Topic: From Matrix To What? (Read 17 times)

cwhiteh2 · « **on:** February 19, 2006, 10:15:00 AM »

I modded a v1.0 xbox with the matrix modchip 3 years ago and I love it. I was just given another version 1 xbox and I need another mod chip. I want one that I can just screw down like the matrix.

Can you please tell me where to buy one or if they don't sell them anymore, what is the cheapest substitute (must be no solder)...

thanks for your help in advance...

funnyperson1 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 19, 2006, 05:26:00 PM »

Its not that cheap (probably around 50-60 bucks total) but I would get an Executer 2.6CE + Xapt3r 3.

I would avoid the Spider chip because I have heard bad things about them, see here: http://www.hackdabox.com/bestchip.html

Julius Pleaser · « **Reply #2 on:** February 19, 2006, 06:26:00 PM »

why not just solder in a chip? I never understood a solderless chip. It's not like soldering a chip is that much more work.

cwhiteh2 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 21, 2006, 04:52:00 AM »

I don't solder cause I don't have a gun or the expertise...pretty tempted to try though with that new cold heat solder gun, looks sweet...

but the tip is probably to big...I just don't have enough time behind the iron to risk my board....

gjm · « **Reply #4 on:** February 21, 2006, 06:32:00 AM »

Don't use a cold heat solder gun, they're not suitable for an Xbox. A bog standard 15w iron from your local electrical store will be fine. Don't you know anyone who can solder? Fitting a chip to an Xbox is not a challenging soldering task, especially the pre 1.6 versions.

I wouldn't know about solderless adaptors..

Julius Pleaser · « **Reply #5 on:** February 21, 2006, 06:53:00 AM »

This cold heat things use an electric arc to generate the heat..... and I wouldn't trust putting an electric arc against my Xbox MB.
Radioshack 15-25W soldering iron will do just fine and it is like $8. Just get an old sound card or some PC part to practice soldering on. THen try soldering the chip. Or just find someone in your area to solder it.
Part of my business is soldering in mod chips for people cause they are fed up with the solderless ones, having to re-seat them every few months.
You can buy a DuoX2 and all the equipment you need to solder it for the price of a solderless mod chip. If you lived near Ottawa, ON Canada, I would offer to teach you.

cwhiteh2 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 21, 2006, 12:58:00 PM »

That's nice of you to offer...I'd take you up on that but I'm in Tampa Florida...so probably not economically sound.

Ironically, I'm like the XBOX mod guru of everyone I know. My brother-in-law soldered his aladin chip and now his box won't boot, even after he took the chip out and cleaned it up....

I just can't take that chance... Also, as far as having to re-seat, I've done it once in 3 years and it was time to clean the inside anyway. Dust is a HD and DVD killer...

Thanks again for the advice. I'm just gonna buy another matrix from the buy/sell forum.

Julius Pleaser · « **Reply #7 on:** February 21, 2006, 01:06:00 PM »

The best practice I can recommend to make sure you are more than able to mod a box is to get an old sound card or something. Go to a PC store (or maybe you have laying around) and ask something old and useless (Ie. Free) then practice connecting via's on the board just like how you see the traces (ie. your wire connects the same 2 vias as the trace connects). After you have done a few, pop it in your PC and see if the card still works. If you can do that ok, then you have no worries about ruining an Xbox and this is way harder than soldering in a pin header, and the Alt-D0 on a 1.0 is like 5x the size of the vias you practiced on.
If you really are too scared, then just go to www.divineo.com and get on of the solderless options. BUT DON"T buy a spiderchip as they are garbage

Author Topic: From Matrix To What? (Read 17 times)