Heat issues

[MJ]

My Xbox is neither in a wide open space or small space and never gets hot and I've never had problems with the PSU and don't use the replacement power cord.

Surely we shouldn't have to worry about a console being on a desk on its own and it should be possible to have it on your average shelf near all your AV equipment like any other console?

Don't get me wrong, I would like to get a 360 as a happy Xbox owner, but this issue just adds to my feelings that Microsoft have rushed it.

[neoglow]

If there are such big problems with 360's over-heating then how do those demo units in the shops cope being completely encased in thick plastic with only about an inch of space between the console and case. Furthermore, they are powered on from 8 or 9 in the morning and turn off at closing time. Understandably this is probably not doing the console much good but if heat was such an issue I think they would of all conked out by now.

M.

[HaHaUK]

If there are such big problems with 360's over-heating then how do those demo units in the shops cope being completely encased in thick plastic with only about an inch of space between the console and case. Furthermore, they are powered on from 8 or 9 in the morning and turn off at closing time. Understandably this is probably not doing the console much good but if heat was such an issue I think they would of all conked out by now.

M.

I think someone said they have a lot of ventilation through the rear of the cab.

[sj33]

I suppose this is going to all be down to user experience. I woudl quite happily sit here and say there's no heat issues with the machine, mine is cool etc... but X person could quite justifyably say the opposite.

I think it just takes a bit of common sense. Games consoles are changing, the architechture is changing, the technology that drives them is changing, and our treatment of the machines must change to suit the hardware. Games consoles aren't like the NES anymore y'know... such issues like ventilation will now have to be thought about.
It doesn't need to be rocket science either, just take note of where the hot air comes out and try to imagine an environment where the hot air would be 'trapped' and build up around the machine... and try to avoid it
Sticking it in a cabinet may sound find, but it also gives plenty of opportunity for hot air to build up around the machine.

It's just the way things are going to be from now on, until someone invents a new kind of magical processor that doesn't need cooling.

[Pezley]

No offence to anyone experiencing overheating issues.

But, your pc gets hot, common fact. PC cases are alot larger than your xbox 360 which may i add would probably overall overheat more than your pc. How can microsoft get around something more powerful than your average PC and be in a smaller box ( request of gamers ) and to have the console not experience overheating problems ?

you read posts of PC gamers running their machines without a side panel with a massive fan blowing into it, well your 360 runs much faster than this pc so ho do you expect the temperature to be kept down ?

With the increase of clock speeds more heat is generated, something people will have to accept and adapt to by not putting it into a TV unit.

[Ish]

I made a similar point elsewhere comparing it to a top spec PC.

As more and more of those transistory things are crammed into smaller and smaller spaces gadgets getting hot are an inevitable consequence.

All that said mine hasn't felt too hot even after 11 hours on and playing.

[Ginger Tosser]

How do you expect the temperature to be kept down ?

Added bonus cool beer!

It is strange about people different experiences, maybe slightly different specs on older machines or from different manufacturing plants?

[Simmy]

Just a quick note to say mine was deffinately not an overheating issue. In moving it I think I must of losened the AV cable, and in doing so caused the fault lights to flash when I must of finally dislogged it by pressing the power button on the console again. I've tested it this morning by trying to boot without the AV cable in, and it presents the same 4 red flashing lights !

On the overheating isse. Mine has sat since last Friday on the top shelf within my tv stand with plenty of space behind it for the hot air to be vented to. While it has been sat in that position the machine and PSU have run very cool, and no problems what so ever have occured. I noticed last night though that the machine got considerably hotter standing upright next to my TV on the outside of a cabinet upstairs. I think this was due to the machine's back being closer to a wall than downstairs with less room for air to vent. So the important part to me is to position your machine with plenty of space behind it, to allow for the hot air to escape. Personally think all this stuff that it should not be but inside an entertainment unit is crap, as long as that entertainment unit has an open back. I plan to by a new unit shortly, and would expect to use the usually larger amp section to house the 360, with more space behing and above !

[neoglow]

Have all these overheating scares arisen from rumours or has someones 360 actually broken / shut itself down due to overheating? Do Microsoft have anything to say about the overheating?

M.

[Simmy]

Seems my error could be more worrying I could swear last night that I only saw three red flashing lights, not four, but could not find any info on three red lights so I presumed I saw incorrectly.

I've found that you can get three Red flashing lights though, and it means hardware failure http://support.microsoft.com/kb/907534 Hopefully it was just a one off, and reseating the cables will of still resolved it, but worrying all the same

[ridgeracer]

Read the instruction manual.

It says what the different number of red lights flashing actually means.

Some are for poorly inserted cables and some are for a 360 being to warm.

As for vetilation, not much more can be said that has not been said already.

Just make sure that the console has enough space to breath and if not let the thing have a break now and then to cool down.

I myself placed mine on a self on the was next to my Panasonic projector.

Now I have owned my projectr for just over a year and it has a temp warning light on it.

Played PGR3 for about 4 hrs and it was flashing that the projecter temp was to hot and my 360 was placed about 4inches next to it on the shelf (lying down.)

I have the PSU of the 360 on the self above (about 1 foot higher) and have since moved my 360 to the sefl above and the PSU to the shelf above that.

Since then there has been no heat issues with the Projector and my 360 has not given and signs of being to hot (YET!)

The projector gets very very hot though, id say if you cracked and egg on the metal lid, it would fry!! but this is how its always been and have used it for over 700hrs.

The only problem with my setup is that the 360 has not much room behind the unit, id say about 2 inches from the wall.

This is the only worry I have at the moment but might extend the shelf to sit 2inches further out to allow 2inches more ventilation.

[Simmy]

This is the only worry I have at the moment but might extend the shelf to sit 2inches further out to allow 2inches more ventilation.

The only way heat has to escape is out of the back of the machine, so I would say you need more than 2inches of air for it to vent to. Not surprised it was over heating your projector, I know my machines cooks anything which is behind it cables shelves etc, but the machine it self stays nice and cool !

[momobeast]

Mine isnt in the AV stand under the TV, instead its on the floor just in front (No carpet) My 360 and the PSU get warm, but never hot, and ive never heard the fans continue on after ive shut the machine down.

If the 360 is overheating the 2 quadrants on the left of the ring will glow red = fact. If it dont do that, dont worry! Just give it lots of breathing space!!!

I believe any game freezing is to do with a disc drive problem myself

[Renny]

...

It's just the way things are going to be from now on, until someone invents a new kind of magical processor that doesn't need cooling.

With PCs becoming quieter and more energy efficient, it's unacceptable for something that's supposed to be some kind of 'lifestyle device' to be so unmanageable. I think the reality of the 360's heat issues is the use of a 90nm PPC. When they start manufacturing with the 65nm core plus some other revisions, most of these problems will go away. In the interim the early adopters will have to deal with first-generation woes.

[sj33]

I'm not sure I agree PC's are becoming quieter, we're cramming more fans and exhausts into our PC than ever before, with a clear air flow path within the machine becoming more and more critical.

Your point is well taken, but I reckon my point that we're going to have the change the manner in which we treat a games console to suit the progression of consoles themselves is surely a valid one.