Cheapest modchip

[SkiDragon]

I wasnt sure where to put this, but I am looking for a cheap modchip for the Xbox that will allow me to connect a new hard drive. I am only trying to fix my broken Xbox, which has a bad drive.

Thanks.

[dedtech]

Hmm.... Well, if you just want your hard drive fixed I would sugest that you go and buy a used xbox hard drive off of ebay. I see them there all the time for $10 plus $7 or so shipping. However if you want an honest answer about mod chips. (for example you want a biger hard drive to put linux onto then I woulod sugest that you use the X3 mod-chip. its about $50 or so but well worth it from what I have seen.

[SkiDragon]

The Xbox wont accept any other hard drive except the one it came with. The only way around this that I know of is a mod chip.

[OdSquad64]

http://www.divineo.com/cgi-bin/div-us/dd-xb-duox2cr

that chip is all you really need, its $9.99 and it can do everything any of the other chips can do. Make sure you read up on how to do everything you want to do before you start though. That modchip comes with a legal bios (like most chips), which means it wont do anything till you flash it, which can be very frustrating if you don't know exactly what to do before hand. Once you know what to do it's really easy ( www.xbox-scene.com )

[dedtech]

Well, this raises the bar a bit but, it is possible. What you need is the drive and eprom from an xbox system. Then you swap the eprom that locks the drive to the system. Okay, to be honest its not as easy as it sounds but, its not impossible either. I guess the tougher part is finding a drive eprom combo. Might be able to get a broken (wont power up) system and, try and strip its parts. Its not as sure fire simple as a mod chip but, you learn alot about the machine.
However, I stand on my original assertion that the X3 will be best from what I have seen. The reason is that all the others I have seen require a seperate programmer to flash the bios onto the mod chip. Thats kinda a pain in the butt and, just one more piece of junk to have to not lose. Also, the X3 seems to b the only one with a system to make sure it wont die forever if it has a bad flash. A failsafe if you will. I used to know someone who had one. He used the xbox for a linux box. Interesting to be sure but, not something Im into.
Heck, how would I play Steel Battalion if I was running linux?? Hah Hah!!

[OdSquad64]

Actually, the DuoX 2 flashes the Bios from a burned DVD, so theres no programmer to lose, also it has 2 banks, so if you have a bad flash, switch the bank, turn it on and switch it back to the first bank. As long as you switch it back to the first bank every time you try to flash it, it is failsafe

[dedtech]

Curious, I have never heard of that one. From the looks of it, there are many simularities. Specifically in the way it is mounted to the board. Same cromwell bios also, thats cool. I think there used to be one called the spider or some such that came with no bios. I think several of the other were that way. I looked at them for a bit. I liked the idea of picking up a cheap xbox and using XBmedia center to make a media player but, hasnt happend yet and, my priorities have shifted to the old sega genesis/32x/cd game system I just put together. Maybe one day.
I do like his idea best though. way cheaper than my sugestion and probably easier to mount for the average person.