Tools Required
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T10 Torx Screwdriver
T8 Torx Screwdriver
Watchmakers flat screwdriver
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Additional tools and equipment needed to carry out the work in this guide are thermal compound, some form of thermal compound cleaner, and some rag cloth. I also recommend the use of a grounding or static discharge wristband to help prevent any damage to the sensitive electronic components.
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This guide assumes you have already followed all of the steps in Part 1, and you are currently in possession of an X-Box360 console which has the front facia, side vent covers, and top and bottom panels removed and put to one side. |
Step 1 - Wireless Receiver & Ring of Light panel
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First remove the plastic cover from the panel. This is simply a matter of pulling it off as it is only held on by small plastic tabs on the top and bottom. |
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You then need to use the T8 Torx driver to remove the three screws securing the PCB to the front of the chassis. |
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Gently pull the PCB from the chassis. The connection between the motherboard and the part you're removing is similar in connection to an oversized USB connection. It doesn't have any clips or screws, other than those already removed, but it can take a bit of a wiggle to get it to come out or go in. |
Step 2 - DVD Rom drive
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There are no screws or clips holding the DVD Drive in. You already removed them when you took the six screws out to remove the top panel. Lift the drive clear of the motherboard and carefully disconnect the SATA and power connections from the back of the drive. There is no real reason to disconnect them from the motherboard. Both cables are short enough not to get in the way and light enough that they won't put any stress on the connectors on the motherboard. |
Step 3 - Fan shroud and Fan
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Use the Flat blade screwdriver to release the clip holding the fan shroud onto the fan by inserting it as shown, then lift the shroud clear. It should come away with no resistance at all once that clip is released. |
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To the left-hand-side of the fan is the fan connector. Remove this in exactly the same way as you would a fan connector on a PC motherboard. Simply grip it as best you can and pull to disconnect. It may take a little wiggle but should come away fairly easily. If the connector is being particularly stubborn, you can leave it until the fan has been pulled out of the way then try again with a little more space to work. |
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Remove the fan by bending the chassis up on top of the fan and pulling the fan in towards the heatsinks, then lifting it clear. There are no screws or anything similar holding the fan in place, it's simply jammed into the gap and held in place by the chassis. |
Step 4 - The Motherboard
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Turn the entire chassis over and rest it on your work surface. Use the T10 screwdriver to remove the nine remaining screws from the outside edge of the bottom of the chassis, then use the T8 screwdriver to remove the eight (usually black) screws in the centre of the console base, at the end of the X's you can see here. Once all of the screws have been removed, very carefully turn the whole thing back over. There is nothing more than friction and spring clips holding the entire motherboard unit in at this stage so make sure you support it as well as you can when turning it over.
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Removing the motherboard can be a little awkward as there are little springs and clips all around where the various ports are located. Removing the board is usually a matter of gently pulling the board up and out - you'll just have to wiggle it a little to get the clips and springs to release.
Use the heatsinks for something to grab hold of, but don't apply too much pressure in any one direction or you may damage the board or one of the chips underneath. With a little time and patience, it should lift right out of the chassis without any real problem.
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Step 5 - CPU and GPU Heatsink removal
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The first step in removing the Heatsinks is the removal of the x-clamps on the underside of the motherboard. I personally tend to remove the CPU heatsink before the GPU heatsink but this isn't required, it's just the way I find a little easier. The CPU heatsink is the one which stands up higher above the motherboard. There are two types of CPU heatsink widely in use but the removal process is identical for both.
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The x-clamps are, frankly, a PITA to remove. The best method I know of is use something like a flat bladed watchmakers screwdriver to gently lever the ends of the clamps away from the bolts.
The chances are, the x-clamp will come away in stages. First it'll move a little up the shaft until it gets to the point where you'll be able to slip it off completely.
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Once you have two on one side loose, the other two are very easy as there is next to no pressure. Once the x-clamp is gone, the only thing holding the heatsink in place is the thermal compound so be careful when lifting the motherboard up. If the heatsinks don't come away under their own weight, it will only take a small amount of pressure, and maybe a little twist to get the heatsink to come off completely. |
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Remember there are still metal bolts going through the board so don't twist too hard.
The process for removing the GPU heatsink is identical. Again there are two GPU heatinks in common use but there is no difference in the removal process. |
You should now have a serious pile of parts spread out on the desk in front of you. At this point it's a good idea to take a few minutes and use compressed air to blow away any dust or debris from the board, case and heatsinks, and clean the thermal compound from the Heatsinks, CPU and GPU with an appropriate cleaning agent.
Reassembly
There is nothing complicated about the reassembly process. Simply follow the steps laid out above, but in reverse order. Make sure you have cleaned the heatsinks, CPU & GPU carefully and apply a very small amount of thermal grease before refitting. Almost every time I rebuild an Xbox, I manage to forget something and have to take a few steps back, so be certain you do follow the guides in reverse as the front panel connector, overlay, and the DVD drive eject button have to go in at very specific points in the reassembly, and those are the bits I always seem to manage to forget.
The X-Clamps are widely blamed for many of the X-Box360 "two-red-light" and "three-red-light" problems, also known rather dramatically as the RROD (Red Ring Of Death) so you may wish to take the time to carry out the "X-Clamp Repair" as detailed in part three of this series, even if your system is currently working properly.
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