X-box fixer upper

[gulag picture radio]

Hiya!

 

A friend of me gave me his old X-box tonight. He said that it reboots at random times during gameplay, so he got a new X-box. He's more of a tech guy than me, and suspects that it's a problem with the BIOS.

 

So here's what I'm thinking. I've seen these mod chip kits out there that seem to replace the BIOS entirely. I'm less interested in playing games on it (though I will play the couple games he also gave me), and more interested in using it as a games emulator, and as a media playback device. There seems to be a nice program that plays back lots of formats here: http://www.xboxmediacenter.com/

 

Here's the question. Which mod chip should I get? I don't know 100% whether this swap will fix the problems with my unit, but it seems worth the gamble if the mod kits are only around $30. I can do some soldering, so that's no problem. Also, does anyone have a favorite dealer to use?

 

Thanks for any help!

[jay2068]

http://www.teamxecuter.com is one of them.

 

You will need a mod chip as if you soft mod the xbox you can't run homebrew programs (i.e. XBMC, MAMEOX, etc..)

 

The options are plentiful and you should start on www.xbox-scene.com for all the infromation you need.

 

But I don't approve of such devices

[Flojomojo]

http://www.teamxecuter.com is one of them.

 

You will need a mod chip as if you soft mod the xbox you can't run homebrew programs (i.e. XBMC, MAMEOX, etc..)

 

This is not true. Softmods can run all the homebrewed software you want. You can install a bigger hard drive in either a softmodded or chipped box.

 

The options are plentiful and you should start on www.xbox-scene.com for all the infromation you need.

 

But I don't  approve of such devices 

1013779[/snapback]

This is true. Visit here and you'll learn all sorts of dark arts. Also interesting background reading (though by no means necessary -- everything is much simpler now) is "Bunny" Huang's book "Hacking the XBOX."

[Hyper_Eye]

The problem with a softmod in this case is that the main bios is still in use. It uses the main bios to load up and then the mod bios is loaded in through an application that takes advantage of a debugging aspect of the XBox (MS left the ability to load a bios in through software in order to do bios testing.) If the bios is indeed the problem then you either need to flash the TSOP or install a modchip. With a modchip the TSOP is bipassed entirely so the buggy BIOS would no longer be an issue.

 

The best resource there is for modding is here:

 

http://www.xbox-scene.com

 

You can find out anything you could possibly want to know there. The tutorials are the best place to start and the forums are fantastic.

[Famicoman]

Yes, a chip is a must in this situation. I prefer XBOX-Scene, or Llamma.

[jay2068]

http://www.teamxecuter.com is one of them.

 

You will need a mod chip as if you soft mod the xbox you can't run homebrew programs (i.e. XBMC, MAMEOX, etc..)

 

This is not true. Softmods can run all the homebrewed software you want. You can install a bigger hard drive in either a softmodded or chipped box.

 

The options are plentiful and you should start on www.xbox-scene.com for all the infromation you need.

 

 

Hmm.. didn't know that.. I thought the softmod only allowed playing of backups...

 

but yes a chip is the best way to go.

[Hyper_Eye]

Honestly, if it weren't for the possibility that his TSOP is bad I would recommend a softmod. When I did my mod a chip was far superior. Now, softmods are so advanced that I would recommend them to anyone. There are nice packages available that do the entire installation for you. So, it is as simple as popping in Splinter Cell (or one of the other games that can be used), loading the save game, and clicking "GO!" The softmods are so advanced now that you couldn't even tell the difference between a softmodded box and a chipped box without looking closely at the mod. Virtual C partitions are now used to keep your mod from being blasted by a live update. If I were to mod over again I would go the softmod route. You don't have to open the XBox and it is quick. I love my chip but when comparing the mods it simply isn't worth the hassle anymore when you can get the same benefits from a softmod. Oh... any software or games you can run with a chip can be run with a softmod. The softmod uses the same bios's that are available for you to use with a chip. They are just loaded in through software instead of off the mod chip.

[liveinabin]

If you do go the modchip route, I recommend the Xenium Ice. It's a solderless fit and it's really easy to set up. Comes with nice LEDs too

[Famicoman]

I agree with that statement above. The Xenium Gold looks appealing as well.

[gulag picture radio]

I never got around to thanking everyone here for their advice. After all the work I went through to mod the Xbox with an Xecuter chip, it turns out that hte X-box my friend gave me is busted. It was an intermittent problem before with the DVD drive (making it hard to diagnose). Now the DVD is otally hosed. Since X-boxes are going super cheap now, I think that I'll just pick up a used one someoplace once they dip under $100.

 

Thanks for your help everybody!