Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I had purchased the original Intercooler for my 360 last year. Initially, it worked like a charm, keeping the system cool to the touch. After awhile, my console started having issues. Thinking it may have been a defective unit, I swapped it out and got another one. In almost the same time frame, the second console started having problems. The only constant was the Intercooler. Save yourself some grief. Buy a USB powered laptop cooling pad. I use an Antec one that is frequently on sale for $10. It works like a charm and doesn't harm the 360.
--Some analysis for those who care--
First, an observation. On several units, plugging in the intercooler caused the CD tray to open poorly. It was sluggish and sometimes didn't open up completely. Unplugging the intercooler immediately fixed the issue.
Thinking about the design, it makes sense why my console was failing.
1. The extra device was under-volting the 360. Anyone who has taken high school physics knows that a fan can be simplified as a resistor. By putting an extra resistor between the 360 and the power supply, you are creating an unexpected voltage drop before the power even gets into the 360. Less voltage = less power.
2. The 360 is a computer, not an appliance. It has a motherboard, drives, and all that fancy stuff. Inside a computer, power goes into 2 places: motherboard and drives. Drives are fairly tollerant to power fluctuations. Hence, you can put fans and other devices in the same power line as a hard drive or optical drive without too much issue (up to a point). The motherboard and all components on it, are far more sensitive to fluctuations. Therefore, power coming in first runs through a regulator on the motherboard. These regulators expect a certain amount of voltage and current. Power that comes out of these regulators is clean and at the right amount. By reducing the amount of power going into the regulators, not enough power can be supplied to the components, causing damage. Ultimately, this can lead to failure
3. While the power supply is rated for 203 watts, anyone who has built a computer knows that the rating usually means the peak power the supply can put out. The constant output is typically lower than that. Under no circumstances should the power supply be constantly run at the peak power (unless explicitly stated, like an Antec TruPower). Given this, the supply can easily supply the ~180 watts necessary for 360 peak performance. It can probably safely supply somewhere up to 185-190 watts. Any more than that and the supply will become unstable if constantly asked for that load.
Misconception that I've seen all over: "The 360 can power all these extra devices like battery chargers and wired controllers, why shouldn't it be able to handle a couple fans?"
Reason: The issue isn't if the 360 can handle it, but rather where the fans are placed. All of the peripherals for the 360 are powered by USB, which runs through the motherboard. This means the power is drawn from the board and through the voltage regulator on the board. The board controls where the power is sent. USB power is a standard, and each port is rated for a certain amount. If the draw on a port exceeds the rated amount or there is a short, it shuts off to protect the other components. An external device bypasses all regulation and safety measure.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Xbox 360 Intercooler 360 - Black
Snap on installation for easy setup
Click here for more information about Xbox 360 Intercooler 360 - Black
0 comments:
Post a Comment