| The design employed by Microsoft in placing the | | | | motherboard will have to be detached. The only |
| heat sinks to the motherboard is rather flawed | | | | tricky part in the disassembly would be the |
| resulting in the solder joints to loosen and | | | | removal of the X-clamps holding the heat sinks to |
| eventually come off the motherboard, causing the | | | | the motherboard. |
| Red Ring of Death (RROD). | | | | Once the disassembly is complete, the thermal |
| What the X-clamp modification achieves is to | | | | paste on the heat sinks and the CPU and GPU |
| replace the clamps holding the heat sinks to the | | | | dies are cleaned off using cleaning fluid. A new |
| motherboard with nylon and metal screws and | | | | brand of thermal paste is then applied (Preferably |
| washers. In doing this, the X-clamp modification | | | | Stars product or Arctic Silver). The heat sinks are |
| balances the pressure applied to the CPU and GPU | | | | then reattached to the mother board, except this |
| cores and in doing so, improves board flexing. The | | | | time it is attached using nylon and metal washers |
| X-clamp modification has been the most trusted | | | | instead of the X-clamps. This is the main step in |
| and reliable solution to the Ring of Death as there | | | | the X-clamp modification and is also the reason |
| is a very small chance of the Ring of Death | | | | for how the repair got the name “X-clamp |
| occurring again once the repair is completed | | | | modification”. |
| successfully while even this method cannot | | | | The console is then reassembled and it is most |
| completely guarantee reverting of your Xbox to | | | | probable that the “Ring of Death” error is |
| its original state. | | | | eliminated now and the Xbox should be in working |
| In order to carry out the X-clamp modification, | | | | condition once again. However this method does |
| the Xbox 360 console is first disassembled. | | | | not completely guarantee that your RROD maybe |
| Everything from the outer casing to the | | | | repaired as well however is worth a try. |