Fixing loud fans on your Xbox360
It was bound to happen at some point, my Xbox360 Premium bit the dust. Well, not exactly... It has an error E 74, which is apparently fixable with some voodoo overheating, but I'm reluctant to try it out just yet.
So, on to the point of this post. I got a used Xbox360 Elite from a buddy (thanks Ry!), swapped the HD, and was ready to go! Whoa, wait a sec, what is that horrible noise that sounds like a vacuum cleaner under the TV? No it wasn't the DVD drive spinning, it was the fans. After a bit of research I determined that the amount of noise was not normal. I took apart the Xbox and found A LOT of dust/bunnies. Cleaned it out with some compressed air and voila! quiet(er) Xbox!
There are a few aftermarket fans that you can swap in, but I have not seen conclusive details on whether or not they're quieter or as efficient. Luckily the sound system takes care of the fan noise. If anyone has suggestions, let me know!