Joined: Dec 07, 2006 Posts: 7 Location: Wichita, KS
Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 9:48 pm Post subject: Softmod or Chipmod?
Ok, I've owned my Xbox long enough now and want to mod it so I can drop in a bigger drive to play my games off of it (a lot easier than lugging them around and risking breaking them). I was considering going with the Xenium Gold chip until I read the process for a 1.6 xbox, which I believe mine is. The bios is K1.00.5838.01, that's how I'm assuming it is a 1.6. Now I'm looking at softmodding.
My question is which would be the better choice? I'm fairly good with a soldering iron but I really hate the idea of having to solder all those little wires into place.
Burner6999 Xbox-Hq Genius
Joined: Aug 15, 2006 Posts: 1426 Location: Colorado
Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 9:57 pm Post subject:
I would go with X3 chip and if you can solder then do that. If not then go with a Xapt3r for a 1.6 and if you post your serial number I will tell you what version it is.
jtjones Xbox-HQ Newbie
Joined: Dec 07, 2006 Posts: 7 Location: Wichita, KS
Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 10:49 pm Post subject:
I would love to post my serial number, but someone took that sticker off the box and I don't know where else to look for it.
Burner6999 Xbox-Hq Genius
Joined: Aug 15, 2006 Posts: 1426 Location: Colorado
Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 11:04 pm Post subject:
Some skins will tell you the version.
jtjones Xbox-HQ Newbie
Joined: Dec 07, 2006 Posts: 7 Location: Wichita, KS
Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 11:11 pm Post subject:
Skin? The case of the xbox? Nope, I've looked all over it and there are no numbers anywhere to be found.
morencyj Xbox-HQ Elite Member Xbox Version: All of them Modded: XBIT, Matrix, X3, Softmod
Joined: Mar 26, 2004 Posts: 334 Location: Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 3:33 am Post subject:
Just soft-mod it. It may seem daunting if you are reading the instructions and what not, but its easy...just follow the instructions and all will be well. If somthing goes really wrong and for some reason it can't be reversed, then invest in the chip. But I have done many soft-mods now with HD upgrades, its not hard at all. _________________ My Setup:
http://www.xbox-hq.com/html/modules.php?name=Profile&op=mysetup&id=3685
Last edited by morencyj on Fri Dec 08, 2006 7:26 pm; edited 1 time in total
tyreant Xbox-HQ User Xbox Version: xbox 1.6 Modded: Softmodded, Unleash
Joined: Oct 30, 2005 Posts: 17 Location: United States
Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:38 am Post subject: SM or ModChip
I had the same thoughts going through my head befor I started modding, I would really recommend that you would start out with an softmod then once you get the feel of it upgrade to chip.
jtjones Xbox-HQ Newbie Xbox Version: xbox 1.6 Modded: Softmodded, Unleash
Joined: Dec 07, 2006 Posts: 7 Location: Wichita, KS
Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 6:52 pm Post subject:
The only thing that keeps me from going ahead and doing a softmod is the fact that I don't have the correct version of MechAssault, and I don't have the other two games nor do I have the Action Replay. So the softmod is going to cost me just a few bucks less than the chip mod. If everyone is suggesting starting off with the softmod then go to the chipmod, there's not much sense, in my mind anyway, in spending that amount twice for the same end result. Whichever mod I choose my xbox will probably stay that way for quite a while. Hence the reason for the original question.
morencyj Xbox-HQ Elite Member Xbox Version: All of them Modded: XBIT, Matrix, X3, Softmod
Joined: Mar 26, 2004 Posts: 334 Location: Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 7:29 pm Post subject:
Well, I still say soft-mod it...no risk. If you haven't soldered much before, then you could make a fatal mistake...you could go solderless, but its definetly cheaper to find an old copy of splinter cell and a memory card. _________________ My Setup:
http://www.xbox-hq.com/html/modules.php?name=Profile&op=mysetup&id=3685
jtjones Xbox-HQ Newbie Xbox Version: All of them Modded: XBIT, Matrix, X3, Softmod
Joined: Dec 07, 2006 Posts: 7 Location: Wichita, KS
Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 9:09 pm Post subject:
Soldering is not much of an issue since I've pieced together radios, meters and various other electronic devices in the past. But the thought of making a mistake leads me to look at softmodding, no risk of frying the board inside my xbox.
If I do go the softmod route, anyone have any idea where to find one of the games? I've been to EB Games and GameStop (same company) and CD Tradepost looking for them and they don't have them. And of course Best Buy and CompUSA don't sell xbox games anymore, they only stock 360 games.
XBOXHQ4LIFE Xbox-HQ Elite Member
Joined: Nov 30, 2006 Posts: 286
Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:01 pm Post subject:
jtjones wrote:
Soldering is not much of an issue since I've pieced together radios, meters and various other electronic devices in the past. But the thought of making a mistake leads me to look at softmodding, no risk of frying the board inside my xbox.
If I do go the softmod route, anyone have any idea where to find one of the games? I've been to EB Games and GameStop (same company) and CD Tradepost looking for them and they don't have them. And of course Best Buy and CompUSA don't sell xbox games anymore, they only stock 360 games.
well put it like if you soilder 1 little tiny error you have a brick xbox and even expericed people that know how to soldering they too can mess up , a softmod is nearly capable of doing the same thing as a chip you can use xbl and not get banned while still having the softmod intact , a chip cost alot more then a softmod and a soilderless is defo more expensive while a softmod only requires 007 or ma or sc ( personaly i love 007) for under 10 bucks and ar kit (under 30? maybe less) and look in diffrent gamestop/ebgames or ebay same with ar kit.... _________________ |FTP|Useful Links| softmod vs hardmod questions
Joined: Apr 29, 2005 Posts: 982 Location: ACT, Australia
Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:09 pm Post subject: Re: Softmod or Chipmod?
jtjones wrote:
... which I believe mine is. The bios is K1.00.5838.01, that's how I'm assuming it is a 1.6. Now I'm looking at softmodding.
To answer your question, yes it is a v1.6 (5838 kernel). _________________
jtjones Xbox-HQ Newbie Xbox Version: Xbox v1.4 Modded: Xecuter 3
Joined: Dec 07, 2006 Posts: 7 Location: Wichita, KS
Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2006 2:51 am Post subject:
Quote:
well put it like if you soilder 1 little tiny error you have a brick xbox and even expericed people that know how to soldering they too can mess up , a softmod is nearly capable of doing the same thing as a chip you can use xbl and not get banned while still having the softmod intact , a chip cost alot more then a softmod and a soilderless is defo more expensive while a softmod only requires 007 or ma or sc ( personaly i love 007) for under 10 bucks and ar kit (under 30? maybe less) and look in diffrent gamestop/ebgames or ebay same with ar kit....
Uh ya, I think I already stated that I cannot find any of the three games in the town that I live in and ordering a specific version of a game off of ebay would be a hit or miss deal unless the seller knows exactly what they have and have an idea of why people would want to know (exploitable code). IE, the reason for my question about where else to find them.
Financially both the soft and hard mods are about the same, cost of the game $10-$20 plus cost of the Action Replay $30, so I could softmod the box for $40-$50 or buy a chip for a hardmod for $60-$70. Financially both are about the same in the way of cost, so I'm not concerned with that. I am concerned with how much more trouble will I have to go through with a softmod to swap harddrives as opposed to a hardmod. And just how difficult are 1.6 xbox's to actually do a hardmod to. I really don't want to fry the system but I also don't want to be tossing money around for a softmod then a few months later buying a chip because of some short-coming of the softmod.
robzzombie Moderator
Joined: Jul 15, 2006 Posts: 521 Location: Lockport, Illinois, USA
Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2006 2:59 am Post subject:
Ok well a hardmod is the best...if u Fuc* up a softmod u need to do a hotswap which is hard to do. but if u have a hardmod then it is a snap it takes only 30 mins of your time to solder in the chip or if you have a solderless adapter then it will take less time. Flashing a chip is easy so yea id go with a hardmod. you could always do a TSOP flash. very easy to do ive done it to my friends xbox last week so yea u just need to know how to use a soldering iron and have some small wires. _________________
XBOXHQ4LIFE Xbox-HQ Elite Member
Joined: Nov 30, 2006 Posts: 286
Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2006 7:41 am Post subject:
robzzombie wrote:
Ok well a hardmod is the best...if u Fuc* up a softmod u need to do a hotswap which is hard to do. but if u have a hardmod then it is a snap it takes only 30 mins of your time to solder in the chip or if you have a solderless adapter then it will take less time. Flashing a chip is easy so yea id go with a hardmod. you could always do a TSOP flash. very easy to do ive done it to my friends xbox last week so yea u just need to know how to use a soldering iron and have some small wires.
well yea its the best but that the thing if you fudge on a chip you need a new one while a softmod IF you mange to screw up (which is nearly impossible with sid 4 system regardless of a newbie or not) you just do a hotswap and your fine . and a hotswap is not as hard as you think , tsop can badily mess it up as well
jtjones when you visit another city you'll find it and on ebay has some just make sure your looking for the right one , as far as upgrading the hard drive with the softmod the only thing you have to do is pre pare the cd (xboxhdm1.9 with a fresh ms dash on C and eeprom.bin on eeprom folder ) burn the disc open your pc put the disc put the new hard drive you want to make and less then 15 you got your self a new hard drive and then just plug n play to your xbox _________________ |FTP|Useful Links| softmod vs hardmod questions
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