When you say no signal from the x-box but looked like it was functioning, I assume you mean no video feed? It sounds like it could possibly be caused from poor CPU and GPU connections or bending of the motherboard around these areas.
I experienced a very similar problem. After I successful did the x-clamp fix on my box it worked fine for a couple months, then one day i turned it on and and everything booted up just fine, had sound and all but no video. Basically, all I did was remove my heat sinks, re-clean and apply new heat paste to my GPU and CPU and its been working fine ever since. Although I never received the 3 rings like you mentioned, the initial symptoms I had before immediately proceeding to fix it were the same as you described. I would double check your X-clamp mod. Here are a couple of suggestions I hope they help:
-Check your motherboard for any obstructions like gunk or lint or anything that could be blocking a circuit and clean the crap out of it. I usually run Q-tips along all the traces just to be sure.
- If you didn't mount the mother board to the case and only removed the x-clamps and replaced them with screws, then it's possible the motherboard is still bending and causing the problem while heating up. I suggest mounting it through the case. There are dozens of tuts for that.
- If you DID do the mod to actually drill out the case and bolt the motherboard to it, I suggest checking the spacing between the board and the case to be sure you used enough washers (I use four #10s for elite models and newer and five #10s for older models). If the spacing is not level where the mother board rests then it could cause bending when the system heats up.
- Also, if you didn't reflow the gpu when you completed the x-clamp fix properly, then the problem could simply be the soldering on the gpu. An easy way to reflow (ghetto but works if you do it well) if you don't have a hot air rework setup is to just:
remove the fan shroud from behind the heat sinks,
remove the cooling fan from its posistion,
keep the dvd drive over the gpu heat sink and then rest the cooling fan ontop of the cpu heat sink and let the system overheat.
If it's a newer system it has a built in cut off for overheating so don't worry about frying anything (it can take up to 30min). If you have an older system just make sure the fan is keeping the CPU cool and then just monitor the GPU's heating up. When you feel underneath the metal case of the GPU area when you lift the unit up as its on, if it burns to touch, then its good and you need to shut your power off immediately.
After this, tighten all the screws that were made a bit loose from the heating (assuming you made sure the board lays perfectly flat in the case)
Now let the system cool completely off and then reassemble before attempting to power it on.
Keep in mind that while you are overheating the system for the ghetto reflow, you will probably still get the 3 rings so don't worry. After you tighten everything and the system cools off it should be fine.
Of course it is easier to reflow the proper way (with a hot air rework station) which you can find all sorts of guides and things to help you with that, but not every average joe has access to one of those.
If tinkering around with your x-clamp fix doesn't work (checking that all screws are evenly tightened, re-applying heat paste after cleaning chips, and checking for the motherboard laying flat), then you have a more serious problem that you need to either become tech-savvy for or start hitting the forums to test yoru motherboard circuits.
Hope this helps... It did for me
This post has been edited by likethegun: Yesterday, 01:52 AM
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Topic: No Screen At All Got A 3light Rrod Once (Read 17 times)