Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 11:57 am Post subject: To modchip or softmod?
Hello all I am new to the xbox mod world and am looking forward to getting started but want to ensure I do it right. I am confident I can follow all of the great examples out there (thanks to all of those who have blazed the trail for us) for either mod version. My question - which one is better, or maybe a better question is - what are the differences between a softmod and a modchip (hardmod)?
blighty Xbox-HQ Freak
Joined: Nov 27, 2004 Posts: 881
Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 12:15 pm Post subject:
If your good with soldering and not so good with computers then chips are the way to go
equaly if your good with computers but don`t even know what a soldering iron is then a softmod is the way to go.
either way there are lots of little stumbling blocks like getting a chip or getting the softmod files onto your memory card.
I pressume you`ve been reading up about this stuff,
what are you personally hoping to do? are you on a budget?
do you still want to be able to play on xbox live?
Joined: May 23, 2003 Posts: 4031 Location: NSW, Australia
Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 12:39 pm Post subject:
blighty wrote:
forgot about those
Are they versitile enough though? I`ve always wondered about those working loose.
bLiGhTy.
Yea I'd say they're reilable enough, heard a lot of good things about them.
enigma516 V.I.P. Lifetime
Joined: Feb 07, 2005 Posts: 2743 Location: Florida
Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 1:42 pm Post subject:
I've had a Xenium solderless chip from day 1 of my mod. My xbox has traveled around with me and has never failed. You just need to make sure that the d0 wire is secure and that the screw that holds the solderless adapter is on tight.
My wife constantly moves things around in the house, so you can imagine how many times my xbox has been grabbed, flipped, or tossed on a bed and it still works fine. I don't know much about softmodding so I can't say that chipping is better. All I can tell you is about how my chipped box has worked for me.
The good thing about having a chipped box is the built in ftp. It makes thing alot easier sometimes if you need to get something in there. Just network your xbox to your pc and you're done. I hope this helps you. _________________
xplode Xbox-HQ Newbie
Joined: Oct 12, 2005 Posts: 3
Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 1:44 pm Post subject:
I am comfortable working with either software or hardware and yes I can solder.
I am getting a second Xbox so not worried about playing live (one I will use for live, the other for mod stuff).
I am looking to mod my xbox so I can get cool skins, graphics, download my games onto the hardrive (adding larger HDD also-any suggestion on size) for quicker response times, load emulators so I can play my other games, etc. All the typical cool and fun stuff!
enigma516 V.I.P. Lifetime
Joined: Feb 07, 2005 Posts: 2743 Location: Florida
Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 1:56 pm Post subject:
It's all a metter of personal preference. Some people prefer softmods to avoid opening up the xbox. Others prefer the chip because of the options. As for the HDD here is a link with compatible Hdd's :
Joined: May 23, 2003 Posts: 4031 Location: NSW, Australia
Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 2:02 pm Post subject:
enigma516 wrote:
It's all a metter of personal preference. Some people prefer softmods to avoid opening up the xbox. Others prefer the chip because of the options. As for the HDD here is a link with compatible Hdd's :
A modchip is always the best, and definately more secure than a softmod in the long run..
jhondra V.I.P. Member Xbox Version: Xbox V1.0 Modded: Xecuter3 CE
Joined: Sep 12, 2005 Posts: 288 Location: Boise, ID
Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 4:40 pm Post subject:
xplode wrote:
I am comfortable working with either software or hardware and yes I can solder.
I am getting a second Xbox so not worried about playing live (one I will use for live, the other for mod stuff).
I am looking to mod my xbox so I can get cool skins, graphics, download my games onto the hardrive (adding larger HDD also-any suggestion on size) for quicker response times, load emulators so I can play my other games, etc. All the typical cool and fun stuff!
If you are going to get a second box to play Live!, then I would suggest you start with a SOFTMOD on the first box. It is a WONDERFUL preview of pretty much everything you can do with a chipped box, it just can be a little less forgiving of messed up dashes, hdd locks, and not as flexible to play on Live! Then, you can always chip it after that (if you have problems, or if you just want to try out all the additional features of having a hardware BIOS...personally, a chipped solution is just too convienient and offers too many cool things for maintaining your mod over a Softmod in the long run, but seriously, I can't think of a single reason someone that is considering a hard mod shouldn't at least try out the SOFTMOD first). This is something you could do TODAY with AID 2.11 Final (and the included SID 3.0). No good reason not to.
Regards,
-Jhondra _________________ Xecutor 3 CE
X3 3294 Bios
14 total successful solder-mod xbox's (v1.0 to v1.6b; favorite is v1.4 Sept 2003; very clean motherboard and usually has Samsung DVD), including two 128MB upgrades and 2 X3 LCD/CP's.
dangermouse Moderator
Joined: Jun 24, 2005 Posts: 972 Location: Tucson
Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 7:21 pm Post subject:
Softmods are good if you have a new box and are worried about any warranties. You won't be able to play on Live without restoring to the original dash, but there are free alternatives like Xlink and XBconnect. With a chipped box...you can change to a bigger hard drive (you can do this with a softmod but you have to open the box), boot to either retail or modded bios (this is good for Live), and it's easier to set up the mod on the hdd (no expoloits to install).
So it's really personal preferance.
Are you worried about voiding you warranty and don't want to send the extra money? Or...Do you want to have easy access to Live and easy hdd upgradability? _________________ Xenium Ice 2.3.1 OS
200gb Seagate HDD
|HOTSWAP|Upgrade HDD|
xplode Xbox-HQ Newbie Xbox Version: v1.1 Modded: Xenium Ice OS v2.3.1
Joined: Oct 12, 2005 Posts: 3
Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 12:08 am Post subject:
Thanks to everyone who replied - great feedback! It sure is nice to have forums like this to be able to discuss options rather than just jumping into modding.
As far as price - price is not an issue. I now have 2 xbox units, one I plan to mod and the other I will leave as is for live gaming. I am not worried about warranties either - at $149 for a brand new xbox unit it is not worth worrying about.
I am going to purchase everything I need to hard mod, and while I am waiting for parts - go ahead and try the soft mod. Thanks again for the help!
Scourge Xbox-HQ Freak
Joined: Nov 08, 2004 Posts: 571 Location: Georgia, USA
Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 2:45 am Post subject:
And the best part is... if ya foul up the softmod, your new chip will probably fix it! _________________ -Scourge "Rx = +/_\"
a.k.a. President Skroob
The electronic ninja.
Xbox v1.6
Xenium Ice XOS v2.3
Xtender: Stock HDD+300G+300G
BIOS: Evox M8_16+
Dash: UX
kdx80boy Xbox-HQ Elite Member Xbox Version: Xbox V1.0 Modded: Xenium Ice Pinheader
Joined: Apr 01, 2005 Posts: 354
Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 2:56 am Post subject:
Don't forget, with a modded xbox, you can always disable and go on live with one xbox. That is what I do. And if you for some reason mess up, that particular xbox will get banned. Buy hey, you were planning on getting another one anyways. I would just do it on your own xbox, as long as you are careful, you will only need one.
As for the size for the harddrive. I would say go as big as you are willing to spend. I have a 160GB and thought that would last me forever. Well, once you realize what your new modded xbox can do, 160 goes by real fast. I am already down to only having about 20 gigs left. And now with harddrives so cheap, I would probably go with a 300 gig, I saw one for $120 last week.
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I am new to the xbox mod world and am looking forward to getting started but want to ensure I do it right. I am confident I can follow all of the great examples out there (thanks to all of those who have blazed the trail for us) for either mod version. My question - which one is better, or maybe a better question is - what are the differences between a softmod and a modchip (hardmod)?
forgot about those 
