Superior graphics and popularity have made the xBox 360 the gaming platform of choice for most video game enthusiasts. Microsoft's xbox gaming platform was first released several years ago and it has steadily improved both with the release of the 360 model and a large supply of great new games continuously being released.
However, all is not perfect in XBox 360 gaming circles. Since the release of the initial model of the X360, the gaming unit has been plagued by what has become commonly known as the "Xbox 360 3 Red Lights" problem (aka "the Red Ring of Death"). Basically, you know you have been struck by this problem when your gamin comes to a sudden halt and you see 3 of the 4 lights on the front of the general processing unit (GPU) turn red and start flashing.
This indicates that there has been a hardware failure inside the xbox 360. It can get so hot inside the xbox that solder joints can soften and other internal components can suffer permanent damage causing the 3 flashing red lights that you see on the front of the xbox console. Letting the xbox cool down for an hour or so then powering it back up will let you know if the damage is permanent or not. If turning off your xbox for a couple hours to cool it down doesn't get rid of the 3 flashing red lights, you're either going to have the unit out for repair or go the fix-it-yourself route.
Once you start the 360 repair process yourself, you'll quickly realize that it is not all that complicated as long as you follow the instructions step-by-step. If you are a "do-it-yourselfer" there are several repair guides you can download from the internet that take you through the repair process step-by-step (including videos). The huge advantage of going the do it yourself route for the XBox 360 3 Red Lights problem is that you can be back up and playing your favorite game in about an hour or so.
