Microsoft RRoD Policy?

[Roujaxian]

Hey so I bought my xbox 360 the night it came out in november 2005 and have never had a problem with it. Well unfortunately tonight I got the 3 Red Rings...

Does anyone know what microsoft's policy is regarding this specific error, for some reason i want to think they will replace the 3 red rings for free even after your warranty is up, anyone know for sure? Really don't want to pay $100

 

[INFaMaS]

i know that they are quite liberal in servicing the RRoD problem. I would recommend calling them and asking what is up before just mailing off your xbox.

For some background information, the reason the RRoD happens is because microsoft used used a very cheap circuit board for the motherboard of the 360. This means that when the xbox gets hot (which is definitely does), the board can get hot enough to actually change shape slightly. Prolonged heat exposure can cause the board to bend so much that it actually breaks the connections to ports on the motherboard and cause hardware failure, ie. the RRoD. Microsoft knew about this, and instead of using a semi-decent PCB, they just put a thin metal frame thing around the mobo to restrict its bending, which is certainly less than adequete.

Also, the reason the "towel trick" can actually undo an RRoD error is because it forces the inside of the xbox to get very hot, ideally enough to make the ciruit board be more "fluid" and bend back to restore the connections that were broken. The nice part about the towel trick is that it doesn't void the warranty. I would highly advise against this unless you are denied warranty service.

 

[L2R]

lol, stick it in your oven





note: do not follow this advice.