Overheating Xbox Series X Cooling Solution

The Xbox Series X is capable of running games much faster than it does in its default configuration. In fact, nearly all games cause the console to overheat and thermal throttle. This is obvious when playing demanding games like Cyberpunk, even looking around the map causes notable frame drops to 5-10fps in RT mode. I initially dismissed this due to it being on a $500 console; I was sorely mistaken. This game and all others run beautifully on the XSX if I simply place a 120mm fan over the top, and it stays at the frame rate cap constantly. The console is cold to the touch while playing in this configuration, and it makes previously unplayable games in RT mode run flawlessly. The stock XSX fan simply does not ramp up enough (or at all) while it is under load and overheating. It’s a shame such capable hardware is limited by this design flaw. I call this a design flaw from a performance and longevity standpoint; as a PC gamer, although hardware can run at its maximum temp constantly, it is a bad idea. Additionally, if the $10 fan I’m using that’s even smaller than stock provides better cooling simply due to full speed operation, I wonder why. I am going to disassemble the xbox and see if I can plug the stock PWM fan into a PC motherboard to control the speed, will leave updates here. But if the fan is capable of spinning faster than the console utilizes it, this needs to be adjusted by Microsoft. I’ve been playing games since I bought the console at slideshow framerate and, through my testing, I’ve found this is NOT a hardware limitation. Nobody cares if their fan is making noise while wearing a headset or playing game audio out loud; it is negligible and typical consumers would much rather prioritize performance.



:)