Microsoft fixes Xbox 360s with added cooling
updated 01:45 pm EDT, Wed June 13, 2007
Xbox 360 Extra Cooling
Microsoft is stepping up the level of cooling in the Xbox 360 to combat its chronic overheating problems, according to both a Microsoft contact and those receiving repaired systems. The company has installed a second heatpipe and accompanying heatsink meant specifically to cool the AMD-made Xenon graphics chipset in the system, reducing the overall case temperature and preventing the "red ring of death" that usually signifies a fatally overheated system. It was not clear at the time of posting whether or not the upgrade also applied to new systems, though the change is likely.
The Xbox 360 has suffered from an unusually high failure rate due to heat, particularly those from its late 2005 launch. Much of the problem has been attributed to the continued use of relatively hot-running 90-nanometer chips in the system, which should be replaced in the fall by cooler 65-nanometer versions. [via Xbox-Scene]
