RRoD what actualy causes it?

[Eldridge]

as above just wondering, how many ppl have had it and how do i avoid it happening to me?

[Liam_LFC_VTR]

Crap heat sinks causing thermal paste to melt and spread over components.

EDIT: iirc you can get upgraded fans which would help.

[SaxoStevo]

i heard its where the solder gets hot and melts, as solder is shite nowerdays as it no longer has lead in it

[samcook]

copying the games to the hard drive so your xbox doesnt have to read the discs throughout game play should stop it over heating.

[Jo3fish]

One possible cause of the General Hardware Error is cold soldering. The added mass of the CSP chips (including the GPU and CPU) resists heat flow that allows proper soldering of the lead-free solders underneath the motherboard. This causes cracking and voids in the solders themselves from prolonged constant temperature changes inside the console. Lead-free solders, however, might be the cause of this because, when properly soldered, they take on a dull appearance that professionals take as a cold solder joint in older methods, thus leading to confusion. Lead-free solders also require a greater amount of heat (213 degrees celsius) to solder properly when compared to older lead/tin solders (185 degrees celsius)