Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2004 8:27 pm Post subject: - Newbie SPIDERCHIP ModChip Review -
I have to admit, I just purchased my x-box about a week ago and in that time I did a lot of reading on modding it and what I should do and whatever. There are a ton of Tutorials out there, but because of the mass amount of options available to people, it can be a daunting task. Luckily for me and the 'scene', there are a lot of people out there willing to help. So first off, I puchased a SpiderChip Modchip from www.spiderchip.com.
I have to admit, it is a brand new chip and as such there is NOTHING out there to help you when it comes to this chip. There isn't a help guide on how or what to flash this chip with on their website, nor is there anything to help you out if you get lost. No real email address on their website for tech support or anything. What I will say is the fact that they are an excellent company so far. I love the chip itself. It is a COMPLETELY SOLDERLESS chip that in essence makes the install a true 10 minute ordeal. I had never cracked an x-box open and from the time I unscrewed my first screw to when I had the thing in the box, it was up and booted in 10 minutes. Now the ordeal came in. The instructions they have on their website tell you to refer to the second manual.... Well there is no second manual on their website. So you are basically SOL when it comes to how to burn the BIOS to the chip.
The SPIDERCHIP itself is shipped with a very limited CROMWELL bios that allows you to flash the chip from the HD, the DVD-Rom, or to unlock the HD or Lock it.
First thing, all the bios files are around somewhere, I used a X2 version 16. it works pretty well. I got mine off of the Slayer Auto install CD. There are like 20 version on there. Because I have a version 1.6 X-box I used that version on my XBOX. Be VERY careful to mod yours with the right bios.
I will update this a little later, but the process after this went fairly smoothly after I figured out that to use the bios file you have to rename it BiOS.BIN and then also add close to 300mb's of junk files to the CD to allow the DVD drive to read the cd correctly.
I paid 42.95 + shipping for the chip. I received it in 2 days. I paid for standard shipping for the chip and they sent it very quickly. I was very happy. My friend ordered it from a different retailer, the same day, paid 18$ for shipping for next day and he is still waiting to receive it. It was worth paying the extra 5$ at the retailer I used.
Anyways, so far, I am VERY happy with this setup. I installed a 120gb 7200 RPM Samsung drive that I got for $30 over the thanksgiving break, and all is going well. I love XBMC (X-box Media Center). I think this is the coolest piece of hardware I have in my house, better than my Inspiron 8600 or my 3.6ghz P4 desktop. I love it. I can't believe I lived this long without being able to watch divx, avi, etc movies on my tv without a computer, etc etc. I also already have aroun 30 games backed up on my X-box, it is so nice not having to load cd's etc etc. And haul them everywhere.
Well I hope this has been something someone would be interested in reading, I've just enjoyed the experience considerably and hope that others are having as successful of a time as I did. I still have SO much to learn, but I am doing so happily.
I would highly recommend the SPIDERCHIP to anyone who wants a SUPER easy install. I am not sure the features of all the chips or what exactly they do, but this chip is SO simple to install and so not invasive which I love. You can turn it on and off, and it allows as I said a completely solderless install.
~fossill
Shark2th Moderator
Joined: Nov 17, 2004 Posts: 5222 Location: Tennessee, USA
Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2004 5:31 pm Post subject:
Now granted I have a 1.0 so I had not been on a hunt for a chip like the spider. I was amazed that it's the first solderless modchip solution for Xbox V1.6. Sounds like it all went real smooth. I figure at some point the Xbox is going to drop in price again, then I am going to get a 2nd for head to head. I could pretty much assure it will be one of the 1.6 versions by then, so this should help a lot. Thanks for the time and effort to do the review. _________________ http://twitter.com/HQ_Shark2th
lshang Xbox-HQ Newbie
Joined: Nov 29, 2004 Posts: 4
Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2004 2:29 am Post subject:
thanks for taking time to do the review, it is very helpful. I am newbie here, I just got a new XBox v1.6. I like to ask some questions regarding Spider chip if you don't mind, I could not find nformation anywhere? First of all, which BIOS I should reflash with this new spider chip and where I can get it. Second, after I reflash the chip with new BIOS (not cromwell), can I do all the cool stuff that mentioned on the tutorials, such as ftp between Xbox and PC, copy games to the Xbox HD and play them, etc....
Your help is greatly appreciated.
slick_j_2002 V.I.P. Lifetime
Joined: Oct 29, 2004 Posts: 273
Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2004 7:49 am Post subject:
I don't have the Spiderchip, Ishang, but I can answer your questions.
It doesn't matter what BIOS you use for which chip. Most are compatable with others. I would recommend Evox (EvolutionX) M7 or M8 to a beginner.
Yes, after you install most any BIOS, you can do all the cool stuff we all talk about. After, of course, you install a hacked dashboard. Again, I would recommend the EvolutionX dashboard 3921 or 3935.
Don't be afraid to ask questions, Ishang. We're all here to help each other.
ronace Xbox-HQ Newbie
Joined: Dec 07, 2004 Posts: 3 Location: California
Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2004 6:31 am Post subject:
Hello I also have a spider chip and 1.6 have excuter 3.0.3 bios and I want to change it because I can't get anything to install how do I do it? I have tried to flash other bios the same way from a cd-rw by renaming it bios.bin and I get this msg " Found BiosUpdate: /BIOS.BIN (256k) Unknown flash! Halting and that's it what should I do?
thanks
paintguy Xbox-HQ Newbie Xbox Version: 1.2 Modded: X B.I.T.
Joined: Sep 28, 2004 Posts: 4 Location: Canada
Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2004 4:11 pm Post subject:
To all those noob's about to flash their spiderchip make Sure to use a specified 1.6 bios on your 1.6 box otherwise you will have to reflash your chip on an older version box then re-install. Not all bios' work for all xbox versions!
custom-xmodz Xbox-HQ Freak
Joined: Aug 28, 2004 Posts: 796 Location: Wales, UK
Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2004 7:11 pm Post subject:
and beware v.16b's
DJH
hardcore4 Xbox-HQ User Xbox Version: 1.2 Modded: X B.I.T.
Joined: Dec 11, 2004 Posts: 10
Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2004 5:19 pm Post subject:
i have an xbox 1.0 which the spider chip says it is compatible with.....yes its all very easy to actually fit...but to get it to work well i just dont know how!!!!!???? if i nudge my chip slightly it looses power ok...so when i switch it on it boots up....if i have the chip correctly alaigned etc then my xbox makes 3 attempts to boot then the xbox light flashes red and green indicating an error...ppppppppllllllllleeeeeeeaaaasssssseeeee help
like said in previous posts....it is only now i notice how much lack of customer support there is.....i have had to email their wholesale dept to try find out more!!!
custom-xmodz Xbox-HQ Freak
Joined: Aug 28, 2004 Posts: 796 Location: Wales, UK
Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2004 5:44 pm Post subject:
Hiya
I would check the pogo pins are all secure, and I would bend the legs lower to give more force to hold them in, and go from thier, could even be a dodgy chip
DJH
fossill Xbox-HQ Newbie Xbox Version: 1.2 Modded: X B.I.T.
Joined: Dec 01, 2004 Posts: 2
Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2004 11:56 pm Post subject:
Sorry, I lost this thread and just found the post I made.
The problem with your chip working and not is the fact that the pogos are not touching. You need to use the ORIGINAL screw with a single washer underneath the chip itself. This worked flawlessly for me. I am somewhat angry at spiderchip for sending out the screw they did, because all this screw does is strip the hole which in return makes it useless until you figure out a way to fill the hole with glue, drill it out, and reset the screws. And then it isn't as firm as the original hole. This is what happened to my friend who ordered it after I did, and he refrained from listening to me on how to do it correctly. He has a complex of trying to prove people wrong. Well, he was, and it took us 12 extra hours over my finals week to get it working for him.
Any more questions I'll check this more often. Sorry.
hardcore4 Xbox-HQ User Xbox Version: 1.2 Modded: X B.I.T.
Joined: Dec 11, 2004 Posts: 10
Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2004 1:07 pm Post subject:
thanks for the help guys......real busy at mo....i will let ya know how i get on in a few days
lshang Xbox-HQ Newbie Xbox Version: 1.2 Modded: X B.I.T.
Joined: Nov 29, 2004 Posts: 4
Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2004 5:27 pm Post subject:
I am very impressed with this spider chip. I got it two days ago. It took me about one hour to finish the whole installation. Only thing bothers me is the wire is so thin and the holes are so small and I installed on the night, it is little hard for my eye to handle. Other than that, everything went through vert smooth. I flashed the chip with m16plus.bin bios and install evox without any problem. After that, I burned the halo2 and tried out. it works. So I recommend this spider chip for anyone who doesn't want to do the soldering part.
hardcore4 Xbox-HQ User Xbox Version: 1.2 Modded: X B.I.T.
Joined: Dec 11, 2004 Posts: 10
Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2004 6:44 pm Post subject:
thanks ppl....got the chip installed properly now........so next thing is how do i flash my chip and do i need to do anything else after that? i dont know what bios i shud use or anything!!! lol sorry, first timer! all help wud be very very very much appreciated.
Xbox V1.0
Spiderchip solderless
dtmaddog71 Xbox-HQ Newbie Xbox Version: 1.2 Modded: X B.I.T.
Joined: Dec 15, 2004 Posts: 1
Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2004 3:42 am Post subject: Hard Drive greater than 137GB
Well I happen to love the Spider Chip as far as installation goes but what I'd like to know is what can I do to be able to utilize all the space on a 250GB hard drive? I used EvoxM8+16Bin and now I can't get past being able to use the whole hard drive. I also have a box that was modded for me but I don't know how I can find out what bios is on that one and what chip is being used so if I can find out whether or not I can reflash that one as well so that I can use the 250gb hard drive on that box. Please help me out.
biglou Xbox-HQ User Xbox Version: 1.6 Modded: Spiderchip
Joined: Dec 23, 2004 Posts: 10 Location: Quebec
Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2004 4:12 am Post subject: The Gueux review
If I can put my 2 cents in, the Gueux reviewer had no problem with the install but then they took the Box for a ride, some of the little wires came loose and out of the hole's.
Would there be a way to secure them ? (glue or ....)
And fossill I think you are right about the screw,thank's I will use the original
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After, of course, you install a hacked dashboard. Again, I would recommend the EvolutionX dashboard 3921 or 3935.
