Console Care 101

How to keep it clean and working well for years

On average we service about three to five XBOX360s and one or two PS3s each day, and we're very often astonished to see what some of these poor consoles go through...

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Now not to diminish the known fact that these things break, much to the contrary. Most problems such as RROD and Exx errors for XBOX and YLOD for PS3 stem from design flaws that none of us can change. However it is worth pointing out that the user does play a significant role.  How long and often you play coupled with the conditions you subject your console to can potentially rob you of months or even years of enjoyment.  

The most important consideration to make is the location of the console.
Avoid enclosed spaces: your console needs fresh air to flow in and out to ensure inside components do not overheat.

Avoid carpet and fabrics: same as above really. Soft items form fit your console and close off a portion of the air vents.  Also fabrics in general produce lint and this can cause debris buildup which we'll talk about in a sec.

Lay your console FLAT: This is very important. No matter what they show in the commercial, these machines run best when they are lying down flat as opposed to standing up. You have paid good money for a set of (arguably) high dollar chips inside your console, this helps keep them flat and keep the stress on them even.

Keep the area dust free: Dust the area where your console rests twice as often as normal.  Once dust gets in your console it is difficult to get out without voiding your warranty.   

Air dust your console: Canned air IS your friend. Blow into the air vents on the sides of your console. Yes I know it doesn't exactly all come out but it does at least loosen it up and hopefully get enough of it off of your heat sinks that it won't cause buildup.