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Eddie Chen Posted on Mar 04, 2011
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Can someone tell me how long a reflow on an xbox 360 gpu will last on average? I have removed the x-clamps and replaced them with washers and machine screws after the reflow.

  • Eddie Chen Mar 10, 2011

    Yes, but how do the screws and washers damage the GPU? I understand that you can break solder connections by over tightening, but I measure my washers, and i use the standard 1.8. mm spacing between the heatsink and the mobo. If anything, the regular x-clamps cause more damage by forcing the pressure into one area.

  • Eddie Chen Mar 11, 2011

    ****. i just recieved a shipment of machines, 2 have 1022, 2 have 0020, and 1 had 0003(i know that one is totaled. popcorned gpu. imma use it for practice and for parts) is there any way to fix 0020? i tried a hybrid uniclamp, which operates on similar principles to the x-clamp replacement, except it uses foam shims for even pressure distribution, and thermal pads under both the cpu and gpu provide even pressure over the entire area, not just the corners or the center. Also, the chassis is drilled so that i could clamp the heatsinks directly to the metal chassis itself, preventing movement. After i did all this, my first 0020 worked for about a month then crapped out. Any ideas? i'm perplexed, because it was operational after i loosened the screws, then it rroded again, then i tightened it, and it worked-again. I'm confused.

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No one knows. It could be hours or years.

Testimonial: "Thanks. Now i can actually calculate whether or not i can make a profit fixing these pieces of ****."

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  • Posted on Mar 09, 2011
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How long a standered reflow will last depends on several factors.
1 the condition of the board ( warpage caused by screw and washers )

2 Time vs Temp for the reflow profile ,also not all board respond
the same way to 250+deg c so some board need to be manually
reflowed.

3 replacing the x clamp hardware with screws and washers
will damage the board makeing a solid recovery on
reworks very difficult.

There is hardware that will provide good support for the G.P.U.
and will greatly reduce returns .

goto http://www.allxboxrepair.com/C.C.A..html


  • 4 more comments 
  • Anonymous Mar 11, 2011

    edchen11

    The P.C. board will have a slight load relative to the corners
    This will cause the G.P.U. to be forced in to the board , kinda
    like using it as a spring . Now with heat and time the screws will
    began to loosen due to the board taking a slight indentation
    now solder balls in the center will lift and you have a unrecoverable
    3 red 0020 , Very tough to fix , trust me I know.

    Rob

  • Anonymous Mar 11, 2011

    edchen111

    First everything depends on the board geometries ,specifically under the G.P.U..
    when you tighten down the heat sink it's very difficult to get a balanced load
    and the X clamp hybrid is a lot of work for little gain in my opinion .
    their pad will not produce sufficient load on the G.P.U. and with temps at around 100 c
    most materials will soften and lose their resilience. If the board is concave
    and showing 0020 it's a door stop. I have removed the glue beads on the C.P.U.
    then counter warped the board and reflowed the G.P.U. with 1 out of 3 consoles
    making a recoveries. but I'll often just give a full refund even if the consoles is
    working because I don't think it's going to last .

    Some console have dead dead chips there is a way to check this
    but you will need a 100mghz scope. and special probe .

    Rob

  • Anonymous Mar 11, 2011

    Hi edchen111
    I believe I have been honest and helpful with my comments .
    giving more than a "No one knows. It could be hours or years"
    type of comment.
    Could you please revise my 3 thumbs up

    Thanks

    Rob

  • Eddie Chen Mar 14, 2011

    I gave you 4 thumbs up. That means someone else voted your solution down. I have another question. You say that a warped board is almost impossible to fix? I found that baking it in an oven (no insulation) at 175 degrees F for about 8 hours was sufficient to un-warp the board (by removing excess moisture in the chip). So far, i have had no problems. Is this only going to be temporary, or can i go and put it up on ebay? I put the original x-clamps back, but i made a small change: I put a VERY thin (but stiff) metal plate covered with a thermal pad between the x-clamp and the mobo to re-balance load distribution. That way, its not all focused in the middle of the GPU. Should this suffice? Or should i just go with the stock clamps?

  • Anonymous Mar 20, 2011

    Hi edchen11

    First some of the large electrolytic caps will suffer due to over pressure inside.
    Offset pressure and localized heat is my procedure to straighten boards,
    and takes about 10 min .

    The xclamp is seriously lacking in it's ability to support and load up
    the G.P.U. . So I designed a better clamp and it works as a fix and
    preventive maintenance upgrade . To be installed after a reflow or

    a G.P.U. forced overheat.
    http://www.allxboxrepair.com/C.C.A..html



    Rob

  • Anonymous Mar 20, 2011

    edchen111

    Go to this link http

    www.allxboxrepair.com/C.C.A..html

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1helpful
3answers

My x box keeps on freezing

The freezing happens before the red lights.

It happens because the main chips inside the Xbox 360 are losing connection - you need to stop the heat build up between these and you will be able to fix it.

You can either send it in or use a good repair guide to fix it from home.
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I get into a game of black ops, and the gun and some objects look shiny and silver, but other people in the game are just black outlines?

What's happening here is the dynamic charter feed from the G.P.U. has lost
communication to map/layer feed . so you will get Checker boarding and boundary
layer ( outlining ) The broken conections are near the corners of the G.P.U..This
failure is easily correctable with a solid reflow and a proper compresion load in
the effected areas to prevent it from happening again.

A good reflow of the G.P.U.
and a proper re clamping of the heat sink, average cost 60.00-90.00
Shop around for someone local to do the repair. Get at least 90 day
money back grantee.

Rob
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My xbox 360 comes on but the picture doesn't show and the sound works finbe

This hardware failure is caused by the G.P.U. video feed pin out to the hana chip
has lost it's connection . , I have narrowed it down to pin 292-8 on the G.P.U.
It does not trip and error " Red light" just kills the video.

You have several options

1 frist have a good repair shop refow the G.P.U. and properly clamp
it back to the heatsink and the P.C. board. also try to find someone
local . average cost is 60.00-80.00 .

2 You can do what's called an x clamp mod witch involves replacing the
x clamp with screws and washers . and over heat the G.P.U. only
this will more than likely get your video back but it tends to be a short
lived fix.

3 have microsoft repair it for 100.00 with a 3-6 week wait.
not my first option.

If you have any questions please ask before you rate this tip

Thanks

Rob
0helpful
1answer

It wont turn when i do turn it flashes red

This is common problem 1 red , 3 reds , no video , video distortions . The culprit is the G.P.U. loosing contact
to the main P.C. board. There are a few viable repair options.

1 have the G.P.U. reflowed ( resoldered ) and replace the
x clamp hardware. This is Microsoft's standered repair.
cost 100.00 . or have a local shop do it for 70.00-90.00
This repair will last anywhere from 3-9 months .

2 have the G.P.U. reflowed . Then have the x clamp replaced
with a Conformal Compression Assembly aka G.P.U. clamping
bracket this will provide you with the most durable repair
and should last 9-18 months ,depending on the age of the box.

3 The repair kits/guide will have you replace the X clamp
with screws and washers and then have you force the G.P.U.
to overheat . I consider this as a last resort since it will
warp the P.C board . and after it fails again will become less
and less dependable.


I hope that help . If you have any questions feel free to ask

Rob
0helpful
1answer

How to fix the error code e 68 in xbox 360

First remove the Hard Drive and power up .
If you still have E68 1 red then the problem 99/100
is the G.P.U. disconnecting . There are DIY kits and tons of
guides . The kit is nothing more then 4 8-32 screw and washers
that you could buy from a local hardware store for 5.00
and the repair proses simply requires you replace the
X clamp with screws and washers and replace the heat sink
compound . and then force the G.P.U. only to over heat.

This may get your console working , But the P.C. board is
now being used to compress the G.P.U. to the heat-sink after
some time the P.C. board will start to develop a concave warpage
right under the G.P.U. some console will run 1-3 months on average before getting R.R.o.D and will prove difficult to
repair with a standered reflow repair.

There is a better solution to compress the G.P.U. only with out
distorting the board . Just Google " Conformal Compression Assmbley" this is a hardware up grade for a seriously
lacking clamping system "Microsoft's X clamp" . And you can install it yourself.

If you have any questions please ask before you rate this tip

Rob
0helpful
1answer

E74 problem how do i fix

You have 3 options.

1 have a shop reflow the G.P.U. cost 60.00-80.00
this repair may last ,it depends on the proses and
ie reflow and proper clamping of the G.P.U.

2 Do it your self kit is no-more than a few washer and some
screws . with instructions to replace the X clamp with
screws . This is not recommended since the G.P.U. is
being compressed against the board ,witch will warp the
board marking a proper repair difficult to imposable.
However it will probabley get your console working for awhile.

3 Replace the X clamp hardware with what's called a
Conformail Compression Assembly this will reconnect the
G.P.U. and keep constant pressure over the entire surface
of the problem Chip ( G.P.U.) if you would like more info
just Goggle " Conformal Compression Assmbley"

If you have any qustions feel free to ask before rate this tip

Thank you

Rob
0helpful
1answer

No lights flashing around the power on button and nothing coming up on the tv screen. Any quick fixes?

Sound like ( no video ) but you get sound and all green on
the power button . If that's the case then your G.P.U. has
lost the connection ( Video Feed) to the HANA / ANA chip set.

You can do what's called a x clamp mod with screws and
washers and then force the G.P.U. to over heat. This is
a quick fix , But It probably wont last long 1-3 mouths on average.

Or you can have a local repair shop reflow the G.P.U. and properly
clamp it . This is a much more durable repair , average cost is
50.00-80.00 so shop around for the best warranty if you decide
go this route.

if you have any questions feel free to ask

Rob
0helpful
1answer

Why xbox freezes occasionally and does not matter which game we play

This is caused by a data feed interrupt between the G.P.U.
and the C.P.U. and will cause SYSTEM LOCK UP . The primary
reason is the connections under the G.P.U. have become intermittent
and any minor expansion of the P.C. board will sever the connection.

You have a few options

1 have a reputable repair shop reflow the G.P.U. and C.P.U
and properly clamp it down, average cost 50.00-80.00
so shop around for someone local

2 X clamp mod . this is a D.I.Y. fix with screws and washers
however this type of repair can be short lived.

3 And there is always Microsoft or should i say there sub
contractor in Mcalen Texas . They charge 100.00 + 3 week
wait.


if you have any questions feel free to ask.

Rob
0helpful
1answer

I have a xbox 360 but it doesn't work now . red light is blinking when i turn it on and (system error) words is shown by moniter. what i do ? plz can i get the good sugestion . thank you .

You have three options.

1 have a reputable repair shop reflow the G.P.U. and
properly reclamp it to the board . This will provide
the most durable repair average cost 50.00-80.00
so shop around for someone local.

2 Is to do what's called an ( x clamp mod ) with screw and
washers this will probably get your console running
but this fix tends to be short lived.

3 Have Microsoft AKA Mcalain Texas repair a sub contractor.
cost is 100.00 and 3 weeks on turn around.

if you have any questions feel free to ask.

Rob
0helpful
3answers

What does red light means when I turn the xbox 360 on

you xbox is overheated to fix it Call 1-800-4MY-XBOX and listen for Hardware>Red Lights
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