RECTIFYING THE RROD IN AN XBOX 360 CONSOLE

XBOX 360 being a highly preferred gaming console in the US, it’s the owner’s responsibility to maintain it in good condition. Over playing of XBOX 360 games for hours together lead to overheating of the processor which in turn gives rise to the three red rings of death. If not, due to longer periods of usage. The RROD is quite frustrating to the user. Switching ON the console, the user can observe three thin strips out of the four emitting red light exhibiting the malfunctioning of the XBOX360, which means the console is unable to boot up. Such situations are quite common among regular XBOX users.

Newbie XBOX 360 users facing the RROD problem are advised to get it fixed with concerned technicians at Microsoft provided the warranty sticker is still available just below the faceplate. If the console exhibits such faults within the warranty period, user may get it fixed by a technician for free of cost or else replaced with a new console within the limits. Regarding this, the user has to check with the XBOX dealer.  

Of late, many users have come up with “Do-it-yourself” technique. Many such users of the XBOX360 console have discovered various methods in rectifying the Red Ring of Death. Let’s check out one such method.

Procedure for repairing RROD in an XBOX 360:

1. At first, an XBOX 360 user should disconnect the power cable and also the AV cable
2.  Clip out and open both the side plastic covers enclosing the hard disk with a bit of force. 
3. Get an appropriate screwdriver set for unscrewing. Carefully undo the center and side tabs with a flat head screwdriver. Then pull off the side body cover.
4. Change the flat tipped with a star head. Unscrew all the 14 screws fastened on the inner covering flat plate. Then invert it upside down and remove the bottom cover. Just before that, the repairer should remove the eject button of the CD driver.
5. Securely, unfix the CD driver SATA cables and place the driver aside. Remove the tab securing the daughter board and the latter too by unscrewing the three screws.
6. Next, the user should take care while undoing the plastic enclosure securing the GPU, the processor chips and the fan set cooling these units.
7. Remove the power cable clip of the fans and using a flat screwdriver un-hook the fans and pull it out with some force.
8. Using an air blower, the XBOX 360 repairer can blow out dust settled on the intricate electronic components like the capacitors and resistors.
9. Gently pullout the motherboard from the casing and place the case away. Invert the circuit board and remove the X-clamp securing the mini-power module. The user should store the washers and screws till rebuilding process starts.
10. Lift up and out the thick metal plate securing the processor chips, followed by cleaning the processor surface for which the user requires a cleaner liquid, a purifier, 8 to 10 cotton swabs and a thermo compound paste. The entire kit is available online at Amazon.com.
11. Dip the cotton head portion of a cotton swab into the cleaner solution and rub gently with very little force on the surface of the thick steel plate which seats upside down and covers the XBOX 360 processor from the top, surface of the processor and step down transformer. This is done until the old sticky thermo-paste material is removed and the surface of the processor chips start shining.
12. Using another cotton swab, the XBOX user should dip it in purifier solution and repeat the same procedure.
13. Now, apply a fresh thin lining of thermo-compound paste on the surface of the processor chips and then smear it evenly with a key card. Invert the motherboard and put the screws in those grooves loosely and cover it with sticking tapes to secure the loose screws. Again invert it, place the washers through the screw stem and place the thick metal box plate over the processor chips and the step down transformer in its region. 
14. Now, the console repairer has to peel off the tapes and tighten those screws to secure the metal plate over the XBOX360 GPU and the two chips. The repairer can assure that the processor is secured.
15. Keep the entire arrangement of motherboard into the bottom steel casing (chassis). 
16. Place the CD driver in its position and connect the SATA cables to its power pins followed by refitting the daughterboard, the eject button, steel casing and outer body covers. After, reassembling the console unit, the XBOX user should reconnect the power cable and AV cable of TV in respective ports. Switching ON, the XBOX360 starts to boot up as it was performing before the RROD.  The user can enjoy favorite video games like HALO SERIES as before.

The try-yourself-method is one of the most challenging and interesting method solution for rectifying the red ring of death in an XBOX 360 gaming console. If this method doesn’t turn out to be successful, the XBOX 360 user can get the help of a professional XBOX repairing technician.

        

     

Importance of flashing an XBOX 360 gaming console

Having owned an XBOX 360 for 300$, a gamer always feels excited to unpack the brand new enclosed unit and begin the gaming journey. Though the gaming console runs all high quality games at required speed without a lag, no video gaming backup CDs are compatible with this unit. This is where the importance of flashing an XBOX360 gaming console comes into play.

XBOX 360 is the most popular gaming console used by both hardcore and casual gamers in the US and the UK. Being the best gaming unit, Microsoft has programmed it to perform many more functions than just executing video game CDs. A flashed XBOX 360 console is engineered to execute and run backed up CDs. Implementation of flashing technology has huge benefits for all new gamers as well as the hardcore gaming community. 

A flashed console of XBOX 360 can successfully run gaming CDs possessing different region codes. Other than that, this upgraded design has capacity to download and play games which are available in torrents. This exquisite flash equipped gaming console has added advantage of downloading and playing music videos and movies of varied types.  

Before taking a step further, it is important for gamers to know about flashing an XBOX360. Downloading and installing a firmware upgrading software improvises the existing software with more functions and exhibits the above mentioned functions. On Google searching about firmware upgrading software, a video gamer can come across plenty downloading options which perform the same function and results are same.

Newbie gamers with their first XBOX 360 console on a table need to be extra cautious when opening the enclosed unit for flashing. If the DVD drive inside breaks or gets stuck up, there are chances of warranty period getting void. Being a newbie XBOX 360 owner, it’s important for the individual to vouchsafe an encrypted key connected to the particular drive. Losing it may resemble the XBOX 360 as a dead brick. Firware upgrading software like the popular Jungle flasher can be downloaded followed with backing up the key to proceed further.

Nowadays, XBOX360 gaming console is attached with either of the three most popular branded DVD drives like the BENQ, a Lite-On or a Samsung. It won’t be a surprise to observe an old modeled Hitachi drive connected with this marvelous gaming instrument.

For checking the above mentioned brands, the newbie user has to find for the marked hole by unscrewing the DVD drive. Lite-On DVD drives come with yellow cables, gray cables or white colored ones is an indication for BENQ and for Samsung its red/black colored. All three brands are compatible with Microsoft’s XBOX 360. 

Tools like Torx screwdrivers (7, 10, 12) sizes, firware upgrading software and computer with SATA type connectors are essential for upgrading a normal XBOX360 into a flash type. The XBOX360 DVD drive power lead should be within the drive itself and the main power chord of the gaming unit should be plugged in the outlet but retained in Off position. Unplug and disengage the cable connecting the XBOX360 console and the DVD drive. Cross wired SATA cables should be used for connecting the SATA port in the PC with the DVD drive in the console unit.

The XBOX owner can check for green light flashing after turning ON the console. During this stage, the console shifts to Mode B and the computer begins to perceive the DVD drive. The drive starts to boot up on turning the computer ON. It’s a great experience for all types of gamers may it be casual or hardcore.  

               

     

A Review on XBOX

Couple of years ago, Nintendo came up with the wiimote preferred by kids with age between 10 and 15 years. Later, Sony’s Eyetoy became popular among the gaming crowd. Many hardcore and casual gamers prefer dashboard with standard controls. Gaming accessories like the thumb sticks and triggering equipment used in the XBOX 360 is what many online as well as offline gamers prefer. These controllers are quite rugged and don’t easily break off. They are useful for tough warfare games.

Cynical gamers in E3 prefer hardcore next generation gaming controllers. The gaming world is curiously waiting for feeling the XBOX ONE hands-free gaming controller with the state-of-the-art Kinetic 2.0 to be released during this year ending. Reviews about Microsoft’s gaming controller called “The Duke controller” used in oldest XBOX consoles has a not-so-happening track record while compared to its upgraded ones.

The XBOX360 slim – a hybrid version

The new XBOX 360 slim a hybrid version of the original XBOX 360, has more benefits over its previous version. Microsoft has beautifully constructed this new console with glossy black body covering. Both side covers of this new Xbox come with thin angled fin strips cut on the side covers for better air ventilation. It is sold at an affordable retail price of $299 inside a well enclosed boxing. 

            

Getting to the engineering part, motherboard of this gaming console is equipped with a Hard Drive capacity of 250 GB along with a built-in 802.11n WiFi. The wireless game controller dashboard is well finished with black color including the joysticks comparing with the old XBOX360 joystick controller which has gray finish. This latest hybrid XBOX 360 console has black colored power breaker equipment smaller in size than the original with a power cable. It also comes with two double AA batteries for the controlling dashboard.  Secondary accessories like the all black headset and standard definition HD video cable with the audio jack pins to bridge this latest hybrid XBOX 360 with the HDTV.  

To get the real experience of this wonderful gaming console, one can own an XBOX and enjoy the favorite games both online as well as offline.     

XBOX360 – Teens getting glued to video games

At the first release of the XBOX 360 gaming console in 2005, huge crowd had gathered at the arena from different parts of the US to witness the unleashing of this fantastic unit. Sales of this console skyscraping to meet the demand. Since then, the XBOX 360 has been a household property of each resident in the US. Right from adolescents to oldsters, everyone prefers playing their favorite video games on this well designed gaming console.

In the US, a countrywide survey report on the XBOX video gaming reveals teens getting glued to video games. Video games like the GTA IV, The Call of Duty series, Forza motorsport-3, Halo-3 and Far Cry 3 exhibit real life experience to the player. Let’s read through some gaming titles and how good they perform with the XBOX 360 console.

 With a massive 1.2 teraflops of game processing power and 8-core, 1.6 GHz chip with a GPU configuration of 768 thread-packing, role playing video games like the GTA-IV create an awesome gaming environment for the teens to get the full advantage of the XBOX 360 console.

The best part of this XBOX 360 video game is the innovative remodeling of The Liberty City having resemblances of places in New York City. Apart from this, deletion of unwanted spaces such as the desert and countryside areas within the gaming program has been well appreciated by gamers. With high quality graphics and illustrations, it has replaced the previous version. Story of this game is centered on a layman called Nicko Bellic who lands in the US with desire to make more money but eventually turns into a gangster indulging in corruption and crime.  

The game has awesome features like open world gaming and has elements extracted from driving games and third person shooter. The seventh generation games like the above were released in late 2005. To enjoy the game of GTA IV, it is worth owning an XBOX 360 and experience the virtually real sequences of shooting in real time. 

XBOX ONE – will it succeed in ASIA?

XBOX series being more popular among gamers in western countries hasn’t done enough to win the hearts of gamers in the Asian continent. Sources say that the two gaming giants Microsoft and Sony are releasing their corresponding gaming consoles the XBOX ONE and the PlayStation 4 before 2014. Such important news in the gaming world may lead to downfall of PC gaming era and the birth of new generation gaming consoles. This is so because PC must be upgraded in both ways hardware and software till certain limits and the incompatibility of components are the two major concerns.

Couple of years back, the time when the XBOX 360 and the PS3 had stepped in, the latter was more preferred over Microsoft’s dedicated gaming kit in the Asian market. Both gaming units perform the same functions. Online version of the corresponding gaming console makes a huge difference. The XBOX 360 has an online version named as XBOX LIVE where gamers are permitted to play after subscribing. While, the Sony’s version of online gaming is free for all.

In the recently organized event by Microsoft on the XBOX ONE gaming console, not much information was revealed about the gaming console. Officials of Microsoft stressed more on the non-gaming attributes rather pitching on the gaming part which the normal gamers enjoyed whereas the expectation was high with hardcore gamers. Thereby doubtful questions arise XBOX ONE- will it succeed in Asia? Contrasting lifestyle in the US and the UK where most of the houses have more number of rooms than the normal ones when compared with those in Asian countries. The slimness of PS4 is appreciated by Asian countries.

The third reason availability of cable connections. Certain parts of Asia does lack proper cable connections for accessing the internet whereas in the US and the UK never such problem has been noticed. So, chance for the XBOX ONE to succeed in the Asian market appears to be murky. The release of PS4  by Sony is what every Asian is longing for.     

To wrap up, though this article maybe a bit criticizing about the XBOX ONE, we can wait till this year ending for knowing the actual stats after its release. Prediction is quite difficult.

RUMORS ABOUT THE XBOX ONE

Right from the beginning of electronic gaming devices other than the Japanese Atari and other PC related games, XBOX and its upgraded versions like XBOX 360 manufactured by Microsoft and its competitive hardliner Sony have been defending their respective top rankings in the gaming world. Both have been locking horns for the number one spot on the basis of sales and demand.

Stories about Microsoft’s new gaming console the XBOX ONE is already riffing in the gaming world. Department of game programmers in Microsoft has been dedicating its full time on constructing the new console equipment, and it’s said that the XBOX ONE will set its rivals a run for their money, dubbed as ‘the next generation’ of electronic gaming tech. There’s always a trace of factual information disguised at the back of most fabricated stories. It can be appreciated and considered in the declaration.

For the past couple of years, engineering study and working on electronic circuit boards of the XBOX ONE has been in progress. Hopefully, by this year ending, Microsoft may announce releasing of this fascinating gaming equipment. Bits and pieces of such information is enough to build up the desire and thrill in the mindset of gaming maniacs.

Nothing can be said unless Microsoft officially places the full fledged XBOX ONE gaming console in the open market. The market controllers have been speculating on the exact name of this ‘next generation’. Some say it must be XBOX infinity, while the others The XBOX ONE or XBOX720. 

From the rumor point of view, leak out of some crucial information such as 1.2 teraflops processing power in the XBOX ONE will be proportional higher than its counterpart Nintendo Wii U’s processing power is worthy. While, technical features like the 8-core, 1.6 GHz chip with a GPU configuration of 768 thread-packing is quite amazing to hear being a gaming technocrat.

Unofficial information like incorporation of kinetic 2.0 in this eye-catcher is increasing curiosity in gamers mind. Though such rumors blaze out in the heated gaming market, we got to wait till the exact moment when this powerful gaming console steps in.

XBOX 360 or PS3 or Nintendo Wii U – Gift for all

With high quality warfare games like the Call of Duty series and the Counterstrike, strategic games such as the GTA series and sports games like FIFA‘13 releasing in the market, video gaming consoles like the XBOX360 or PS3 are recommended.

Nintendo Wii U, a gaming console that mainly suits for preteens and teens. They prefer playing popular games like Mario and lawn tennis. It’s surprising to say that even adults enjoy the games like Wii sports resort and cycling. It’s overall a family oriented gaming console. What would be a better gift for teens during special occasions ‘The Christmas gift’.

It’s a head or tail battleground for the XBOX 360 and the PS3 when it comes to adolescent gaming community. The gaming console has to adapt long hour gaming, loading speed and quality of processing. It’s quite mystifying for these hardcore pre-adult gamers choosing the best console as both have their good and bad points.

The Good side of XBOX360:

KINETIC is the key component in the XBOX360 gaming console which makes it a distinct gaming tool over its competitors. All popular games can be played hands-free with this revolutionary tool. Online gaming with this exquisite console is what many hardcore gamers lookout for. Though it’s a subscription system, gamers can have a good time chatting with members at the other end whether they are in the same group or the opponent. Thereby plan a strategy and tackle the opponent’s gaming mindset. Both types of chatting rooms like party and private chat is accessible for gamers contesting online. But, it couldn’t fulfill the expectations.

PlayStation 3 console more popular among the adult:

From the date of its release, the PlayStation3 has become the preferred gaming console among the adult hardcore gamers. This gaming platform is mainly used for running games like the Call Of Duty Black Ops II and similar ones belonging to the same genre, programmed with high quality graphics and compatible with consoles like the PS3. This sophisticated equipment can play quality Blu-Ray DVDs may it be the above mentioned game that needs high processing speed to avoid lag (hang). These are considered to be advantages over the competitive the XBOX360 version. Though its online multiplayer version is free, the company is unable maintain its high standards. Here’s where the XBOX360 takes a forward step though Microsoft only permits subscribed gamers.    

With the Nintendo releasing Wii U much earlier, survey results have revealed that it isn’t quite popular among the hardcore gamers habituated to immersive/lively ones like the C.O.D series. While the members in family environment love playing on this beautiful console.