XBox mod-chips?

[Jibbajaba]

Sorry, if this topic of conversation is verboten, then by all means lock this up.

I want to mod my XBox so that I can do the following things:

-Install a large HDD
-Run all classic gaming emulators
-Use as a media center so that I can play MP3s on my stereo and watch DIVX movies on the TV
-Rip my XBox games onto the HDD in order to preserve the optical drive. (So I want to be able to run DVD2XBOX)

There are so many chips out there that I don't know what to buy. The prices range from $10 to about $80. I have been reading up on the xbox-scene.com forums, and the FAQ says that if you want all of the latest "bells and whistles", you should buy a 4th generation chip, but that otherwise you can just buy a DuoX 2, which is pretty damned cheap. The problem is that it doesn't define what "bells and whistles" are.

Softmodding is not an option as I want to be able to use XBox Live. My question is for those of you that have chipped XBoxes. What chip do you use and why?

Thanks, and sorry again if this topic shouldn't have been started.

Chris

[unwinddesign]

You're probably going to have to get a slightly more expensive ($25+) chip to have Xbox Live stealth functionality. But be warned, no amount of stealthing can hide the fact that you have a 200 GB HD in there. If you want to upgrade the HD and fully ensure that you don't get the boot from XBL, then you'll have to leave both HDs (stock/new big one) in the Xbox, and have them running on a switch.

[CosmicMonkey]

All you need is a very basic chip that has a stealth mode; I'd recommend an Xecuter 2. All these 'Bells and whistles' you mention are things like on-board OSs for the chip and stuff. Depending on your soldering skills, get a solderless adapter too.

As for the HDD, if you can make sure that the Xbox you buy has never been on Live ever, you're good to go. Don't go on Live until you've got the bigger HDD installed, and you'll be ok and won't need to keep the original drive hooked up.

Any more questions, shoot me a PM

[GrandAmChandler]

Mr. Kamino modded mine for me, he did a pretty good job with it too. I would contact him.

[Jibbajaba]

Thanks for the tips so far, guys. I don't know if the system has been on live or not, but I am betting not. I'll take the chance.

I can mod it myself so that isn't a big deal. I just don't know what chip to get. I could go super cheap and get a DuoX 2 for $10, but it uses that cromwell OS, which I hear is crappy. I was thinking about getting an Xecuter 2, but what is the difference between the 2 and the 3? People also seem to like the SmartXX and the Xenium. I was kinda leaning towards a Xenium (but not the 24k one).

Chris

[98PaceCar]

The one reason I'd recommend the X3 chip is the built in FTP capabilities of the chip itself. Makes it very easy to update your dash as you don't have to contend with files being in use while you are sending the new dash up.

[Jibbajaba]

Well, is there any reason (besides cost) NOT to get an Xecuter3? The Xenium and SmartXX chips have built-in FTP or no?

Chris

[OdSquad64]

there's really no need for those expensive chips. I use a MuppetX, which was the cheapest chip at the time i got it. it does everything you wanted and it has the stealth boot. It's still one of the cheapest. If you do decide to go the cheap chip route, make sure it has dual banks for the bios just incase you mess up the flash. Most chips will come with the cromwell bios because its the only legal bios. Its not really an OS like you thought, its basically just a screen that asks you to flash the bios with the bios of your choosing

[98PaceCar]

Well, is there any reason (besides cost) NOT to get an Xecuter3? The Xenium and SmartXX chips have built-in FTP or no?

Chris

I'm not real sure if the Xenium or SmartXX chips have FTP. They might. The main reason I went with an X3 was I had an X2 previously and had very good luck with it. I upgraded to get the LCD capabilities, so the X3 was a logical choice for me.

Truthfully, you'll probably be fine with any of the chips you get, but I figure if you are going to open up and mod your xbox, why not spend the extra $$ to get a top of the line chip instead of the low end ones. There's no telling what the people doing dev work on these will come up with and most likely, anything new will come on the higher end chips.

[OdSquad64]

any chip can support FTP as long as the bios you flash it with supports it. The real features arent really in the chip, they're in the bios and what ever you put on your Xbox. I guarantee my xbox (with $14 chip) can do anything someone with a $50 chip can do (except the LCD which i can't find any reason to have). and if some great new astonishing feature comes along that it cant support, i'll just reflash my bios with a bios that supports it.

[98PaceCar]

The biggest thing I see missing from the MuppetX (and most of the gen 3 chips) is having a live config, meaning you can tweak the way the bios works within software while the system is running. If you're a tweaker, that's huge. I'm pretty sure you can modify the way the bios works in the gen 3 chips, but I believe you have to modify the bios image itself and reflash it. Not a major deal by any means, but if you know you are going to play with the way it works, why limit yourself over a few bucks (ok, $35, but that's not really all that much).

Here's some comparisons between the various chips. Odsquad64 is correct, most of the features are in the bios itself and not the chip, but there are some things you'd be losing by going the cheap route.

http://www.xboxscene.com/modchips4_table.htm
http://www.xboxscene.com/modchips3b_table.htm

Looks like the X3/SmartXX/Xenium are all pretty much equal, so it's probably just a jugdement call. Everybody I know has the X3 and loves it, so that's all the more I can tell you.

[Jibbajaba]

Yeah I read those links already. I was leaning towards the X3 anyway, so I think perhaps I will get it. I can't see any reason why I would get it and regret it later on.

Chris

[roushimsx]

...but you CAN play on Xbox Live with a softmodded xbox just fine :(

[Trebuken]

What's the most HD space anyone has managed on an Xbox by modding it? is the 137GB limit ir overcomable with some of the newer chips?

Been wanting to mod mine for awhile to make an emulation station, but playing games from the HD is exta incentive.

Later,
Trebuken

[CosmicMonkey]

Yeah, the HDD limit was overcome a while ago. I have a 250GB in mine and it works lovely. Theoretically, you can put whatever you want in there, but I'd stick to around 250GB for the price.

Get the new XBMC & MC360 on there and have fun.

[Flack]

Mine has an Xecutor 2 (installed by Omnedon) and it works fine. I'm sure there are "bells and whistles" I'm missing but it must not be stuff I do. I do everything on your list except Xbox Live (never tried) and it works just fine.

[CosmicMonkey]

Personally, I'd stop arsing around with chips and flash the TSOP. All you need is a hacked bios (i.e - X2 5035), none of this extra nonsense.

If you want to play online, XBMC supports Xlink so you can play sys-link games online for free. Excellent.

If you still want to play Live, there is a nice simple answer:

Get yourself an Xbox with version 1.0 / 1.1 MoBo. You can install a simple switch and partition the onboard 1mb TSOP into two 512k banks. One for an original M$ BIOS, one for something more functional ;) And that's it; one SPDT switch and some very simple soldering.

No point paying for a chip when there's a perfectly useable one already attached to the MoBo.

[dcx516]

depending on what version box you have, i would get an xecuter 3. its a great universal chip that is produced by a company that backs there hardware. i would go with that.

[Goblin]

Does anybody know what version modchip would work on a Halo edition x-box? I haven't opened it up and looked for Mother Board revision.

[CosmicMonkey]

Does anybody know what version modchip would work on a Halo edition x-box? I haven't opened it up and looked for Mother Board revision.

Any chip will work fine with any Xbox. The only time there's extra messing around is if you have a ver 1.6 which are mainly the Crystal ones. Some of the traces to the LPC points were removed so you need to replace them with wires/repair PCB. And there's no flashing the TSOp on a 1.6 either.

You can however get newer universal solderless adaptors that work with the 1.6 boxes.