Xbox 360 Fat questions....

[Farm-Boy_7130]

Now I know this is not a PC question, BUT I do have some rather interesting questions...

 

Firstly, Does using a high conductive Thermal Compound prevent RROD?

I've volunteered myself, I've put Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut Extreme on my 360 Fat and I'm curious to see how the console fairs over the next while. I bought it about three days ago (on Sunday) and I cleaned it and fixed the disk drive error. I haven't gotten a chance to actually play it yet (because its broken non stop lol, just finished everything this morning and I've been working all day) but I'm excited to do so.

 

Like I said, I did put Kryonaut Extreme on both CPU and GPU. I should mention that I have confirmed It is a Jasper revision (12.1A on the 12V rail is a guarantee, which is one way I knew.)

 

I do have another question: What's the best Xbox 360 Fat GPU Cooler? 

If you've ever done research on a 360 Fat, you probably have seen that different 360 Fat revisions have different CPU/GPU Cooler (or heat sinks.) I, having a Jasper, have the best OEM coolers to my knowledge (which on this subject is extremely limited lol.)

 

I'm curious to see what modifications I can/will do to completely circumvent the RROD problem for myself, through my engineering skills.

 

Off the topic of these questions, I'm curious to see the effects that I can incur on the consoles performance by fixing the extremely limited cooling abilities of the console. Since it only have two tiny fans in the rear of the console, can I, a nerd, design and 3d print a better cooling setup to allow for MORE air flow across the GPU cooler (which by physical experimentation, I can tell you is the hot/problematic component, it burned my hand and I've never had a PC burn my hand unless I straight up deserved it.)

 

If I do redesign the cooling and case, I'll probably just upload some pictures to this thread.

 

This thread is more of a documentation than a question (for other people like myself later down the road who have these questions but nobody have answered them online that I could find) but I am curious to know if anyone else has already tried some of these things before me. If you have any advice and/or things you'd like me to try, just reply to the thread and tell me what they are. I can't promise a response due to my limited time (which may also delay testing and results lol) but I will do my best.

 

The Jasper revision is supposed to be more reliable than any slim model, which I also have, so we'll see which one actually lasts longer.

[flibberdipper]

Good thermal paste will help for sure, but where yours is a Jasper they're one of the most bulletproof revisions that's been made to the 360 hardware so thankfully you don't need to worry a hell of a lot.

 

As for what the best GPU cooler is, the best one is the second revision one that has that random ass appendage sticking off it (so NOT the shitty Xenon/Kronos/Jasper V2 one). The better CPU cooler is the denser heatpiped one, but on a Jasper (and even Falcon) the plain jane aluminum one is just fine.

 

I've got a weird warranty console that will be an interesting test of time. It was one of the pre-HDMI models that someone RMAd in 2008 and they kinda just threw whatever the fuck they had at it. At its heart it should be a Falcon like any other Opus, and really any 360 produced/serviced in '08, but the heatsinks are Zephyr (so the heatpipe GPU and CPU coolers), and it still has the Zephyr/Opus power plug, even though if memory serves that should also be the 14.2A PSU like a Falcon.

[thrasher_565]

i beleave the red ring of death was the cpu de soldering do to heat. or maybe that was the p23?

[Brucifer]

If you're chasing the best temps, these are the heatsinks you want, as pointed out by @flibberdipper above. Jasper consoles should already have the extended GPU heatsink though. It may be alarming how hot the heatsink feels, but unless the console is flashing two red quadrants, there's no cause for concern, so I don't think you have to do anything beyond ensuring it has room to breathe and isn't plugged with dust. Really, the only thing that could kill a Jasper console is E74 - failure of the eDRAM chip. It's rare but it happens, and if I'm not mistaken, fixing that was the entire reason Microsoft created the Kronos/Jasper v2 revision, which makes up roughly all "Phat" consoles from ~August/September 2009 onwards. Beyond MFR date, Kronos can also be identified by the presence of two aluminum/non-heatpiped heatsinks, as shown here (which, weirdly enough, appears to be a July 2009 Kronos)

 

Recently, I repasted my Zephyr Halo 3 console. Specifically, it is a "Zephyr C" as it has the 90nm CPU, but 80nm GPU and eDRAM. Against almost all the advice 360 owners would give me/you, I've made it my "main" Xbox 360 (and I have a backup MW2 console, as that's a guaranteed way to get a Kronos revision). I bought it used in February 2020 and it's still going strong. It's a bit worrisome how quickly it warms up - the exhaust is already hot just a minute after startup - but it's never given me problems, even when I try to torture it with extensive GTA V sessions. I wonder if it'll outlive your Jasper, at this rate.  Jokes aside, enjoy the many years with yours!

 

 

[flibberdipper]

42 minutes ago, Brucifer said:

It's a bit worrisome how quickly it warms up - the exhaust is already hot just a minute after startup - but it's never given me problems, even when I try to torture it with extensive GTA V sessions.

That's really just a pre-Jasper thing. My house has 3 phats: the Jasper v2? Elite in our living room we've had since they came out, my Falcon Elite, and my bastard-child Opus Arcade. The Jasper has never really worked up a sweat doing much of anything, which is especially un-noticeable because it has the quietest model of fan they came with, and they are GENUINELY quiet fans. Sitting at the dashboard I don't recall them ever ramping up, and in game they might go up just a handful of steps. My Falcon and Opus on the other hand will ramp the fans up a couple ticks if you leave them sitting at the dashboard, and then of course get going even more in game.

 

Same thing with power bricks: The Opus' 16.5A is obnoxious as FUCK (ignoring that the fan is failing), my Falcon's 14.2A is audible but not horrible, and the Jasper's 12.1 isn't toooo bad either (amusingly though it still ends up being louder than the console itself).

 

We've also got a Corona which is too quiet for a 360.  It's nice, sure, but it needs that extra spice.

[Farm-Boy_7130]

On 2/13/2024 at 10:49 PM, flibberdipper said:

The Jasper has never really worked up a sweat doing much of anything, which is especially un-noticeable because it has the quietest model of fan they came with, and they are GENUINELY quiet fans.

 

So I've spent some time using mine over the last day (I worked all weekend rewiring my brothers electrical panel going from 100 amp to 200 amp) and I've got a question about the loud fans.

 

As mentioned previously, I've got a Jasper V2 and/or Kronos (As @Brucifer said above, Kronos can be identified with the two aluminum heat sinks, which mine has?) and I understand it's the quietest of the Phat fans. Mine is really loud, and I'm not sure if it's the console or the power brick. I believe it's the power brick however, Is there a way to make it quieter? It sounds very loud and like the fan bearing is on its way out the door.

 

I also am wondering if there's anywhere I can get new plastic covers for the console (I uh... broke some of the clips... All of them...) since mine is completely yellowed and now has no clips holding the back of the console together. If I am not able to get new covers, I may just invest in a plastic welder and learn a new skill which I've been looking into anyway.

 

If you guys have any advice on this I've like to hear it!

Now onto one of the issues I've had since I bought the console, which I have since addressed and fixed

For anyone looking at buying an Xbox 360 Phat (non-slim and non-e) here's something you may encounter and how you (might) fix it: 

 

Disk drive doesn't open, just the power button blinking:

Disk drive needs work. To fix this issue, remove the top cover of the console (there's a lot of guides on youtube lol) and unplug the disk drive's sata and power connector. Once you take the disk drive out, you need to take the four Philips head screws out and then with some gentle fiddling, you can get the covers off the disk drive. At this point, the easiest way I've found to open the disk drive is plug the disk drives sata and power back into the console, put it back into place (without the covers) and open the disk drive. This is NOT the only way to open it, but it's the only way I could figure out. Once you have it opened, unplug the console (dont turn it off otherwise it will close the disk drive? Hopefully somebody else has a better/less risky method) then unplug the sata and power connector once more. At this point, you hopefully have an open disk drive with no metal covers. If this is not the case, you may be able to find the manual open button (which again, no clue where it is :c.) If you do in fact have an open disk drive with exposed internals, you want to locate the little rubber band that runs between the motor and a pulley that spins a set of gears. Gently take that belt off, It's the source of our issue. The reason the disk drive will not open is because it's slipping on either the motor, or the pulley. Most likely it's stretched. You can do a couple of things to fix the issue. You can buy the belt online, or you can boil a little bit of water, and dip the belt in the water with a pair of tweezers. Either way, once you have a new belt and/or restored belt, you can put it back on. One thing you may want to do while you're in there is get some isopropyl alcohol and a q-tip and clean the dirt and/or dust. Once that's finished, you can close the disk drive, and assemble the disk drive in reverse order. It goes back together in literally the exact opposite way it comes apart. Hopefully, if you're as lucky as I was, it will fix your problem.

[flibberdipper]

23 minutes ago, Farm-Boy_7130 said:

As mentioned previously, I've got a Jasper V2 and/or Kronos (As  said above, Kronos can be identified with the two aluminum heat sinks, which mine has?) and I understand it's the quietest of the Phat fans. Mine is really loud, and I'm not sure if it's the console or the power brick. I believe it's the power brick however, Is there a way to make it quieter? It sounds very loud and like the fan bearing is on its way out the door.

 

I also am wondering if there's anywhere I can get new plastic covers for the console (I uh... broke some of the clips... All of them...) since mine is completely yellowed and now has no clips holding the back of the console together. If I am not able to get new covers, I may just invest in a plastic welder and learn a new skill which I've been looking into anyway.

I've never been able to find a suitable replacement for the power brick fans. My bastard 360 has a fan that is really not that great and I tried looking for longer than I care to admit trying to find a replacement for it. I'm just gonna let it get to the point where I really have to replace it and then figure it out.

 

As for the shell, if you just hop on eBay you can find a ton of shells from gutted consoles, mainly white ones.

[Brucifer]

On 2/19/2024 at 9:18 PM, Farm-Boy_7130 said:

 

So I've spent some time using mine over the last day (I worked all weekend rewiring my brothers electrical panel going from 100 amp to 200 amp) and I've got a question about the loud fans.

 

As mentioned previously, I've got a Jasper V2 and/or Kronos (As @Brucifer said above, Kronos can be identified with the two aluminum heat sinks, which mine has?) and I understand it's the quietest of the Phat fans. Mine is really loud, and I'm not sure if it's the console or the power brick. I believe it's the power brick however, Is there a way to make it quieter? It sounds very loud and like the fan bearing is on its way out the door.

 

I also am wondering if there's anywhere I can get new plastic covers for the console (I uh... broke some of the clips... All of them...) since mine is completely yellowed and now has no clips holding the back of the console together. If I am not able to get new covers, I may just invest in a plastic welder and learn a new skill which I've been looking into anyway.

 

If you guys have any advice on this I've like to hear it!

The 203w PSU that my console came with was always loud as well. After about a year of ownership, its fan stopped working altogether. I actually didn't realize it until moving the console after a day of use, and felt that the power brick was extremely hot (after which I tested and confirmed the fan had died). Who knows how long it had been without, but it surprisingly didn't fail. I bought a replacement anyways for peace of mind though, since I don't wanna poke around in power supplies, but they come apart pretty easily if you were to try and get to the fan yourself. 

 

For the console's fans though, if yours doesn't already have them, Nidec is the way to go as they generate the least noise. Just make sure you get the 3-pin variant though, as AFAIK only Xenon boards have a 4-pin header. Also, if it helps (for you or anyone stumbling here), you can identify what fans you have without even opening the console. Just search for their branding (or lack thereof for Nidecs) through the exhaust vent. Examples of the 3 types:

• Delta
• Sunon
• Nidec

Noise comparison video (also, @flibberdipper is this your video? Same profile picture).

 

Good luck!

[flibberdipper]

2 hours ago, Brucifer said:

Noise comparison video (also, @flibberdipper is this your video? Same profile picture).

 

 

Good luck!

Nope, not me. Though I do have this one, amusingly.

[Farm-Boy_7130]

17 hours ago, Brucifer said:

The 203w PSU that my console came with was always loud as well. After about a year of ownership, its fan stopped working altogether. I actually didn't realize it until moving the console after a day of use, and felt that the power brick was extremely hot (after which I tested and confirmed the fan had died). Who knows how long it had been without, but it surprisingly didn't fail. I bought a replacement anyways for peace of mind though, since I don't wanna poke around in power supplies, but they come apart pretty easily if you were to try and get to the fan yourself. 

 

For the console's fans though, if yours doesn't already have them, Nidec is the way to go as they generate the least noise. Just make sure you get the 3-pin variant though, as AFAIK only Xenon boards have a 4-pin header. Also, if it helps (for you or anyone stumbling here), you can identify what fans you have without even opening the console. Just search for their branding (or lack thereof for Nidecs) through the exhaust vent. Examples of the 3 types:

• Delta
• Sunon
• Nidec

Noise comparison video (also, @flibberdipper is this your video? Same profile picture).

 

Good luck!

 Where would I buy Nidec Fans? Mine has the Delta fans and I want to swap lol

[Brucifer]

4 hours ago, Farm-Boy_7130 said:

 Where would I buy Nidec Fans? Mine has the Delta fans and I want to swap lol

Are you in the US? Here are eBay links to both 3-pin and 4-pin (just in case I was wrong about the motherboard headers) versions of the Nidec fans. $9.99 with free shipping.

[Farm-Boy_7130]

8 minutes ago, Brucifer said:

Are you in the US? Here are eBay links to both 3-pin and 4-pin (just in case I was wrong about the motherboard headers) versions of the Nidec fans. $9.99 with free shipping.

I'm in the US, I need 3-Pin. Thanks for the links on Ebay, I'll see what I can do with this (if I can buy it or not lol)

 

EDIT: You seem to have sent Delta fans? I was looking for Nidec fans

 

Also, do you have any links for buying the coolers from above?

[Farm-Boy_7130]

So... I have a new issue... I opened the console up to clean some of the plastic that's yellowed, and when I went to turn the console on, It doesn't "post"

 

There's no red rings, no video output, wont connect a controller, nothing.

 

I don't really know what happened, but it won't do anything now lol

 

Somebody please help lol