How to keep your Xbox 360 Slim cool with airflow

I have had this question asked to me a few times and have seen friends and family go out and spend hundreds to replace their consoles. So I would like to give all my fellow gamers a few tips on how to prevent their xbox 360 console from over-heating while you are enjoying a long run on your favorite game. No matter what the problem is or what the cause might be, over-heating or the console heating up is just a matter of time. Especially true in the slim black consoles due to everything on the inside being more compact.

Every once in a while I for one am one who will sit back and play my console almost all day, you know on those days when I have nothing to do, work is all done and well basically I just want to...Though that only occurs once in a blue moon.The xbox 360 console does feature some items that will help it to cool like the onboard fan and the vents but that only allows the are to circulate around and help with the cool down over time. The longer the console runs the more heat it will put off causing the internal fan to work harder.

Alright, the key to this whole heating experience for the console is pretty much where you keep it and how open the area is. If your console doesn't get enough air flow you will notice that it will over-heat more and this will eventually lead to replace it or sending it in to get looked at. The xbox 360 is one of those consoles that will require a decent amount of air flow in order to keep it from going hot. With the slim model the system usually gets hot after about an hour or playing or running it, but requires less room to place it in a cooler spot.

Airflow comes when you allow the console to actively breath and not be cluttered or clustered in an area that prevents it from getting the proper air to it. Sometimes your console may may still over heat even when it is in an open area and you aren't why this is happening. Typically the cause of this than results in to much dust, your onboard fan not working right or the area it is sitting in is to hot. Even if your heat is off somethings that will cause an area to heat up;

• A Television puts off heat when it is running
• A Stereo puts off heat while it is running
• Cable/Satellite/FiOS/UVerse/DSL Modems put off heat while they are running
• Cable/Satellite/FiOS/UVerse tv box puts of heat while it is running
• Lamps put off heat while they are running

Those listed above a some general causes of heat that could cause your console to heat up, keeping your console away from those listed above reduce the amount of heat coming onto the xbox 360 console.

Some of the typical factors for a console to get hot might be dust within the system and this can be easily fixed with a can of air. Spray the tray section and then spray the air-vents blowing the air and the dust out of the back of the console. Remember that you will want to make sure that all the dust is out before starting up your console, so use a flashlight to inspect the inside through the vents. Once you have done all this and you don't see anymore dust take you canned air and spray off the back of the console where the plugs are.

Your console puts off noises even when there is no game running this is due to the fans running if you don't hear any sounds coming from your console, your internal fan might not be working properly and may require service.

Another factor is confining the console inside an entertainment center or in closed area where air flow only comes from one spot. This will hurt your console in the end and will also build up a lot of dust inside. Your console should be in an open area and if you use an entertainment center it should be on the top of it. Also remember to never set it down on a carpet as this will eventually burn it out because you will be restricting air flow.

Some solutions that might help reducing the heat impact on your xbox 360 console are;

• Remove it from any inclosed space that would prevent it from cooling. Inside a cabinet, in a gaming case etc.
• Move the console away from other gaming devices and other high usage electronic deives. Televisions, Steroes, Playstation 3, Wii and TV boxes.
• Place the console horizrizontallybecause this will help to expose the vents at the top and the bottom, allowing for better air flow.

The lasting damage from an over-heating console can cause various problems and eventually cost it's owner more money to replace it. Consistent disc read errors, long wait times during loading. Skipping or pausing while playing DVDs and music CDs.

First thing you could do is get four bottle caps from a two liter of pepsi, coke or your favorite beverage. Take the caps and place them under the rubber pegs on the bottom of your console this will raise it up a little more and allow air to flow underneath it a lot better. Under the caps you might want to use a none slip fabric to prevent the bottle caps from moving around. Giving more air flow you can help prevent damage to the console and should see better performance when you turn it on. If you use this method keep the console on a flat surface away from edges to prevent it from falling to the ground.

Another method is the Nyko Intercooler STS for Xbox 360 this will sit on the top vent of your system and will circulate air-flow through it like a computers fan does. Or you can purchase a small table top fan and place it behind your console allowing for distribution of air all around the console. You can also control the level of speed you set the tabletop fan to what you want it at and gives you more freedom and control over the fan.

I have used all these methods and have found that the table top along with the bottle caps have worked the best at keeping my 360 slim cooler, though it still gets hot it doesn't get extremely hot to the touch like some might. A fan is always a great idea for your console it keeps it running cool and helps extend the life. Also keeping the dust out of the system is good and will also prevent clogs and heating, like with a computer or laptop you want to make sure the dust on the inside is limited to really low or none. Keeping a bottle of canned air around and using it at least twice a week on your console is going to help out a lot.