Xbox 360 GPU Reflow

Xbox 360 Reflow service

Reflowing is the best type of repair before a reball for the Xbox 360. The original solder used on all the chips inside the console is lead free, lead free solder is brittle and eventually cracks/fractures which is when you get the red light errors like 3 flashing red lights (RROD) and 1 flashing red light (E74). The fracturing is down to the repeated heating and cooling of the solder. When a chip is reflowed, the original solder is melted back into its original state.

The reflow process

Once the console has been stripped and clean, the motherboard is mounted on a jig to ensure the motherboard stays flat and doesn’t warp.

Xbox 360 Motherboard on the jig - Click to enlarge

The jig is then placed on the rework station, the motherboard is heated slowly to 217°C – 225°C. This melts the original lead free solder that is underneath the chip. Once the temperature is correct, the chip is carefully prodded to check the solder has melted (floating)

Xbox 360 GPU Heating the motherboard - Click to enlarge

 

Once the reflow has finished, the motherboard is left to cool at room temperature.

Xbox 360 GPU attached - Click to enlarge

Excess flux is cleaned up

Xbox 360 GPU Flux cleaned - Click to enlarge

Heat sinks are placed on to the GPU and CPU for tested. If everything went as its supposed to, you should have 4 green lights

Xbox 360 GPU Reball - Xenon - Working - Click to enlarge

Click HERE to book your console in for a reflow

Here is a Gallery to reballed chips

HANA Reball Southbridge Reball

Xbox 360 Southbridge Reball - Click to open Gallery

CPU Reball

Xbox 360 CPU Reball - Click to open Gallery

Below is a video that was done last week (20/01/12) of a GPU replacement from start to finish. The fault was 0003 RROD, the GPU was short circuit and needed replacing.