Overheating
The game console heats up during use, and given enough time, the temperature inside can reach very high levels due to insufficient cooling. Because of the way the Xbox 360 is constructed, this may result in stresses building up between the delicate ball grid array solder joints of the CPU and GPU and the motherboard, causing them to break. The problem is exacerbated by the specific type of lead-free solder used, a type which is more brittle than the older tin/lead solder that was used in the past and the GPU’s location directly underneath to the DVD drive.A possible design goal of the Xbox 360 hardware team to have a form factor significantly smaller than the first generation Xbox is rumored to have contributed to overheating issues.German computer magazine c’t, in an article titled “Jede dritte stirbt den Hitzetod” (every third one dies of heat), published in July 2006, blames the problems primarily on the use of the wrong type of lead free solder, a type that when exposed to elevated temperatures for a long time becomes brittle and can develop hair-line cracks that are almost irreparable.[14] Also, according to the same article, Microsoft has created an internal account, funded with more than one billion dollars, dedicated to addressing this problem. The fund would only be fully depleted by $100 in repairs to every existing Xbox 360, or complete replacement of every third Xbox 360 ever made. The article also revealed that representatives of the three largest Xbox 360 resellers in the world (EB Games, Gamestop and Best Buy) claimed that the failure rate of the Xbox 360 was between 30% and 33%, and that Micromart, the largest repair shop in Britain, stopped repairing Xbox 360s because they were unable to fully repair the defective systems. Because of the nature of the problem, Micromart could only make temporary repairs, which led to many of the “repaired” systems failing again after a few weeks. At that time Micromart was receiving 2500 defective consoles per day from Britain alone.
The console’s design utilizes heatsinks, vented openings, and fans to aid in dissipation of heat, but the potential still exists for excessive heat buildup inside the console if these measures become insufficient. Users are advised not to obstruct air flow to the enclosure vents or power supply. Problems associated with overheating include reduced system performance and instability that may result in crashing or hardware failure. Xbox 360s with “Falcon” motherboards, which use smaller 65nm CPUs, are reportedly less susceptible. Microsoft is rumored to be releasing a version of the Xbox 360 that uses a 65nm GPU as well, codenamed “Jasper”. The new “Jasper” motherboards are planned to be released in late 2008.
According to the October 2007 issue of The Official Xbox Magazine, there are reports that new Xbox 360 Elites and newer 360 Premiums, as well as officially refurbished units, have larger heatsinks. It has yet to be determined how far this fix has gone in alleviating the issues.
Some third party manufacturers have also introduced external cooling devices that attach to the console and claim to help prevent the console from overheating.However, reports indicate that some such devices can do exactly the opposite, including the attachment melting on the console itself, possibly damaging the internal microprocessors, and voiding the product warranty. Also when powered by the Xbox 360’s power brick they might overheat the power brick causing even more problems.