How to fix your overheating 360
Sure, if your Xbox 360 is crashing you could call up
Microsoft tech support and get your new toy repaired or replaced — or you could take design flaws matters into
your own hands and source out the root of the problem. And according to one Gamespot forumsgoer, apparently what's
causing these overheating Xbox 360 crashes isn't the Xbox itself, but rather that monstrous power supply. So what's a
gamer to do? Increase the airflow over the thing by getting it up off the floor, and suspending it in the air with
string — or if you're not feeling like making a trapeze act out out of the thing, stick it on an open box so it can
better emanate heat. Apparently this has been doing some good, but hey, remember that if it can't sit on the ground as
intended, it's defective, so make sure you call 'em up and get it sorted!
[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
Filed under: Gaming, Microsoft Xbox 360
Reader Comments (Page 4 of 6)
LSSLAVE @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
You guys are goddamn ridiculous..
Seriously.. "Well you shouldnt put it in an enclosed entertainment stand"
They have said its an entertainment device. Guess what every console I have ever had I put in my entertainment stand. Next year I will be putting the Revolution in my entertainment stand without worry that this will happen.
If you design something and charge 500 Canadian for it then you better have shit like this dealt with. It isnt up to ME to find some special altar for something, it is up to them to DESIGN it properly.
Dont try and pawn the design error off on people. Besides, what about the discs being ruined by the system? Faulty drive there.
When you rush something instead of doing something right you open yourself up to being flamebait. Sony screwed up with the PS2 with that (I still am pissed mine broke and I needed to buy a new one) and MS screwed up the first time with Xbox. Who remembers when it skipped entire games?
Dont call people morons for putting their Xbox in their entertainment stand or on the carpet, because that just goes to show how foolish you truly are. Maybe we need to find a place it belongs. "When playing your XBox 360, put it in the garbage can" or "When you buy a XBox 360 put it in the fireplace and light it up, you wont notice it overheating on its own that way" would seem more appropriate to you?
Mark @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
It's expensive, it crashes, and it overheats. Oh, and people were getting into fights to be the first ones to buy a unit, and police had to be called in.
Good Lord -- this is not good at all for the 360.
And putting the power brick across an open cardboard box to ventilate it -- clever fix, but I would think one would rather use a milk crate, instead of a cardboard box, which is likely flammable.
Franklin @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
Hmmm, I see a possible market for 360 power brick cradles/cooling platforms made by third-party accessory companies...
Peter @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
I tried to suspend mine with a crane, but this is what happened...
http://www.bassfiles.net/LostMyJobToday2.jpg
Cho @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
Disregard Kevin D.
Dont waste your time on him.
He totally flames people if they dont like the xbox and makes no sense. Ever.
Obviously the xbox360's design should allow it to be put in an entertainment center. To say anything else is simply retarded.
I have a stereo/amplifier in my cabinet and it gets hot as hell. It never crashes and the dvd player and tivo sitting on top of it never crash either. All are fairly expensive name brand electronics that were properly designed. Any idiot knows that a console will probably end up in an entertainment center (or on the carpet in front of the TV), particularly one shaped like the 360 which totally lends itself to being stacked just like a dvd player. Get real fools. If the 360 is overheating, it has a problem. Period. Lets just hope MS gets it sorted out by christmas.
And WTF? Who would put a dell laptop in an entertainment center? Thats the dumbest thing I've ever heard.
Johnny @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
Mine was fine the first couple days but then it started locking up last night. I have a mini fridge next to my TV that I keep soda in(er I mean beer) so I just stuck the power supply in there. The door on the fridge still closes and now it hasn't locked up once. Been jamming on PGR3 ever since. Screw you xbox haters, the faithful will find a way!
Franklin @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
Regarding the putting of the 360 into one's entertainment system:
There are rumors that setting the 360 on its side, horizontally, may damage game discs. The drives in some of the units are bad.
With its software products, Microsoft can simply issue a patch for download. I wonder how they are going to deal with the growing number of hardware issues with the 360.
bob @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
Remember when the pictures of the adapter first surfaced and everyone was saying that it doesnt matter how big it is, it's just going behind the entertainment center. Now people are saying, why would you put it behind your entertainment center. Rationalization at its best.
Mark in Austin @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
I heard a report on the radio about these hardward malfunctions. Last night, I saw another report on TV about them.
Whether these issues are large or not, MS' PR has its work cut-out for them. We geeks in online gaming forums might know better, but the average person out there could very well get their initial impression from these reports.
Still, it warms my heart to see their precious launch fumbling. Arrogant bastards..
[Nelson]HAA-Ha![/Nelson]
Mark @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
Be sure to pick up one of these also when you buy your 360. This model should match most entertainment centers.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2625036
Chu Chu @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
While we are all sitting around the campfire giving anecdotal "evidence", I thought I would add that none of the guys I know here at work (as in: know for real, not random people on some internet message board) have had any problems whatsoever with their 360s. Based on board warrior logic employed by the flamers here I guess that means there are no problems whatsoever with the 360.
Liam @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
this is exactly the kind of stuff thats was bound to happen. new tech. almost always has problems.
Brian @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
thank you engadget, you always find solutions.
Clint @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
I've found that hanging the adapter from the ceiling fan and turning it on keeps it very cool. Just stand out of the way!
M$ suckered you fools into buying this rushed piece of crap. It's not even next generation...Next generation starts next year with the PS3. This is just Xbox 1.5. Didn't you guys get the memo?
Mr. Sparkler @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
Franklin, if the 360 is standing on it's side it is positioned vertically not horizontal.
helo @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
Yes Clint and next year when you buy your PS3 (and since i'm not a fanboy like you I'm buying one also) I can GUARANTEE you they're also be some defects on those first boxes so STFU. Or did you happen to forget all the things that went WRONG with the PS2? FACT: These are new boxes. They'll be defects and kinks to work out. You'll hear disproportionately MORE about the boxes that aren't working then the boxes that are working fine. Deal with it and stop the bashing dumba**. I'll laugh my head off next year if you get a PS3 and it the things overheats, skips, has a drive defect or what not. Won't that be rich?
n8 @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
Chu: you're right. But I think Austen Mark's got a good point - whether or not it's true, or just a few isolated cases, the media loves to hate and this story is going to be bad for Microsoft.
Johnny (28): if that's true, that's f****in hilarious! And I don't doubt that just about everybody who lined up to buy an Xbox 360 will be following suit if they're having problems. Dedicated gamers find solutions!
JohnnyCashAK @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
What's amusing to me is how much people are jumping on MS for being inept and saying the 360 is rushed and not next gen. Ok let's break down both of these myths shall we?
1. I'm guessing some of you aren't old enough to remember the early days of the PS2, but as one of the many who went through hell to get theirs at launch, let me tell you this overheating issue is nothing. After being delayed 3 times, when the PS2 finally did ship mine arrived DOA. The power light came on, but nothing else happened. When I tried to take it back to the store the guy said I was better off shipping it back to sony since he had no clue when he'd get more. So I did, and 3 weeks later my replacement arrive... broken. It would play games for about 5 minutes before shutting itself off. So after swearing up and down at the tech guy, once again I was advised to return it to them for replacement. This time it took 1 day short of a month to arrive, but when it did it was everything the ads promised. I recently relived this experience when I turned on my shiny new PSP, only to find 1/3 of the screen dead, like a piece of $250 black swiss cheese. Moral of the story is obviously MS isn't the only company to have problems launching an brand new system, and yes Sony fanboys, it is BRAND NEW and not Xbox 1.5. This thing is completely different from the ground up, and you have to have really played one to understand.
2. The 360 is next gen in more ways then the format it plays and the quality of the graphics. Graphics wise, this thing is just sick. From PDZ to PGR3, this thing rivals my overclocked pc running two nvidia 7800's in SLI, and that's saying something. More then that though, it's next gen in concept. From it's online integration to it's ability to stream music, photos, and even video from any networked computer, it truly makes one excited at the new possibilities on the horizon. I feel that if Sony doesn't bring something equally as exciting and interesting to the party, the PS3 is going to feel like a let down. For people who hate on the 360 in comparison to the PS3, let me remind you that so far all the video they have shown from PS3 games was pre-rendered. MS made a point of running all of their videos directly off the dev kits or the systems themselves, and even then they looked pretty damn impressive.
My 360 has run flawlessly since the day I opened it, and right now it is streaming my stones greatest hits over my surround sound system as I write this. Everyone I know that has one has had a similar experience with theirs. Personally I am wondering how many people who have flamed on it here were standing up for apple when people started bitching about their Nano's.
syukton @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
This isn't a "fix" -- People aren't reading their instruction manuals. The "fix" would be to shoot all the stupid people in the face.
---
From http://www.xbox.com/en-US/support/getstarted/system/xbox360/connect-positionconsole.htm
Prevent the Console from Overheating
Do not block any ventilation openings on the console or power supply. Do not place the console or power supply on a bed, sofa, or other soft surface that may block ventilation openings. Do not place the console or power supply in a confined space, such as a bookcase, rack, or stereo cabinet, unless the space is well ventilated.
Do not place the console or power supply near any heat sources, such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or amplifiers.
---
If people would read their manual they wouldn't have this "problem" with their 360s. They aren't designed to be put on plush carpets or enclosed spaces, period.
This reminds me of the Powermac Cube which had a ventilation hole on the top of the computer that, if covered for more than a minute, would cause the computer to shutdown.
gav @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
I thought the reason it was sooo big was to help with cooling!!!!
Brian @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
Cho, why would you place your DVD player and Tivo on top of your receiver? The front page of the manual for my receiver clearly states that you should give it a few inches clearance on the top. My buddy's receiver had a sticker with the same warning that he had to peal off the top after he opened it. Why not simply move your receiver to the top of the stack?
Common sense says that if there are no directions on the power brick and/or in the manual about placement, then it is safe to assume that Microsoft feels that placement should not be an issue. Since placement apparently is an issue, that means that the hardware is not up to spec. If there is such a warning in the XBox 360 manual, then it is just a matter of RTFM.
OTAM @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
Mine is absolutely perfect. No overheating at all AND I have it on my entertainment center. Am I blowing your mind yet?
Here's my setup.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/TheFlowinProse/360Small.jpg
homer @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
the bottom line is a console should be as easy to setup and use as a toaster.
shame on microsoft for releasing such a shoddy product. when will people learn that MS is only concerned about $$$, not about the customer.
sounds like the 360 is about as well designed as their sh1t software.
Giddieon @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
Why the hell should have to fix a poor design from MS maybe if they produced a better power supply we would not have these problems...
After paying the amount of money for it you think it would work properly...
cvas @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
For all you people defending MS, I have a question: Why? People keep citing other console launches and the problems that go along with them as if that some how justifies all this. It is ridiculous how so many people have become good little sheep and are willing to overlook and forgive problems because "it happens all the time".
This is a COMPANY we are talking about, all they care about is your money, that's it, why does anyone feel the need to defend them when they screwed up? People sitting back and accepting this is WHY it keeps happening. Do you think MS would have shipped a buggy system early if they knew that major problems meant they would be (metaphorically) drug out into the streets and beaten? No. They do this because they know that there will be some squeaky wheels, but not enough to cost them anything in the long run, they will eventually be able to fix the problems and the shee will wait for them to do so. In short, they do it because they know they can get away with it, and guess who lets them?
So they get their big hyped launch and jump on the competition with a not-ready-for production-machine becuase the masses will give them a pass if it has pretty colors.
We should be screaming to the high heavens, not sitting back and accepting it. Otherwise it will just happen again. Or maybe that's what you want, so you can smugly come here and impress everyone with your knowledge of console launches and sheep like acceptance of problems.
Chu Chu @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
"when will people learn that MS is only concerned about $$$, not about the customer."
As opposed to sony and nintendo who are concerned with curing aids and feeding the starving children in africa......?
How does a person get to be this stupid? Are you huffing gasoline and eating paint chips while you read engadget?
dfd @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
I like my xbox 360 like I like my women.... High maintennance, hard to get, and hot.
MS-basher @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
LOLOLOL XBox360 sucks, and Bu$hitler is totally getting his a$$ kicked Iraq!!!
Fwapfwapfwapfwapfwapfwap...
Juggaloking21 @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
According to #46 everybody should stop defending companies that ship faulty products, that means all of you Playstation fanboys/girls should stop defending Sony for repeatedly shipping shitty products, every console they've shipped starting with their first has had many problems, you guys would know this if you were old enough to remember the Playstations launch, let alone The PS2's launch, and besides the only company that I can remember that didn't have any serious problems with their console at launch was nintendo, come have you heard anything about their launches, aside from a lack of games, and from what I recall Microsoft didn't have any problems with the launch of the original xbox.
By the way I'm on my fourth Playstation 2, no amount of cleaning will fix those things, the only thing shipping my first one back to sony accomplished was them sending me a brand new faulty PS2.
haloman @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
To blame MS for the 360 overheating is a pathetic excuse for your own ignorance and laziness. FACT: Any high-end electronic device can and will overheat if not properly ventilated. The degree of necessary ventilation varies between each device and the environment it is in. Most consumers have trouble realising this (even though it is spelled out in the manual) and ALWAYS blame the manufacturer. That's why people take devices in for repair (or just replace them) when they "mysteriously" stop functioning in the middle of something (99% of the time, it's heat). It's what our society does, blame somebody else for a problem you created.
The troubling thing is, the brick power-supply was removed from the console itself because of the heat problem. But, people want to hide the brick supply because it's a brick. However, people are too lazy and ignorant to put the brick in a concealed location that is also well ventiliated. So, they blame Microsoft because little Johnny doesn't know where to put his brick .... I recommend upside his head.
Casey @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
Why not just use a regular household fan and point it at the powersupply?
homer @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
-----------SNIP------------
Posted Nov 25, 2005, 1:55 PM ET by Chu Chu
"when will people learn that MS is only concerned about $$$, not about the customer."
As opposed to sony and nintendo who are concerned with curing aids and feeding the starving children in africa......?
How does a person get to be this stupid? Are you huffing gasoline and eating paint chips while you read engadget?
-----------SNIP------------
actually, i'm reading joystiq, but anyway...
a good company cares about profits, of course, but it also cares about the customer and does its best to please the customer, to get them to return. MS does neither and has, in fact, relied on the customer to debug their products since the company's founding, which is a slap in the face. instead of improving their products over the years, like a company the relied on it's reputation would, they've made them worse, introducing more and more bugs.
how can MS get away with this? it's simple - they use dirty (immoral/illegal) business practices to kill the competition, at which point they don't have to worry about what the consumer thinks. if you want to someday have NO competition in the console world, by all means, buy MS products.
we're all getting a taste for what the future will be like if MS gets its way and takes over. hopefully there are enough people out there that feel the way i do to keep the competition alive.
oh, and fuck you chuchu - grow the hell up.
Shasty McNasty @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
I am more than happy to purchase anyone's XBoX 360 who isn't happy with it.
curses @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
"We should be screaming to the high heavens, not sitting back and accepting it"
Or you could just buy a nintendo system. Until the playstation 1 came out, I had never even heard of someone having to replace a console because it "failed". The worst I ever saw was having to blow on your old NES cartridges before inserting them, but even that was many years into its life. I still have every single Nintendo console I ever bought and they all work fine. I have owned 2 playstation 2s but I have had no problems with my original xbox (but its very noisy)
"As opposed to sony and nintendo who are concerned with curing aids and feeding the starving children in africa......?"
Actually, its funny you mention it because Nintendo IS concerned with feeding starving children. They just finished a massively successful food drive. Check out the link.
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=7276
Chu Chu @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
Now I know you are huffing gasoline homer. Quick history lesson: nintendo and sony have both engaged in monopolistic behaviour during their time at the top of the video game heap. It comes with the territory. You don't get to the top without steping on some throats in the process nowadays and they all do it and do it well. Now try pulling your head out of your ass for once and realize that this is the way the business world turns. To suggest that MS is somehow the corporate bully picking on the other nice video game companies is laughably naive.
Chu Chu @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
hey curses I've got another site for you:
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/default.htm
Go pull your pud to that one for a while.
Lansing @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
Ahhhh, Microsoft people just shut up and take the fact that this is a problem. Taking it up the butt isn't going to solve anything. For all of you who are getting that feeling of the possibility of a mistake or that the precious box they waited for isn't perfect just accept this and act accordingly, as in stop denying problems.
And to the moron who thinks all of the videos on the ps3 were pre-rendered watch the MGS4 trailer. Now of course that can be played on a 360 but last I heard thats not the exactly the system it will be on so what good does that do the 360 anyway.
Now am I saying that Sonys PS2 launch was flawless, NOO!! But my ps2 is still working and Ive had it since 3 months after its launch. My Xbox works as well, as does my Gamecube. If I cant put the 360 on carpet or in an entertainment center and I have to suspend my PSU over a shoebox then well. There is a problem, so once again stop acting like this is just peachy.
2 years from now when all this fuss dies down and you still have your Rube Goldberg contraption set up so you can play some games and your perfectly fine with it, then I guess my point is invalid and I should be disclaimed immediately.
homer @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
chuchu, you are the one with the head-up-ass problem. MS is INDEED a corporate bully - how many times have they been sued for unfair biz practices, and LOST? how many millions have they paid out to the companies they stepped on? you still there chu-boy?
to accept MS practices as "how the business world turns" is to accept that all is fair (ie. ILLEGAL moves against the competition)in the biz world. we've all seen what big biz does when ethics are thrown out the window in the name of profits (caugh-caugh-enron). why would you voluntarily bend over and take it from a company like that?
you, chu chu, are a sheep, and an immature one at that.
curses made some good points in his post, you must've missed it. here, i'll repost the second 1/2:
--------SNIP--------------
"As opposed to sony and nintendo who are concerned with curing aids and feeding the starving children in africa......?"
Actually, its funny you mention it because Nintendo IS concerned with feeding starving children. They just finished a massively successful food drive. Check out the link.
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=7276
--------SNIP--------------
pff...fanboys.
Chu Chu @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
oh my god you are slow homer. Why is this so hard for you to understand? They are ALL "dirty". It's a smashmouth industry. To single MS out and say "oh look at meany MS picky on lil ole nintendo and sony" you gotta have some serious rocks in your head. Anyone who was around during the days of NES/SNES knows the big N wasn't exactly the nicest company around and I wouldn't expect them to be either. Their agenda is to make money through worldwide market domination. Try your best to comprehend this.
curses @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
"Go pull your pud to that one for a while."
You don't see the difference do you chu?
MS donates money. They write off every penny as a charitable donation.
Nintendo organizes a food drive among their employees. This food can't be used as a tax writeoff. Big difference.
homer @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
chuchu, nintendo's consoles worked at launch, even when they were top of the heap.
how many companies have sued nintendo for illegal biz activities? so, wait, it IS possible to be a large company and play by the rules? waitwait, you don't HAVE to screw over the consumer to be successful?
wake up boy. and try reading other people's posts before stating the same thing over and over. i debated the point yo're trying to make already. your point is MOOT.
i reiterate - pfffffff - fanboys.
Chu Chu @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
Yes I'm sure nintendo didn't write off their cash donation either. 0.o
You and homer do yourself a favour, go to google and type in "nintendo tengen lawsuit" and read that. After you are finished that try "nintento anti-trust" and you should get a bunch more hits. Finally just so we don't leave out sony, try "sony ethics" and check out some of those results.
The moral of the story here? All of these companies engage in monopolistic behaviour. If you think nintendo is a "good company" while MS is "mean" then you are simply divorced from reality.
Chu Chu @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
"how many companies have sued nintendo for illegal biz activities?"
lol
Go get educated.
homer @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
gates is the richest person in the world, yet i just read a week ago that his foundation has slipped to number TWO this year in terms of philanthropic giving.
can you say greed?
i knew you could.
Chu Chu @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
I'll repeat your qoute again because it's so obvious how wrong you are:
"how many companies have sued nintendo for illegal biz activities?"
And just so it's dead easy for you, here are a few links that even a monkey could click on:
http://www.google.com/search?q=nintendo+anti-trust
http://www.google.com/search?q=nintendo+tengen+lawsuit
homer @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
hey boy, if you like getting screwed, by all means, go right ahead. the more sheep like you the better for MS.
i would rather make an informed purchase - wait and see the kind of reviews a products gets before i buy, instead of buying one just to be the first on the block, for bragging rights. if the "revolution" comes out and i hear reports that there are hardware issues, i'm not going to buy it.
that's why you're clearly a fanboy.
Kevin D @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
So curses, Nintendo doesn't really outlay any money then do they? Its just allowing its own employees to dish out of their own pockets...
Yeh, big spenders.... As for the tax write offs, you dont get every penny back (its a percentage).. Therefore, you've contributed some of your own money...
Oh and I've shown 2 PS2 lover boys my new 360 running flawlessly I might ad on my 65" Sony Tv (yep, its a sony - LOVE IT) with Sony surround sound (Love it as well) and they literally couldn't say a word....
So you tools enjoy your little PSpoo's and come talk to me when Sony's "REAL" system comes to North America November 2006...LOLLOLOLOLOL....
Chu Chu @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
That's what I thought homer... no answer.
Next time don't mix it up when you don't know the history.
And for the record, I don't own a 360 nor do I have any immediate plans to buy one. I think 360, PS3, and Revolution will all be decent systems. OH NOES IM A FANBOY!
homer @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
answer to what? go back and read what i wrote. we could go back and forth forever, it doesn't matter. my point was made several posts ago - your words expose your true POV. bye-bye now.
Chu Chu @ Dec 19th 2005 12:55AM
Once again, because it really does hilight your ignorance in a particularly funny way:
"how many companies have sued nintendo for illegal biz activities?"
lol