Heh, no I was just using those sites to see if I was on the right track.  I'll seek them out in a nearby hardware/electronics store and buy about 20 of each. 

I'm not sure how much I can get wrong with the cooking part though... as long as the heatsink is nice and snug, according to the guide I just turn the machine on and leave it to toast for 2 minutes until the red lights go from 3 -> 2.  Or is it that I turn it on until the lights change and then wait 2 minutes after that before turning it off?

I'll be online anyway when I try it, so I might leave MSN running, I think I've even got a webcam lying around.

When the 360 overheats, it'll switch to the two lights, and it will begin to cool down. I've had some measure of success in overheating the xbox, then restarting it, to add a little extra heat to the equation (it'll overheat much faster, as the temperature is probably close to the maximum threshold the Xbox allows by then) before tightening my bolts.  At any rate, the biggest risk is going too tight on either part of the procedure and A)not causing the motehrboard to warp back, or B, warping it too far in the opposite direction due to the pressure from the bolts.

Either way, I'd suggest leaving it out of case for a week or so after you fix it for easy access, unless you really enjoy popping open those damned security clasps along the backside of the unit.

You've got my email, yeah?

I quite like the look of the naked 360, if it works I might leave it open indefinitely!  Might get a bit dusty I guess, but cooling will be less of a problem....

You can PM me your email address if you want.  I think mines in my profile.

It grows on you, though I keep mine open air primarily for convenience. As for the dust, I just toss a sheet of paper, or thick card (cut off the side of a cereal box) on top to keep it from settling into the components.

My email's eddiethehated@gmail.com

If you've got a Gmail account, chat is enabled by default, and if not, we can play email tag with the results.

Update - the last 360 to die has been ressurected, hurrah!  At the moment its sitting as bare electronics on my coffee table with the DVD drive balanced on the HDD and a toilet roll holder! (it was the only thing that was the right size at the time!)

I actually tried to find screws and washers that fit but most were either too long or too fat.  So I actually bent one xclamp so that it would exert less pressure on the board and replaced it on the big heatsink.  The small heatsink is currently sitting without being screwed down as yet, but as long as I dont knock it it should work temporarily until I can get something more permanent sorted!

So its been running for over an hour now like this with no signs of overheating.  Played a few games and it seemed to be back to normal. 

Now I have about 200 screws and washers I have no use for. :P

Want me to mail you a few bolts?

Its ok, I dont want to cost you anything.  I'm sure I can get the right stuff online.  I'm just happy I can play stuff again.

The DVD drive is sitting back over the heatsink now as you suggested, so it looks more comfortable now.

Might rent Dead Space tonight.

+1 for eddie, the doctor frankenstien of consoles. And +1 for choupolo too.

...and +5 skill and +10 luck for chef.

Fuck you Chef. You'll be lucky if you get +1 Hot-Pocket.

Its ok, I dont want to cost you anything.

Seriously though, if you can't find the parts online, drop me a message. It's not like I'm that poor any more. It's an overseas packet. Might be able to jam 'em in an envelope, depending on if I'm feeling like a miser that day...

Ok go on then, I'll PM you.  Seems a bit of a lottery getting them online unless you know exactly what you want.  :P

Fuck you Chef. You'll be lucky if you get +1 Hot-Pocket.

What if I use a charm potion? Then can I has hot-pocket?

No. I just had a Lean Pocket this morning instead of real food. It only had seven grams of fat in it... but I think I have cancer now. I wouldn't poison you with that shit.

No. I just had a Lean Pocket this morning instead of real food. It only had seven grams of fat in it... but I think I have cancer now. I wouldn't poison you with that shit.

Lean Pockets are pretty gross.

Do they sell Super-sized Pockets?

Update - its RRODd again, hehe.  Well I can get it to work for 1 day at a time by cooking it, but the next day it'll sort of start half way and crash, then keep RRODing after that.

If I push on the flat heatsink (the CPU is it?) and start the machine, it works sometimes, but as soon as I let go and start it, it'll RROD.

Perhaps I need to bolt the heatsink down after cooking it to finally keep that connection between the chip and the mobo permanent. 

my 360 will never rrod

Is that still your first box silent?

You've cursed it. It'll be dead by the end of this year.

Sorry about the hang-up on your parts Chou. By the way, forget about PayPal. I could use a few positive karma points, so assuming it's not too expensive to ship a padded envelope to the UK, we can just forget the financial transactions, and rightly assume that I'm a badass.

Karma points aren't redeemable.