Commercial X-clamp fix for red-ringed 360s: mostly new screws

Warranty extension or not, the widespread nature of Xbox 360 failures pretty much guaranteed that it was only a matter of time before a third party stepped forward with a commercial fix. The X-Clamp Fix from Next Generation seems to the be first of these solutions available, although it's certainly not as simple as we would have expected. Consisting of some replacement screws and washers, the $15 kit helps you tighten down your GPU heatsink, possibly resetting your GPU in the process, a strategy modders have been using to escape the red ring of death for some time now. Probably worth a look if you're unable to get warranty service and the other wing-and-a-prayer fixes don't work for you, but the kit looks like it involves pretty significant disassembly -- we'd recommend picking up the phone and begging for an RMA first. Check the world's most boring installation video after the break.

[Via MaxConsole]

[SimbaDogg @ Aug 30th 2007 10:24PM]

quite a catch 22 here, a fix that will probably elimiated the RRoD...but on the same token, you're voiding your 3 year warranty. So if anything else goes bad, ur SOL

[E-Rock @ Aug 30th 2007 10:32PM]

I'm pretty sure the 3 year extension only covers the RROD. SO outside of one year you were already on your own.

Really, this is only for people who cracked the case open before the extension and pre-voided the extended warranty.

[SimbaDogg @ Aug 31st 2007 1:25PM]

@E-Rock
i highly doubt that, because the thing is ms hasn't even officially admitted to what is actually causing the RRoD.

[steve @ Aug 30th 2007 10:35PM]

hey, my 360 just started getting a lovely red checkerboard pattern followed by the red ring of death...just to try putting some numbers to it, who has/hasn't experienced the ring of death?

[b1663r @ Aug 30th 2007 11:08PM]

Feel bad about your xbox, you are gonna miss the release of a bunch of good games.

Odd suggestion...

When you get your xbox back, go on xbox live and just randomly poll people as you play games. When I did that I found it to be about 15%, which is still huge, but still far less that the 1/3 number that gets thrown around. Other people on xbox live have reported similar numbers. Tell us what you find out!

[justin @ Aug 30th 2007 11:11PM]

I am thinking lots. I just picked up my box sent from microsoft yesterday. It is plain white box without any markings indicating it is from Microsoft. When I picked it up the box, the lady at the UPS warehouse asked "do you have the blinking red lights?".

Thats weird enough, but when I dropped off my box at a UPS store closer to my house the guy there asked "are you just dropping off...oh wait, you are going to want a receipt for that. xbox right?" This is the plainest of boxes you can imagine, and the shipping label only lists an address in texas, no mention of Microsoft. The guy in a small ups store in chicago says he gets about one a day. Not sure what kind of numbers that translates too, but seems like a very high failure rate for any consumer electronic.

I am glad it doesn't cost me anything to fix, but being without it kind of sucks.

[b1663r @ Aug 30th 2007 11:17PM]

Justin,

Wow, thats a horrible experience you described, can I have your gamer card id so I can ask you how things turned out when you get your xbox back from microsoft?

[Daren @ Aug 30th 2007 11:05PM]

"let your 360 never be fail again"
wow, bad grammar

[jo @ Aug 31st 2007 12:40AM]

all your base, are belong to us

[LordFarkward @ Aug 31st 2007 3:03AM]

wow, last 15 years where you be?

[Vince D. @ Aug 30th 2007 11:22PM]

They're charging $15 for this? You can go to your local hardware store and get the same materials much cheaper.

That said, this is "the fix" for the RROD. My has been fixed in this nature for several months without issue, while my dad has returned his 360 twice already. For some reason, this issue is still blamed on heat.

[gonano @ Aug 31st 2007 1:43PM]

yeah but exactly what materials do you ask for when you go to the hardware store?! It's easy to say you have a better solution and not give details.

[DarkAardvark @ Aug 30th 2007 11:35PM]

i highly doubt this will fix a cracked GPU.
the first 360 i had (im on my 4th...) died 2 weeks after the warranty expired. being a genius, taking it apart was better than paying $50 to have it fixed. after taking the heat sink off, it was pretty clear MS was trying to be a cheap asshole by using 1/4th the normal amount of heat sink grease (and using craptastic solder). it's sad when 3rd party products are made to fix problems caused by cutting corners. yay MS

[craig @ Aug 31st 2007 12:22AM]

How is it possible that after 30+ years of microprocessor based consumer devices that a major manufacturer like Microsoft has engineers that couldn't figure this shit out in early 2006? It's freaking almost 2008 and they are still manufacturing and selling essentially the same flawed design. Sorry, the 3-year warranty just doesn't cut it. I really want Halo 3, but I'm not going to buy a piece of crap that has a 20% chance of bricking and requires me to go without for however long it takes Microsoft to honor the warranty.

Bite the bullet and redesign the damn thing.

[garion @ Aug 31st 2007 5:28PM]

omg i couldn't have said it better myself. this is exactly what i've been preaching to all the gamers i know & anyone else that listens. as much as i want the 360, i refuse to buy trash, so i bought a ps3 instead. i also convinced a few friends to do the same. f u ms... u lose. i mean seriously... the nerve of this company. pfft.

[BumpCty @ Aug 31st 2007 12:44AM]

Never Be Fail Again!

[duke @ Aug 31st 2007 12:46AM]

Wow...i literally just got off the iphone with, what was apparently, micro$oft india to get my system repaired. But this is the second time! This system was replacing a 3rlod system, came scuffed up with a power button that was hard to push in and didnt click. Now it has error code e74 1rlod only a few weeks later.

Now I have to wait for the shipping box, ship it back, and was then quoted an eta of 3-4 weeks after that! Great...now I probably won't be able to play my preordered halo 3 when it comes out. Way to go micro$oft!! Here's to apple making a gaming system where the only thing that crashes is safari.

[AlexP @ Aug 31st 2007 12:50AM]

I wonder if putting Arctic Silver 5 on would help...

[tweak @ Aug 31st 2007 1:05AM]

I got the RROD at the beginning of the month. Followed the X-Clamp replacement guide and also cut a hole in the side of my xbox case and used liquid nails to attach a 5 inch fan I bought from Wal-Mart. The thing will never overheat again now. I could care less about looks now, I spent $400 on a damn console it better play my games.

[Allyndell @ Aug 31st 2007 1:19AM]

I wonder if M$ gets smart and tries an idea like this (or buys it from them) on the next gen of xbox 360.. i mean if it saves them 20% of resending xbox's then it may be worth a few million which may be more than the dev's and producers would get.

[stiltz @ Aug 31st 2007 1:56AM]

I wouldn't buy anything from these guys. They can't even use spell check. How could you trust them to put out reliable goods when they can't even spell the words right describing their product?

Decent idea though. I'm all for getting an RMA and keeping my 3yr warranty though.

my .02

[Oban @ Aug 31st 2007 8:04AM]

I have never seen RROD on my 360

[Kdawg @ Aug 31st 2007 12:28PM]

You will. It's only a matter of time...

[Claudia @ Nov 18th 2007 3:21PM]

I also got the rings...not much after the warranty expired of course. I wouldn't call it a remedy, since there's a great possibility of reoccurance, but i completely wrapped the 360 in a towel with the power on for 10 minutes. I turned if off, waited a minute or so and turned it back on.... No more rings!! (At least till I do these steps again)

[johnandbuddy @ Nov 28th 2007 4:25PM]

enough about how much xbox sucks what are the supplies needed to do this i cant find it any-where.