to come back to this video depending on the situation I appreciate it

[@akaredcrossbow]

Great video! Back in the day a towel wrapped around my original 1st launch Xbox 360 worked. I had to do it until the Xbox overheated and shut down a couple of times worked for me. The trick was to continue doing it and keeping it hot until it worked. The Xbox 360 continued to work with no issues until the release of the Xbox one.

[@andreschiriff4354]

Wow I'm speechless. Disassembling the Xbox 360 looks very intimidating and even though is like 12 or 15 year old technology to me looks like from another planet. I didn't know that the Ring of Death could be fix. Great video man👍

[@BorderlineOCD]

Glad you enjoyed it. Back in the day it was probably much harder but there are good disassembly guides nowadays with high res photos to help you along the way.

[@Alexander_l322]

I did my first one as a teen and it worked out fine, I put in a led fan, then flashed it and then fixed the E74 error in mine! Now I do all my own repairs and it’s great.

[@GoobyGooby]

Used to to exactly this but with Phat ps3s! always love seeing consoles be brought back from the dead :D makes me happy.

[@jk-474]

I have 2 dead 60 gigs, would this work for them? Surprisingly I’ve only had a 360 red ring once and it hasn’t broken since, but those first run PS3s blow up like grenades

[@Riku148]

@@jk-474 it has been recently found out that the early PS3s died because of weak NEC/Tokin chips. You can replace them if you have the skills and knowledge, but technically they can be reflowed with a heatgun and then the console will work for some time again (completely random amout of time). Just stay away from the main chips, they are not faulty.

[@asussome]

@@Riku148 fun fact: notebooks from 2005-2010 are suffer from the same cause. These chips are not build to last forever( from 5:00 you can see the chip and how it is replaced kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKushWeJpZaZirM)

[@perryblanchard8353]

Just want to let you know i like your approach on tackling projects like this. Im not OCD but it does help to be this way with these consoles I have made many mistakes along the way not realizing my execution was doing more harm than good. I have been watching your channel for awhile and find paying attention to detail goes along way. I do have along way to go and alot to learn, but I am enjoying the journey. Please keep making videos like these maybe i can have some of this OCD, I think OCD is not bad.

[@kellyliu4329]

Thank you for the much needed quality repair on this issue!

[@BorderlineOCD]

Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@n1njahawkssecondchannel84]

Thank you I know what to do for next

[@bodake2557]

The EASIEST version of 360 to work on fixed my brother just the other day….had the see through blue with the lights….runs beautifully now :) Also definite props for showing what the heat gun does as opposed to a hair dryer.

[@darastakid88]

I expected this video to be 10 years old not 2 months. Man this brings back memories my God take me back.

[@BorderlineOCD]

Indeed, this is considered "retro" now, or soon to be anyway!

[@planetcrap]

Hey! Thanks for Tutorial! Good job! I followed this and wanted to share my experience real quick. I bought a very clean 2009 Xbox 360 elite 128g with all the accessories and box except a joystick and that thang was E74 RROD AF. I know I overpaid and screwed up. I felt like a fool. If you must know I paid 50. I followed the tutorial pretty close, if not exact and the fix definitely worked!! ….for about a week. I played off and on every day, no long marathons but I did turn it on and off a lot which if I understand this system hates? The truth is every time it turned on just felt like getting money back >< lol I couldn’t get enough. I admit I did spill thermal paste around the right side chip because the stupid nozzle of the brand new paste clogged and then shot off and got paste every where. I got lazy and didn’t clean it up very well. It wasn’t a ton but at this point I was sure it wasn’t gonna work. When it did work I was shocked and really regretted not cleaning up better but it didn’t seem to matter… I have to say I super struggled to get the big clip off the back of the outer case. I will 3D print a case cracker tool if I ever do this again. The X-clamps on the back of the board were tricky at first and my screwdriver slipped and scratched the board just a little. I was tripping about this for the rest of the fix…but it worked great for about a week and I was elated. Then it died again RIP 🪦😿 I think the second time I did this would be easier and maybe more fun. But it is a lot of work. Oh Xbox 360 so awesome and such a piece of f’n shit >< My one piece of wisdom to anyone fixing and then running an old Xbox 360- LAY IT FLAT. Thanks again!

[@rizenx3674]

Extremely detailed, great video ! I'm looking forward to see your new video, hope you would make more about Xbox 360 and PS3

[@BorderlineOCD]

Thanks and glad you enjoyed it bud.

[@TheSkipperVideos]

I’ve done this before minus the flux and I’ve found the fix only to last a short time.

[@pilotop517]

Same here, done this twice at the time, and both xboxs lived for a month or two, gived up on consoles and switched to pc after that

[@ARXInfinite]

That’s because your not doing it right or something because I did this back in 2008 and it’s still working to this day a better thing to do also is Try stopping the motherboard from flexing etc

[@mansour7117]

@@ARXInfinite nah your Xbox 360 is just newer

[@rockl79]

@@ARXInfinite just the fact that you say to stop the motherboard from flexing will fix it just goes to show how little you know about these consoles...

[@ARXInfinite]

@@mansour7117 um no it’s a 2007 model Red ring wasn’t “fixed” until 360 Slim and it was still happening when the console got badly dusty

[@xxISHOWTiiMExx]

Your videos are awesome. The detail and tips you include set you far apart from similar channels.

[@BorderlineOCD]

I appreciate the sentiment, thank you very much!

[@TbBMach5]

Just did this rework on a zephyr I grabbed for 8 bucks along with replacing a few ballooned caps and it works! Wanted to say I appreciate all the vids man. They're all fantastic!

[@ericross5048]

You mean a zephyr work station?

[@ericross5048]

Where did you find one of those for $8?

[@TbBMach5]

@@ericross5048 zephyr is a motherboard revision for Xbox 360

[@Kofi_Mensahs_BurnerAccount]

You’re quite thorough in your explanations and have shown a level of understanding regarding board work and temperature tolerances. Subbed.

[@BorderlineOCD]

Thanks for the sub!

[@Kofi_Mensahs_BurnerAccount]

@@BorderlineOCD just watched some other videos. My decision was right.

[@enjoiboy385]

Same here!

[@roberttennant6282]

I'm a PS and Sega fan but my kids are Xbox generation, wish this video could have been 3year earlier would have saved me a fortune .Amazing video walk though and could hear the achievement in his voice, and well earned may I add. You cant buy that knowledge. 👍👍

[@joftv432]

SEEEEEGA

[@JeffersonSilva-zq3hx]

Congratulations, a great achievement, this boy there is work

[@BorderlineOCD]

Thank you.

[@CrippyZombiesGaming]

Congratulations you are so smart 🤓 to fix xbox 360 that's is very hard work to fix xbox 360

[@Lightblue2222]

Omg I remember coming to my friends to play 360 for the 1st time and he had it wrapped in a towel. I thought he was insane, later I finally understood. He had it up and running, and that was the way to do it at the time. Hehe..

[@michaellane2246]

Yeah. I had the 🔴 of death. The ring was green though. However I went ahead and took everything apart, cleaned the CPU, heated the CPU up really hot and reapplied the thermal paste. Guess what? It worked!! Thanks so much for this video. It saved me $$$ for someone else to do it.

[@frankthespank]

You can use 70% rubbing alcohol, you just need to make sure you DRY every last drop of that alcohol/water before you power it back up. Using a heat gun or even a blow dryer is a great way to make sure everything is completely dry before it is powered up again. 😎

[@momfiethehunter504]

So one thing I want to mention. You can check secondary error codes by holding the sync button when the console is on and while holding that button you press the CD open button that results in it showing probably 4 rings, there are 4 numbers so repeat step 1 until you have all 4 numbers. 1 is 1 ring 2 is 2 rings and 3 is 3 rings and 0 is 4 rings. You can search the internet for error code lists and see what error you have and what possible fix is available.

[@BorderlineOCD]

Thanks for the tip. I'm working on an Xbox 360 Slim soon and it has the red "dot" of death. This will come in handy.

[@Grim_Grim.]

I brought a refurbished 360 from a company which broke after 4 months. They only had a 1 month warranty. This has helped so much. I can actually keep my 3rd xbox this time

[@1979starscream]

I like so so much your repairs...you're very meticulous in these repairs! Keep the good work! Merry Xmas!!

[@moufletteced2397]

Think you very very much !! Vraiment merci beaucoup grâce à toi je retrouve ma 360 !!! J’y croyais plus et après hésitation de faire un reflow je me suis lancé mais pas de pistolet thermique ! Mais ça fonctionne aussi avec un embosseur thermique pour loisirs créatif de ma compagne !! J’espère que ça va durer encore longtemps.... Grand merci Bordeline ! 👍🏻👏

[@zed9655]

Not sure if you still read these comments but I followed this guide step by step and it worked. The Xbox came back alive. For how long would be the question on everyone’s mind but for now I’ll enjoy playing.

[@JamesRichardsPlays]

Coming back and watching your repair videos as I am about to build out a game room. I had an XBox 360 way back when for only a month. Life happened, had to get rid of it. Considering getting another. I am definitely going to keep tabs on this video and come back to it. I think my father still has a heat gun. I know he sold off a lot of things as he was no longer working on electronics anymore.

[@VideoTube2016]

I've got 4 working Xenons now thanks to you. They all still work and I tested them 6 hours each with no issues. Thanks again!

[@darrencurry4883]

Really enjoyed this and all the videos on your channel Very informative and hope you keep them coming

[@BorderlineOCD]

Thank you, appreciate the comment and glad you're enjoying the content.

[@GamingintoEternity]

Thanks brother! This video is the gift that keeps on giving! I figured I'd try to fix my OG with the original motherboard Xbox360 after I got the RROD in probably 2011. Damn dude it worked!! I made sure to buy the same flux you used. Incredible!!

[@coachbennett10s]

That was exactly the video I needed to see. My brother purchased three Xbox360s and only one has the RROD. I am new to modding/repair and love your channel. I hope I am able to fix this one like you have shown here.

[@TheCoolDave]

Wow, best video I have seen on this subject...I have done all the tricks... (years ago, I know better now). I have the gear to do this now. After getting my original 360 working 4 times, the last time it failed, I said screw it, I picked up brand new slim 250gb model, and it works fine even today, my old one is hanging with my other dup consoles.... I might try to do this...I should be able to handle this one, I'd love to see what system version it's still on.... Crap, I need to do other stuff first !!!!! Thanks man ! BTW I am MORE than Borderline OCD ...LOL

[@BorderlineOCD]

Thanks for the comment and good luck brining it back to life!

[@TheCoolDave]

@@BorderlineOCD Well, over the weekend, I did this process, stripped the board, and used a heat gun and I got it REALLY hot. while putting good liquid flux on it, I let it sit for a day. Well last night I started putting together (my system has the bolt mod, I said I tried everything !), not counting on it working as it's been repaired 4 times and the last time, it was never booting again. Well on my bench, I put everything but the shell on, connected power and a video cable (this is non-HDMI unit), and she powered up, no RROD... OMG after 5-6 years sitting in a closet, it booted up. I will finish putting it together tonight and test it on the TV but, seeing green and no red lights is very positive. Thanks for this idea, never thought about the FLUX on all the other things I tried...

[@BorderlineOCD]

That's awesome to hear, glad to see another success story from someone that bothered to use flux and remove those plastic anchors. What system version did you find it on? Blades? (still hope I find one with the original OS one of these days). Keep me posted on its lifespan, would be good for others here to know as well.

[@TheCoolDave]

@@BorderlineOCD Nah, it was newer, I just updated it... still using it..

[@RyanRiopel]

My 2007 Xbox just gave me the red rings for the first time. I had the 12v fan mod but I think it was the dried up thermal paste that finally did it in. Anyways, thanks for the video. I'll be giving this a go!

[@Norrecito]

You seem to have so much generic knowledge when it comes to do these things! :) I am really curious how much this repair will last. Some people say that the issue is not caused by cold solder joints but it is the chip going bad internally and re-heating it keeps it alive for a little longer. Time will tell :) I would like to see more console repairs from you. I love the troubleshooting parts, they are very informative.

[@BorderlineOCD]

I'm curious as well. Have been playing with it for a few days now but we'll see how it holds up. Glad you're enjoying the repairs. A huge backlog of faulty consoles so plenty to keep me busy for a while!

[@matthewswords4569]

@@BorderlineOCD I'm looking into fixing a 360 with a similar issue. Is this console still going or have you had a problem with it since?

[@xula10]

@@matthewswords4569 its not permanent. I did it and it lasted about 6 months. Any Xbox360 from 2 first generations will have this problem. Around 2008 they chenged the board to the Jasper. I have one and its ok.

[@dangerousdeo5113]

I absolutely love BorderlineOCDs Videos, always love the amazing content that you make for your fans! I want to share something to hopefully help you all! The RROD is a problem due the GPU, however its not actually the BGA Solder Connection in which is the actual fault. In fact, it is the connection between the GPU die, to the substrate in which also has your ED-RAM present on. Which is the reason why wrapping a XBOX in a towel works, the underfill they use to protect the connection was defective by rushed manufacturing, later in 2008, this was fixed, and the underfill was rectified for later RHEA GPU's onwards. Due to the underfill flaw, simple amount of heat could bring the system back to life, and interestingly pending on how far gone the underfill was, could last for a while after a reflow, or only a few minutes. If anyone ever wanted to preserve a XENON etc, its possible by GPU swapping or being able to identify GPU's in which where in the manufacturing date when they corrected the underfill. :)

[@iGabSchiavon]

This is the first video I've watched on your channel, and after subscribing and watching all the previous ones, here I am again to write this, and to say that this is the best channel I've watched in a long time related to videogames. Keep up with the good work. From a viewer from Brazil.

[@BorderlineOCD]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@finkelmana]

I remember I had a Xbox 360 that got the RROD. I called MS for support. After doing some basic troubleshooting, the MS tech said lets RMA it and get me a new one. I read him the serial code off the Xbox. He said "Uh oh. Your warranty expired one week/month ago." I forgot how long, but we are talking days. He puts me on hold. After a few minutes he comes off of hold and says, "I spoke to my supervisor and he they will replace it anyway." Thank you Microsoft.

[@BeinZilex]

Yep they knew they had a problem and it was their own fault so likely they just felt bad 😎

[@mortenbjerremannnielsen4388]

Techie right after my heart... Love the attention to detail - pleases MY OCD to watch 😊👍💪

[@ChristakisTech]

Good video by the way! I fixed mine with 2 key points to resolve the problem and which i would like to mention. After i disassemble everything and cleaned old paste fan etc, i change paste with a quality one and second, which i didn't see on the video and i think it is important, is that i bend X clamps the opposite way in order to increase the tension of cooler sinks on the chips. That make it more solid and more efficient with cooling. I think not in all cases needs to be follow the reflow method which is more drastic step but for sure can help in many cases.

[@jdisdetermined]

I fixed mine years ago using that identical method. Disassembled and cleaned everything, new thermal paste and tweaked the clamps before reinstall. Worked great from then on until it went into a closet, where it resides to this day.. 😁👍

[@ryker86]

This video saved my hide. I was having issues with the CPU overheating and you mentioned putting it back together before testing. Turns out if you don't install the fan shroud before turning the console on the CPU will over heat. Thank you for the informative video!

[@Andy-hr3rh]

Nice Work. Excellent tutorial. I've fixed 5 or 6 laptops like this but I placed 3 quarters and 2 nickels on top of the gpu. The author of the laptop repair book I read mentioned they apply weight to the gpu during the re-ball and the coins would be close to that weight

[@JrManPT]

What a great video, you'll be at 100k subs in no time.

[@BorderlineOCD]

Thanks for the vote of confidence!

[@colesyaj_tech]

You did a good job, but sadly this is not the fix. E74 or most RRODs are because the connections between the Dies and the Gpu chip (Interposer) fail from the low TG underfill. You need to replace the gpu to actually fix it.

[@dequan916]

Excellent video. I'm still waiting on a detailed video like this that fixes the green light death for fat PS3. There is no video on screen and the hard drive activity light indicator only blink once on startup.

[@BorderlineOCD]

Thank you. If I get my hands on a defective fat I’ll make a video for sure.

[@josh_m]

"I don't like to cut corners" ... appreciate it! Nice job.

[@aegonthedragon7303]

Gonna give this a shot on a very unwell PS3. Hopefully it works, even just for a bit because I’ve never seen it boot for more than maybe 3 minutes before freezing up.

[@XRelays]

have you tried seeing if the hard drive is an issue? if it’s freezing it’s usually something with the OS

[@HD-wf3bp]

Hey man! I followed youre tutorial and reflowed my 2xboxes that had the rrod and they are alive again. Thanks so much for the video! Another thing I can add to my fixed items list

[@SpartanX360]

It’s _AAAALLLIIVVEEE_ !!!! Well done 👍🏻 tried to fix my launch Xbox 360 with new methods what people been doing nothing worked, your method was perfect fix to fix it..

[@BorderlineOCD]

Glad I could help and great to hear your console is working again!

[@MyklBlue69]

Well done. I used to do this years ago while 360 and ps3 were the current consoles. Another top tip is you can cover all the caps and plastic parts with blue tac. This will protect them from the heat.

[@coriemarshall4681]

Thanks for making this video. I can now fix my own stuff and now teaching my oldest son. Again awesome video man

[@470HELLEPHANT]

2:20 this is the little fan that’s been cooling down my 360 after playing UNO, Gearsofwar, call of duty Story , free movie apps ALL NIGHT 🤘🏻

[@ce4162]

I got mine on release date and on the 13th month I got the Red Ring. I had to send it back to Microsoft and I had to pay them to fix it. I’m not quite sure the exact amount, but I think it’s about $150. It took about 3 weeks from the time I sent it to went I got it back in the mail. They did refund me the money I payed about 6 months from the time my console broke.

[@IMDYT420]

Not here to hate as I enjoyed this. But I’m just saying I’ve been repairing Xboxs for years and this is not really a fix it’s more of a bandaid patch. Most gpus were defective from 2005-2009 on the 360 the only proper way of actually fixing them is replacing the gpu. The reason it says there’s a cold solder joint is do to the gpus underfill that’s why even just using a little heat can get it temporarily working even without reflowing the balls. All that does is temporarily reposition/clean the gpus underfill. There is many videos explaining this. My favorite is probably explaining why the bolt mod is bad by Josh Davidson on KZbin. It doesn’t only go into why the bolt mod is bad but also why the gpus failed. Sorry if this is long

[@charlesphang8331]

Thanks for this video. I followed it and now my XBOX is working again. I was almost going to throw it out when I saw your video.

[@johnDingoFoxVelocity]

actually i think you touched on some amazing points nice job but i would have still done the 12 volt fan mod its a 12 volt fan after all and the console only gives it 5 volts but nice job none the less

[@BorderlineOCD]

I think thats a good idea. I am keeping this console as-is for the time being as a bit of an experiment to see how long this repair holds. If it fails again I'll consider another repair method and doing the fan mod.

[@Alexander_l322]

The fan mod is great but the noise is just way too much to bear when gaming.

[@LaBelleGames]

@@BorderlineOCD I'm lucky I have one of the non faulty Xbox 360s I'm trying to get computer or Xbox 1 so I can stream

[@LaBelleGames]

@@BorderlineOCD I subscribed

[@supportadvice1888]

You shound like your going to cry And the music fits it

[@MrChrisRP]

I will be nice, because otherwise, you don't want none (sic.) Step the f off with this ish.

[@markaes]

I have not yet tried this as none of my 5 xboxes ever red ringed... But this is an excellent tutorial and I'd have no problems doing this if it ever does happen. I kind of want to buy a broken one just to try it out.

[@thewoodbarionshow2223]

Now that's a fix! Great video bud!👍

[@BorderlineOCD]

Glad you enjoyed it my man. Thanks for the show of support on every one of my videos, much appreciated.

[@makedaevilmage]

I just watched your vid and tried the exact things on a broken xbox, and I can't believe that it is working again! Been playing some Portal and Split second without any issues. The system seems to be very loud and one of the heatsinks gets really hot. Not sure if that was the way it was designed tho, eventhough the games run just fine. Got an other broken system which seems to have the same issue, might be able to fix up that one too! Thanks for the awesome vid mate! (Might want to try to mod one in the future, looking foward to it).

[@GoodVibeCollecting]

Props for keeping the NXE Dashboard. The Blades and NXE were the best ones IMO.

[@BorderlineOCD]

Fingers crossed one day I'll come across a console with Blades. That would be the ultimate nostalgia kick.

[@CliffNark]

I'd be impressed if this console is running today since a replacement GPU is the only way to rid the issue

[@4godandcountry663]

Great video. I’ve seen many and so far this one is by far the best!

[@BorderlineOCD]

Glad you're enjoying the content bud.

[@KatsuyaTheFuuk]

It worked for my Japanese Xenon! Thank you so much for this man. It's NieR:Gestalt time

[@Wilson_Racing]

Just an FYI for future console repairs. Arctic Clean thermal paste remover works MUCH better than Goo Gone. It takes the paste off in half the time

[@BorderlineOCD]

Thanks for the tip.

[@Wilson_Racing]

@@BorderlineOCD no problem!

[@Mr_.G]

iFixIt is gonna save me. Thanks for that little gem.

[@ninesixworm]

You should mod it now and do a DIY video on that as well!

[@mota7506]

I love the rabbit hole of restoration KZbin

[@jayleeb377]

Great video, thanks for really going into detail with everything.

[@KatsuyaTheFuuk]

Thank you for this. I'm a lot more confident in getting my Japanese launch Xenon running again. I got it knowing it was red ringed for like $5 earlier this year, but I didn't realize it was Japanese until a few weeks ago. It randomly worked a couple of times for about a day until it shit the bed again, so yeah I'm definitely gonna follow this to do this right. Subbed!

[@Grant_Bennett]

Please let us know if this repair held up! I just finished the video and I'm immediately a fan of your work!

[@InDoMiNuS]

Thank you! just fixed the RROD on my falcon xbox 360 thanks to you. Will be sure to subscribe and look at your videos for learning examples (::

[@BorderlineOCD]

Glad you're getting a little more life out of it!

[@BassAngler]

The “Towel trick” did work very well with the 360.

[@joftv432]

Yes it does

[@CastroL94]

Man I miss that dashboard awfully

[@XXXpnoysmokeyXXX]

I remember doing this back then... my success rate is 60/100... I tend to mess up even more.

[@SoWhiteItHurts]

This methodology worked for me. My only note is those plastic tabs around the gpu and cpu are a pain to remove but it didn't work when I tried to work with them in place. Cut no corners just like he said.

[@Ojref1]

Gotta love the design language on the 360. X's everywhere

[@Raggaren02]

YES MAN! It works now! I didn't have any flux at home so I didn't use that but it works and I'm thankful even if it's just for a while

[@peterford9369]

When I did mine years ago, not any of the tutorials mentioned reflowing like this. It was always a blanket or an oven etc. Or not at all. Just replacing the thermal paste. This was prior to MS finally accepting the responsibility and fixing them for free. Mine was just over the 2 year warranty but they did it anyway. Problem is, 9 months after MS fixed it, it happened again. And this was with making 100% sure I made sure of proper ventilation and even placing the console on a marble piece. To help keeping it as cool as possible. But it did work just fine for 9 months. Sad.

[@tomg7886]

Sorry I'm less experienced in this topic but how com the spray didn't cause water damage to the motherboard?

[@SteveTheCreek]

Because it’s IPA, not water. IPA doesn’t conduct electricity

[@tomg7886]

@@SteveTheCreek Thanks for the straight forward answer.

[@BorderlineOCD]

The answer above is correct. It's 99.9% IPA. The water content is 0.1%. It is marketed as an electronics cleaner and is safe for that purpose. Some people use lower concentrations like 91% IPA but it has a higher water content so I don't bother with it. If you use that make sure it dries thoroughly and don't use too much.