Xbox 360- 2 red lights

[bmike818]

So apparently it's really hot today. I have never had this happen before, I've had 8 hour sessions with no problem before. So after the 2nd hour my 360 cut out in the middle of a mutliplayer game. It shows 2 red lights on the left qaudrants on the front lights. After looking doing a search it seems that my 360 is over heated. It states I have to wait several hours to let it cool down.



...so I guess it's time to kill time

[ProudNissanFreak]

Get a PS3

[PyR0NiAk]

Get a PS3

ghey... stick with your xbox... that's just bad luck... mine is one of the originals... you know "the ones with all the problems" i'm a very busy gamer... like i take gaming days where i get up and spend the entire day playing games... meaning ya.. my 360 is running easily for 12-14 hours... never a redlight

[BusyBadger]

Get a PS3

Good idea! A working PS3 plays just as many quality exclusives as a 360 that's showing the RROD.

[MinisterofDOOM]

I wonder if sticking your xbox in the fridge (I'd put it in a paper bag to protect it from condensation) will help expedite it's recovery?

Good idea! A working PS3 plays just as many quality exclusives as a 360 that's showing the RROD.

Brilliant win, good sir! Internet high five for you!

In all seriousness, though, the PS3/Xbox stuff should probably end here or this thread will get a thorough cleaning thanks to my mighty Moderator Strength Thread Bleach. Let's not crap all over bmike's thread. There's nothing wrong with friendly discussion but this kind of stuff ALWAYS degrades into uselessness.

[marlin29311]

Bmike - is your xbox in a really crowed area, like an entertainment center? You might want to put it somewhere else where it can draw more cooler air and not the hot air it's throwing back out...

[MinisterofDOOM]

I actually went a step further than relocating my box (which now sits atop a shelf in the open air) and bought a small desk fan (maybe 6 inch diameter) to help draw the hot air from behind the console so cool air can replace it more effectively. I usually run it if I use the Xbox for more than a couple hours at a time. No heat issues yet (crossed fingers).

[ProudNissanFreak]

Yeah, I've heard of people using mini fans to prevent overheating. They say it helps, don't see why it wouldn't.

[PyR0NiAk]

microsoft makes an "intercooler" with 2 little fans

[marlin29311]

microsoft makes an "intercooler" with 2 little fans

It's actually Nyko that makes that.

[BusyBadger]

In all seriousness, though, the PS3/Xbox stuff should probably end here or this thread will get a thorough cleaning thanks to my mighty Moderator Strength Thread Bleach. Let's not crap all over bmike's thread. There's nothing wrong with friendly discussion but this kind of stuff ALWAYS degrades into uselessness.

You're right, of course. I was merely responding in kind to, well...you know.

I would suggest a NYKO intercooler as a fix like a couple of others have done. They are noisy though, so if you're playing a game with fluctuations in the volume its going to be a little tiresome constantly adjusting the volume. I had one on my 360 (one of the early models) and just dealt with the fan noise because I knew it was extending the lifespan of my console. I did eventually get the RROD after 3 years or so. When I got my console back I didn't run the intercooler and haven't had a single problem with my console since.

I'd also suggest making sure the 360 has plenty of ventilation space and that the cooling slots on back aren't blocked in any way. Mine actually sits on the top shelf of the rack supporting my tv so its got 12+ inches of free space in all directions, the shelf it sits on is glass, not wood.

Mike is on my friend's list and I've seen his marathon sessions of Halo Wars...he needs to rig up a liquid cooling system for his play sessions.

[MinisterofDOOM]

I have one of those intercooler things. I've used it on and off and given up on it. As far as I can tell it makes no difference in airflow at all vs the stock fans. It's just 3 weak fans instead of one good one. And it does make a LOT of noise. The problem with it is it's not a "smart" fan like the built-in fan and always operates full-bore. Console off in passive download mode? Intercooler can't tell, it keeps on making noise. Watching a DVD? Intercooler let's you know it's there. The noise was just too much and comparing airflow by hand didn't show any noticable difference so it's in my closet somewhere now.

[RCA]

It's actually Nyko that makes that.

And they are useless...

I had one on my PS3 and eventually they don't work like they did out of the box...I accually made my PS3 run hotter.

And my brothers Xbox just makes more noise with the ICer...

[Jok3r synestro]

i used to work at gamestop, our manager always said he would fire us for selling one of the p.o.s intercoolers, they dont help at all............. keep it out in the open air and it should be ok.

[ProudNissanFreak]

i used to work at gamestop, our manager always said he would fire us for selling one of the p.o.s intercoolers, they dont help at all............. keep it out in the open air and it should be ok.

are you serious??

[BusyBadger]

i used to work at gamestop, our manager always said he would fire us for selling one of the p.o.s intercoolers, they dont help at all............. keep it out in the open air and it should be ok.

I'm sure corporate would be happy to hear of management threatening to fire an employee for selling merchandise.

I'm suddenly reminded why Gamestop is the last place I look for a hard to find game. Every time I set foot in one I feel like I'm going to be greeted by King Moonraiser and welcomed to the "Island of Misfit Games".

For the non-believers, here's the cooling chart with actual numbers.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Like I said, I personally saw no benefit to running the device. The cooling chart means nothing more to me than an ebay performance chip dyno claiming a 50hp gain does. Those specs come from the manufacturer so they're suspect. There was no noticable increase in airflow from the rear of the xbox with the intercooler attached. The 3 fans are pretty wimpy, really. If a significantly greater volume of air is not being moved, there can't be any significant temperature decrease.Even if there are some minor gains, a few degrees fahrenheit is still within safe specs and those negligible gains are NOT worth the massive (I'd say 3 or 4 times) increase in noise over the console without the device. And convert Fahrenheit to Celsius (which is what EVERYONE but Nyko measures electronics temps) and it's pretty clear that even the tiny improvements the manufacturer claims are really not worth the money or noise. 6* C is nothing. You could see that much variation between individual consoles or even individual GAMES. The intercooler is SO LOUD that with my Xbox sitting fairly near my head (on top of the back of my desk a couple feet away) it gets in the way of hearing the actual game. I can't believe 3 little fans can be so noisy. None of the similar sized (or larger!) fans in my PC make that much noise. Not even the 6 inch desk fan I replaced the intercooler with is as noisy.

I absolutely agree that gamestop is crap, though. I have grown to hate that store more and more over the years. I've ranted about them a few times here no NICO and I'll only go to them for convenience--which is not something they tend to offer very often with their horrible hours, uninformed staff and poor selection.

[BusyBadger]

I realize the chart I posted is from Nyko, its the only one I could find. I've seen one from an independent (not necessarily un-biased) source though, I just didn't see it anywhere - probably in some Xbox mag I've got stuffed someplace.

Every account that I've read stated the cooling gains were more dramatic when the 360 was in an enclosed area. It makes sense, now that mine is on a glass shelf with unhindered airflow all around it never feels hot, and only sometimes warm. I went through a couple of fans - purchased at EB so I got a free one. After my second one I got in the habit of cleaning it with a can of spray air a couple of times a month (I've got a few cats). I wonder if later models (ie: the later ones I used) were more efficient than earlier ones.

I firmly believe the IC was in no small way responsible for my 360 lasting so long before I had to send it to get the RROD fixed. I can only imagine that if I'd have used a laptop chilling mat it may never have had a problem.

[Jok3r synestro]

are you serious??

yea, i ended up quitting the job, they'd do things like switch your hours a day before and not call. benefits are great if u can stand the $25 check you get every 2 weeks

[bmike818]

I'm back, been busy playing with my non Xbox related R/C helicopter

....I have an open air entertainment system. I usually don't have problems with my 360, especially I just got a new one last year. It looks like it happened on a really hot day when we did not have the A/C on. So far so good. It just sucked because I was in a multiplayer match. As far as the intercooler goes, don't get it. It messed up my first Xbox. The new Xbox360s have much better cooling. My Halo360 always ran cool, even when it overheated it was still cooler to the touch than my first Xbox when it was runnig fine. I do blame my Xbox crapping out for me getting into R/C helicopters. Because that's the first thing I searched when I was on the interwebz killing time waiting for my Xbox to cool. I got this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thbGhv7ZalU ...that.s not me. I am fit. and younger

when I get better I will upgrade and get this:

http://video.google.com/videop...afari

[MinisterofDOOM]

Wow, I need to get one of those 43Bs! My little brother and I have a few cheaper electric R/C helicopters but I'd like a nicer one. That one look very nice. I have an Air Hogs Helix which is pretty stable but needs help in the thrust department.

I'm waiting for the compact R/C helis to start offering real cyclic controls so they can do away with the goofy centripetal rotor pitch systems and thruster props.

[bmike818]

Actually the R/C i got is a 4 channel which means you have up, down, left, right, forward, back , and rotate. It does real helicopter controls which is why it is tricky to control.

The second video is a 6 channel R/C will collective pitch just like the real helicopter, this allows full 3D control....loops, inverted flight...yuo will only be limited by your skills.

This is the one I have...it's a 4 channel with a powerful brushless motor, check out the swashplate

Because of this copter, i have not played any Xbox this week. I bought mine from this site http://www.toysonics.com. I recommend getting the coaxial rotor helis before the regular helis like I have. The 4#B i have still needs more debuging and balancing before I can get a flight time of more than 40 seconds. I want it to handle like the one in the video where it is super stable. This little things are fast.

[PyR0NiAk]

lol way to threadjack your own thread

[bmike818]

finally got some Xbox time. So far everything works fine. Giving it a week rest helped. Played for over 3 hours no red light. (knock on wood)

[s13jus10]

didn't we discuss this before? lol.. the Nyko intercooler fan voids your manufacturer's warranty. apparently MS can tell whether or not you used an "aftermarket device" on your box if you're trying to swap it out for another one.

I run a laptop cooling fan behind my PS3 in my entertainment center.. it's cool (no pun intended) because I just plug it into a USB port on my PS3, and it turns on/off automatically when I turn on/off my PS3.. and it's suuuuper quiet

[BusyBadger]

If MS can tell that a Nyko intercooler was used they: 1) Aren't checking very close2) Don't care

I ran one all the time before I had to return my 360 for RRoD resurrection and I never heard a thing about it. My 360 also wasn't scorched or discoloured in any way and I made sure there were no marks indicating anything was ever attached to the back.

I'm sure some user has had free service denied because he sent back a 360 that looked like a Borg tried to assimilate it, but I can't imagine sending something back to a manufacturer for service and at least doing a minimum of housekeeping on it beforehand.

[bmike818]

I was wrong...my Halo 360 will not recharge any of my devices, wireless controller or my wireless headset. I can confirm that the USB ports are working because I have a HD DVD drive that is still able to connect to the 360. Anybody have similar issues?

[MinisterofDOOM]

That's weird. I wonder if it's a power supply issue then? But I assume the HD-DVD drive needs full USB2.0 bandwidth to play video, so it has to be getting power. Really strange.

[s13jus10]

LOL @ HD DVD.

seriously though, like MOD said.. the USB ports are obviously working, so it's gotta be that just your headset and controller aren't working. maybe you recharged them too often/too long.