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Once you have caught sight of those dreaded Xbox "red rings of death", you will undoubtedly feel at your wit's end. They have actually been triggered by the console's overheating. The motherboard starts to warp as it overheats. This in turn results in a loosening of the solder which binds it to the CPU. At that point, the red lights are set off.

If you want try the 3 red rings of death fix on the Xbox 360 console yourself, there are some easy fixes for you to try. The bad news is over 10 million Xbox 360 consoles have already been identified with a design flaw that could create a general hardware failure. Any time a red light turns on it is telling you that something is wrong with the Xbox 360 gaming console.

A single red light means the console has some hardware issues and some sort of repair is needed. Two red lights means it is becoming overheated. At this point, you should shut it off and move it to a more open area. Three red lights or three 3 red rings of light means the console has the dreaded red rings of death and you must do something to fix this problem. Four red lights means the cable is likely weakened or damaged and you should see if it needs replacement.

If your warranty period is expired and you want 3 red rings of death fix, you need to either send your console directly to Microsoft or you need to do the task yourself. If you choose to get red ring of death fixed by Microsoft, you need to ship your console to Microsoft and further you will need to send $140. The major disadvantage of sending your console to Microsoft is that you will have to wait for over a month to get back your gaming console.

Another option is for you to lean how to repair the 3 red circles of death-doom yourself, without the need for specialized technicians. Do-it-yourself (DIY) guides are widely available at reasonable prices and can teach you how to repair the red ring of death in about 90 minutes. The steps are simple. Take the case off and remove the x clamp. Remove the heat sink by unscrewing it, and clean the CPU and GPU. Add some thermal compound to the GPU. When you screw the heat sink back in, put a nylon washer above and below the sink. Finally, put the case back on.

Another excellent benefit of the Do It Yourself guide is the simplicity with which you can master it. This allows you to be able to fix any console problems that come up rather than having to send the console back to the company each time to have it fixed (such as when it indicates the so-called "red rings of death"). It is both simple and safe to do your own repairs, and you will find all of the information necessary to do so well laid out for you.