I've been working on a unit that started to freeze. We thought it was x-clamp fixable, but after doing all of my usual methods, plus volt modding, added 3 fans, running with cover off etc... nothing could stop the freezing I'd get once a few minutes in game... (nba2k7 freeze either at jumpball, right after, or within the first quarter...madden 08, will freeze on first kickoff.) (Even reapplied thermal paste twice, and with a fan on top of the gpu,it still froze if it's a disc running)

Anything I run on the HDD though is fine...video, game demos,etc...

Any insights? No 3RL still up to now... drive is a MS28, dunno what firmware is written on it now. (was done by a shop around here, I heard)... I don't think it's the cables though, since I tried other cables (electrical and data cables, even a PC Sata cable...) it still freezed

If it were FW related I'd be surprised if it played anything, let alone even boot a game disc up. Does it only have problems with originals, backups or both? that info was not specified. Does it get thru any game at all? or is it only an issue with the ones specified?

If it's freezing on backups then first try a POT tweak, followed by laser replacement, then a rip/burn of new ones on Verbatim discs with the latest XBOX Backup Creator or Schtrom, and also try the originals to see if there is an issue there. If it freezes on originals as well, then it's either the laser going bad (try the POT tweak first, then replace laser and see) or the GPU/CPU BGA joints causing it, and yes even though it's X-clamped with a wind tunnels worth of fans on it it can still freeze up if they are the cause, and having it reflowed would be the best option there.

If ya want to eliminate the FW as the issue, flash it back to the ORIG ms28 FW. If that wasn't given to the owner when it was done, or at the very least the key from the drive, then whoever did it should have their arse removed and you'll have to dump the drives FW to get the key and find a 'clean' ms28 FW from somewhere to inject that key into and then flash it back to the drive.

So, POT tweak, Laser replacement, Return FW to original (optional since it boots games), Have it reflowed.

There could be something bad with the flex cable that goes to the laser and it's breaking a connection when the laser is moved so far, but that's kinda rare and really only happens from the thing being old, crappy to begin with or removed and reinstalled a lot of times. I really doubt this is the issue, just throwing it in there for good measure, my bet would be on the Laser or the BGA joints causing it, as long as we're dealing with retail discs here.