At almost $400 for the Modern Warfare 2 Limited Edition Elite Console and $300 for the Elite Console the Xbox 360 is indeed an investment in itself. When you factor in the cost of must-have accessories like the universal remote and the additional controllers as well as the games themselves, you are looking at an investment that can and will run in the hundreds of dollars.
However, during the excitement and enjoyment of the games, users often forget about proper maintenance of their Xbox 360. You may place it anywhere, bring it any which way, and just leave it be until you realize that the dreaded “ring of death” has manifested itself on your gaming console. By then, it will almost be too late to rectify the errors of your past ways.
Thankfully, it is really not all that difficult to keep your Xbox 360 in good shape with some preventative maintenance. You need to keep your console well protected from the three things which cause many systems to fail: dust, dirt and heat.
To counteract the damaging effects of overheating in the Xbox 360, you must ensure that you give it breaks after long hours of service in your gaming life. Often, even 30-minute breaks in-between 6-hour games are sufficient. You also need to position the Xbox 360 away from sources that generate heat like sunlight and heating vents as well as materials that trap heat like carpets and blankets.
Even electronics that generate large amounts of heat like amplifiers must be positioned well away from the Xbox 360. Plus, never store your unit in enclosed entertainment centers without the necessary ventilation. Better yet, place it in a fully air-conditioned room or at least have an electric fan pointed towards it to evenly distribute the heat. If you use third-party cooling accessories, be sure that these secure their power supply from another outlet instead of from the Xbox 360 unit itself.
For dust problems, it is highly recommended that the Xbox 360 be positioned away from areas that generate plenty of dust. These can include constantly open windows and outside doors, even under the bed. (You will be surprised at how many users hide their units for one reason or another) And if you are not using the Xbox 360, it is a good idea to provide dust protection for it.
If you take your Xbox with you when traveling, you should get a carrying case for it which provides adequate padding and protection from dust and dirt as you carry it around.
As for dirt, always clean the area around the gaming console. You want it to be as clean as possible with as little dust and dirt as humanly possible. This way, you can delay the appearance of the “ring of death”. This also applies to the discs used in the Xbox 360, which must also be kept away from dust and dirt by placing them in protective covers. Plus, don’t smoke your cigarettes around the unit as smoke can damage the Xbox 360, too.
You have made a significant investment in your Xbox 360, so why not treat it like one? You can enjoy your console for much longer if you simply follow the common sense maintenance tips given here; the extra gaming excitement you will receive more than makes up for the small amount of maintenance.
Do you want to find out how to do the XBOX 360 3 red lights fix by yourself to save money? See this to learn all about the XBOX 360 red ring of death fix and other repairs too. Do it yourself and you can play games later today!