TheMobRules wrote on 2023-02-01, 21:39:
Not PC related, but still retro-ish: my trusty fat XBox 360 died with a RROD today after replacing the thermal paste, and it's the dreaded 0022 error, which usually means CPU failure. I also assume it's something I did since it's a Jasper model, which does not have the problems of the earlier models. Probably I stressed the BGA joints of the CPU too much either when removing or reinstalling the x-clamp. Oh well, at least it had a few good years of service since I bought it in 2009.
Fuck BGA chips, lead-free solder and whoever designed those x-clamps!
Long text be patient with me:
X-clamps is not the issue and are used unchanged in all of generations of Xboxes including Xbox Series. The board free floats up and down direction where CPU and GPU are and metal shell is precision positioned so that heatsink and the steel shell does not bend the board when that two is assembled. This is best mechanical clamp I ever seen, works well. PS4 used same way but clamp cannot be bent more as steel Sony used is softer and bend very easily, and please *do not mod the heat clamp at all*. You want a sprung member that applies steady pressure on the silicon die against heatsink. Washers or bolts mods transfers from the clamp to the metal shell which means *LESS* pressure. Not recommended! If you imagine how this worked, you will finally understand.
Now, the *major* biggest ISSUES is TIM used *is* terrible in normal application especially Microsoft's! Main issue is excessive PCM-TIM. Microsoft used TIM made of phase-change material that melts when heated to specific temp (around 60C or more),, and squeezes out excess under pressure of x-clamp. As you know a smart engineer in thermal design in ideal world quantity is ideally pasted to the heatsink pre-assembly just enough to fill the entire die area and not overfill around the die between proccessor package and the heatsink during first use when on.
Well,
No, no, oh no. I never ever seen this happen. The issue is excessive PCM-TIM overfilled around the silicon die *wedging* the CPU's package and the heatsink on first cycle. What happens is TIM now is a thin layer between silicon die and the heatsink's surface. Keep in mind, microsoft designed heatsinks very well and didn't get hot enough to exceed PCM melting termp anymore, (I know, not the ones in 360), now that PCM-TIM wedge is holding the processor and heatsink apart and not hot enough to remelt anymore. Thermal cycles later, in that layer between heatsink and silicon die and air bubbles forms and clear PCM waxy carrier stays behind, while TIM particles forced out of the gap, stayed cold in the wedge area. Overheating results stressing the silicon die prematurely.
I see this happen all the time even 1 year old microsoft consoles under repair. Fix is remove all the PCM-TIM, little remaining is fine, and use regular quality thermal paste like Thermal Grizzely Kyroanaut or Hydronaut, Noctua NT-H2 or any quality paste that is more than 8w/mk. Very carefully if you use Arctic Silver 5 as it is electronically conductive.
All PS4 series used just right paste amount and stayed soft. But particle size is too large. Ideally lap heatsink lightly and use aftermentioned paste above instead.
This is from over 50 consoles of all types mostly PS4 and Microsoft in 4 and half years of repair. None came back for the overheating issues, few that did came back had good layer of thermal paste staying there because customer broke the HDMI port again.
My mods for microsoft's consoles including Xbox Series S, is bend the X clamp stronger and use aftermentioned paste above. Lap the heatsink lightly also. Xbox Series X x-clamp is very strong already and no mods to this clamp except light lap the heatsink's, just replace the PCM-TIM with these paste I use and kread all the green paste, this one is reuseable, into ball on their ram chips and reform them on other SSD and power mosfets so they will squeeze out when reassembled.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_interface_material
Anyone with xbox one models and Xbox series, get these done ASAP now at good console repair shop, provide them with aftermentioned thermal paste. I always disassemble, clean and redo the thermal paste for any reasons including HDMI port repair and hard drive replacements.
Regarding the right to repair is still not possible on replacing SSD with caveats.
PS: If you find out SSD failed on any of these latest consoles, ship them back to Sony or Microsoft is only way at this moment currently. At this moment shops cannot replace these. On PS5, main SSD is soldered down. On both Xbox Series X and S, SSD is in a M.2 2230 SSD. Which is non-standard 30mm length and not directly replaceable using any SSD from a computer store. That SSD is tied to the motherboard serial, Currently only way is if data is recoverable has to cloned to donor working SSD from another xbox series. Unfortunately. In other words on this microsoft, if SSD completely failed, and cannot clone that data, the console is bricked. Only option is ship it back to Microsoft.
For Microsoft, each of you, write a demand to send out a system software update so SSD can be unbinded from the cosnole so you can upgrade that SSD to 2TB, 4TB whatever and reinstall system software.
For Sony, demand a PS5 redesign so SSD can be replaced as separate part in form of a standasrd 2280 M.2 NVME SSD and is replaceable or upgrade at will and reinstall system software as usual like old days is.
PS5 liquid metal TIM is not working properly even with their patented seal system, I still see dry spot of any size every time I open up PS5 for repair.
Cheers,
Great Northern aka Canada.