Gpu or vram issue?

[reaper57]

First of all I am not sure whether or not this is the right section of the forum to post this in, so sorry if it's not. Feel free to move this thread to the right one.

Hi, I'm a bit confused about a bga problem on one of my xbox 360s. Can someone help me determine whether this is a gpu or vram related problem? The pictures are in the attachments.
I have reflowed the gpu two times, the first time it lasted about 3 months, the second about two months. The second time I even poked the gpu and it moved, so the solder was melted. I hoped that this was the end of it at least for a year or so, but here it is again freezing and displaying artifacts.
I am starting to think that this is a ram issue as the error code it was giving me is a ram or gpu problem, some people say most of the times it's the gpu some say most of the times it's a ram problem.
Any help and advice is appreciated.
P.S. I tried using this link that I found on here in another thread some time ago, but it looks like it's giving symptoms of both gpu and vram failure.
http://www.playtool.com/pages/artifacts/artifacts.html

[kaboom]

Re: Gpu or vram issue?

First of all I am not sure whether or not this is the right section of the forum to post this in, so sorry if it's not. Feel free to move this thread to the right one.

Hi, I'm a bit confused about a bga problem on one of my xbox 360s. Can someone help me determine whether this is a gpu or vram related problem? The pictures are in the attachments.
I have reflowed the gpu two times, the first time it lasted about 3 months, the second about two months. The second time I even poked the gpu and it moved, so the solder was melted. I hoped that this was the end of it at least for a year or so, but here it is again freezing and displaying artifacts.
I am starting to think that this is a ram issue as the error code it was giving me is a ram or gpu problem, some people say most of the times it's the gpu some say most of the times it's a ram problem.
Any help and advice is appreciated.
P.S. I tried using this link that I found on here in another thread some time ago, but it looks like it's giving symptoms of both gpu and vram failure.
http://www.playtool.com/pages/artifacts/artifacts.html

Looks like the GPU to me. Considering that it was giving you trouble in the past also suggests this. Unless the chip's removed, and both it and the board prepared/cleaned, and properly fluxed/reballed, you'll never have a lasting repair.

Microscum's idiotic idea of "silent game-puting" wasn't a help either. Modern junky lead free "solder," extreme thermal excursions, and terrible cooling are bad news...

I think M$ planned it this way, you know, as usual, to increase their sales.

[reaper57]

Re: Gpu or vram issue?

Looks like the GPU to me. Considering that it was giving you trouble in the past also suggests this. Unless the chip's removed, and both it and the board prepared/cleaned, and properly fluxed/reballed, you'll never have a lasting repair.

Microscum's idiotic idea of "silent game-puting" wasn't a help either. Modern junky lead free "solder," extreme thermal excursions, and terrible cooling are bad news...

I think M$ planned it this way, you know, as usual, to increase their sales.

Thank you for your advice.
Well I am not sure that it was the gpu giving me trouble. It worked after a gpu reflow, but the ram is right next to the gpu so it gets heated up as well, so it could still be the ram.
I agree on the cooling part, the cooling in the 360 is a joke, that's why I modified mine to run cooler. It rarely goes over 55C under load with the stock fans set at 45 or 50%. Usually it's between 47C and 51C on the gpu. The cpu runs even cooler.

[momaka]

Re: Gpu or vram issue?

I think it is the GPU as well. If I remember correctly, when the RAM goes bad, board won't post and you'll keep getting RROD. Is you RAM made by Samsung, Hynix, or Quimonda (Infineon). The last one (Quimonda) are know to be more unstable and/or less durable. Might also help to check the RAM temperature. Just run the Xbox opened/disassembled for a bit and touch one of the RAM chips. If it's burning hot, the RAM could be on its way. But I've seen this only twice. I used to work in a repair shop that did a lot of these.

[diif]

Re: Gpu or vram issue?

The defects weren't planned by MS but they knew their manufacturing wasn't up to scratch.
http://venturebeat.com/2008/09/05/xb...-console-woes/

[reaper57]

Re: Gpu or vram issue?

I think it is the GPU as well. If I remember correctly, when the RAM goes bad, board won't post and you'll keep getting RROD. Is you RAM made by Samsung, Hynix, or Quimonda (Infineon). The last one (Quimonda) are know to be more unstable and/or less durable. Might also help to check the RAM temperature. Just run the Xbox opened/disassembled for a bit and touch one of the RAM chips. If it's burning hot, the RAM could be on its way. But I've seen this only twice. I used to work in a repair shop that did a lot of these.

Oh, it doesn't boot. The picture of the artifacts on the boot animation are the last I got from it. Now it just RRODs.
I run the xbox open all the time with a modded cooling and transistor heat sinks on the ram. There was this one ram brick that was hotter than the rest, but even since the last reflow they've kept the same temperatures. I had installed an rgh in this console so I could monitor the temperatures. The ram was usually under 55-57C, after a few hours of being under load.