The game console heats up during use, and given enough time, the temperature inside can reach very high levels due to insufficient cooling. An overheated Xbox 360 is showed by both left quadrants lighting up red. Because of the way the Xbox 360 is constructed, this may result in stresses building up among the delicate ball grid arrays solder joints of the CPU and GPU and the motherboard, causing them to break. The problem is exacerbated by the specific type of lead-free solder used, a type which is more brittle than the older tin/lead solder that was used in the passed and the GPU's location directly underneath the DVD drive. Microsoft needed to make room for the DVD Drive, so it shrank the heat sink.
One possible cause of the General Hardware Error may be cold solder joints. The added mass of the CSP chips absorb the heat flow that allows proper soldering of the lead-free solders on the motherboard, therefore, the solder has not properly melted underneath these chips, which can lead to voids (air bubbles) and weak spots in the solder known as cold solder joints. Because of prolonged constant temperature changes inside the console, the voids cause cracking. Some people claim this issue does not exist, and claim it is caused by confusion over this issue. They have suggested that the dull appearance only suggests that the joints are cold soldered, as lead-free solders, even when properly soldered, take on a dull appearance that non-professionals might mistake for a cold solder joint (as the older lead/tin solder solder-joints became dull when not heated sufficiently). This suggestion is, however, rejected by most experts. Lead-free solder requires a greater amount of heat (213 degrees Celsius) to solder properly when compared to older lead/tin solders (185 degrees Celsius). Microsoft stated that the peripheral drains too much power from the console (the Intercooler power cord is installed among the Xbox 360 power supply and the console itself) and can cause faults to occur, and stated that consoles fitted with the peripheral will have their warranties null and void. Nyko has recently released an updated Intercooler that uses its own power source. Nyko claims this problem no longer occurs with new versions of this cooler. However, Microsoft still considers it an unlicensed add-on and will void the warranty of machines showing signs of its use. There is no data available to show that the Intercooler decreases the chance of hardware failure. However, if the Intercooler fails, it can hinder rather than help the overheating problems.