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[card9]

Looks to me like partial contact on the cpu and zero contact on the gpu.

[TheBestXboxModder]

So what is the distance between the bottom of the GPU heatsink and the top of the silicon board of the GPU. There is the motherboard, solder balls, GPU circuit board, little transistor thingies, then the actual die of the GPU (well the 2 dies.)

Basically, the surface where you put your credit cards pieces on. What is the distance between that and the bottom of the GPU heatsink, or the top of the GPU die, same thing.

[ltkerr0r]

I took off the heat sinks and one of them(gpu?) didn't really have any as5 on it so I guess it wasn't making contact. How do you think I should fix this? I already tried screwing the screws really tight. I don't know if replacing the credit card pieces would even work. What about removing a spring washer from the bottom? Also, since I removed the heat sinks, should I reapply paste to the heatsink with the good connection or leave it?

[card9]

For now I would concentrate on the gpu, try removing the credit card pieces and re-install the heatsink if it now makes good contact as in check the heatsink again then you know the pieces were to high. If it's the same as before then you either have to many washers between the motherboard and the heatsink or they are the wrong thickness.

[Wilhelm_I]

QUOTE(ltkerr0r @ Aug 9 2008, 10:08 PM)

Ignore my previous post. I went out and got AS5. I'm still getting a red ring and then an overheat like 3 seconds later(0012 GPU over heating). Grrrrrrrrrrr. Tried various screw tightness(I'm using spring + nylon + metal washers). Any suggestions? Check the paste?

Does this look right? The matte finish on the tape makes it look thicker than it really is but it is really incredibly thin scotch tape.

Found the solution for your problem
There is a small capacitor under the middle left credit card piece on the GPU which makes this part higher and the heatsink doesnt have good contact to the chip die...

QUOTE(card9 @ Aug 9 2008, 11:59 PM)

Looks to me like partial contact on the cpu and zero contact on the gpu.

QUOTE(TheBestXboxModder @ Aug 10 2008, 12:52 AM)

So what is the distance between the bottom of the GPU heatsink and the top of the silicon board of the GPU. There is the motherboard, solder balls, GPU circuit board, little transistor thingies, then the actual die of the GPU (well the 2 dies.)

Basically, the surface where you put your credit cards pieces on. What is the distance between that and the bottom of the GPU heatsink, or the top of the GPU die, same thing.

I never measured it properly but I would say like 0.75mm because this is the height of the creditcard pieces I used...
The distance from the bottom of the heatsink to the mainboard is a bit more than 2mm, like 2.5mm or so...

QUOTE(ltkerr0r @ Aug 10 2008, 01:20 AM)

I took off the heat sinks and one of them(gpu?) didn't really have any as5 on it so I guess it wasn't making contact. How do you think I should fix this? I already tried screwing the screws really tight. I don't know if replacing the credit card pieces would even work. What about removing a spring washer from the bottom? Also, since I removed the heat sinks, should I reapply paste to the heatsink with the good connection or leave it?

Read my first reply mate, it was just what I guessed...

QUOTE(card9 @ Aug 10 2008, 05:53 AM)

For now I would concentrate on the gpu, try removing the credit card pieces and re-install the heatsink if it now makes good contact as in check the heatsink again then you know the pieces were to high. If it's the same as before then you either have to many washers between the motherboard and the heatsink or they are the wrong thickness.

Same here...
Just cut out a smaller pieces like 1.5x1.5mm yours are a bit big...
Then you will not have any problems with small capacitors...

[ltkerr0r]

I adjusted that credit card piece before putting on the heatsink and I also cut out 2 smaller pieces for that one and the bottom left. I also then tried pushing the heatsink down on it with only 4 corner credit card pieces and I did not get any thermal paste residue from contact(would trying with only the middle card pieces just cause it to be lopsided?). I removed the credit card pieces from the GPU and fired it back up and got a green ring . I quickly shut it off and started putting it back together. After the internals and cooling were back together I fired it up again only to get a red ring at the logo(0102) . I guess I could try "baking" it but I would prefer to do that with the credit card pieces back on. Any suggestions to fixing the no contact problem? The credit card pieces are on the cpu and the heatsink is making great contact there so they are the right size(thickness). I guess I'll try making all of the pieces smaller and see how that goes. *sigh*

[Wilhelm_I]

The pieces will be too thick, try to find a thinner credit/phonecard.
M2X just reported that he could get it to work by cutting out very thin pieces of rubber, so give this a try.
He couldnt get any card with the exact thickness either because he lives in Iran lol.

I will update the tutorial later on when he sent me the picture...

[ltkerr0r]

I used a thinner ID card and so far it ran fine for like 7 minutes. I'll put the case back on later and play a game for like 30+ mins and see how that works out. I should idle at the dashboard for like 10 mins before turning off the 360 though right?

[Wilhelm_I]

QUOTE(ltkerr0r @ Aug 10 2008, 05:31 PM)

I used a thinner ID card and so far it ran fine for like 7 minutes. I'll put the case back on later and play a game for like 30+ mins and see how that works out. I should idle at the dashboard for like 10 mins before turning off the 360 though right?

Well looks like you got the correct thickness then...
I never do that but people say it helps to let the 360 cool down for a bit this way because the solder joints dont crack for so long so you maybe save a second or so.
If it breaks it breaks anyway, so rather do some cooling mods instead...

[Onimu]

Great method wilhelm.

Just correct me if I miss somthing. As i recall you don't recomment to work spring washer. With this method, you are using it. Can you explain in detail using spring washer and nylon on bottom of board? Also, I can't find flat heat screw and don't seem like to cut a hold on case. By take off the metal washer and just left nylon washer in on bottom will cut off 1mm thick of oval heat of screw?

[boffo123]

I was just looking at the parts list between this improved xclamp replacement and lawdawg's method. Lawdawg's method uses 5mm washers, but this improved method uses 2x1mm washers. Wilhelm, just above, you mention that the distance between the heatsink and motherboard is more like 2.5mm. So, I'm confused. Do I want 5mm, 2mm, or 2.5mm between the heatsink and motherboard?

[Wilhelm_I]

QUOTE(Onimu @ Aug 11 2008, 11:13 AM)

Great method wilhelm.

Just correct me if I miss somthing. As i recall you don't recomment to work spring washer. With this method, you are using it. Can you explain in detail using spring washer and nylon on bottom of board? Also, I can't find flat heat screw and don't seem like to cut a hold on case. By take off the metal washer and just left nylon washer in on bottom will cut off 1mm thick of oval heat of screw?

Thanks.

I am not sure that I understood what you said but I will try to reply.

Actually spring washers are good to provide even pressure to each screw and to keep it consistent.
However you also easily overtighten the screws and then the pressure is too high and you will flex the mainboard.
I use them but only tighten the screws as much as necessary till the spring washers just became flat not more.

If you use nylon or metal washers the pressure is shared up to a larger area which is a good think however they dont offer this consistent pressure but you cant overtighten the screws so easily...
The screwhead+washers may not be higher than 3mm otherwise the mainboard will start flexing, even 3 is problematic already...
Cutting holes is always the safer way...

QUOTE(boffo123 @ Aug 11 2008, 04:55 PM)

I was just looking at the parts list between this improved xclamp replacement and lawdawg's method. Lawdawg's method uses 5mm washers, but this improved method uses 2x1mm washers. Wilhelm, just above, you mention that the distance between the heatsink and motherboard is more like 2.5mm. So, I'm confused. Do I want 5mm, 2mm, or 2.5mm between the heatsink and motherboard?

The 5mm are not the thickness if it is anything it is somehow the diameter or something.
You need either 1x 2mm thick washer or 2x 1mm thick ones , these are just perfect(the size should be M5)
The washers are there to prevent the heatsink from flexing too much...

[vamcavalo]

Hey Will, help me.

I'm from Brazil and i'm trying to do your method but here i can't find nylon washers, can I do without them or not ?
I was thinking in method 1.
screw-mobo-metal washer-metal washer-heatsink.

Please, answer me

Thanks for the great tutorial

[boffo123]

QUOTE(Wilhelm_I @ Aug 11 2008, 03:11 PM)

The 5mm are not the thickness if it is anything it is somehow the diameter or something.
You need either 1x 2mm thick washer or 2x 1mm thick ones , these are just perfect(the size should be M5)
The washers are there to prevent the heatsink from flexing too much...

Ah, silly me. I think 5mm is the diameter of the hole.

Anyways, I tried implementing the improved xclamp replacement using a spent Visa gift card. Turns out it was too thick, preventing the heatsinks from making contact. So, I'm afraid I had to leave it out and use the standard xclamp fix. This was in combination with heatgunning the bottom of the board to fix an E74 error. I hope it lasts. I'd rather have credit card pieces inside to improve longevity of the fix, but I'll see how it holds up without them. I'm just glad to see this box booting for the first time!

[Wilhelm_I]

QUOTE(vamcavalo @ Aug 12 2008, 05:30 AM)

Hey Will, help me.

I'm from Brazil and i'm trying to do your method but here i can't find nylon washers, can I do without them or not ?
I was thinking in method 1.
screw-mobo-metal washer-metal washer-heatsink.

Please, answer me

Thanks for the great tutorial

Ye you can just use metal washers if you cant get any nylons...

QUOTE(boffo123 @ Aug 12 2008, 09:27 AM)

Ah, silly me. I think 5mm is the diameter of the hole.

Anyways, I tried implementing the improved xclamp replacement using a spent Visa gift card. Turns out it was too thick, preventing the heatsinks from making contact. So, I'm afraid I had to leave it out and use the standard xclamp fix. This was in combination with heatgunning the bottom of the board to fix an E74 error. I hope it lasts. I'd rather have credit card pieces inside to improve longevity of the fix, but I'll see how it holds up without them. I'm just glad to see this box booting for the first time!

Ye it is pretty weird with the cards some work others are too thick, when you hold the card beside the chip die it should be just as high as the chip die, if it is higher it wont fit...