Topic: General Hardware FAQ (Read 18320 times)

Cutriss · « **Reply #90 on:** October 02, 2003, 01:56:00 PM »

QUOTE (Blind_Samurai @ Sep 7 2003, 03:56 AM)

I want somebody to upgrade my RAM, is there anybody who does it?
Yes, tester123 on these forums does memory upgrade.

http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?act=ST&f=29&t=50672&st=195

Anyone else out there that does it besides Wolfsoft? I'm edgy about shipping a box to them all the way out in Germany. If US Customs was finicky about Bung kits, I can only imagine what they'd have to say about this. Not that they'd know, but does that mean I should trust them?

A.Z.BEST · « **Reply #91 on:** October 10, 2003, 09:56:00 AM »

I can do anything with the Xbox. In Denmark of course

. RAM addition, TSOP flash, everything

.

Cutriss · « **Reply #92 on:** October 21, 2003, 01:28:00 PM »

Well, I'd really rather keep it domestic, for the same reasons I outlined above (US Customs, all of that nonsense).

Does anyone in the US still do RAM installations?

Kthulu · « **Reply #93 on:** October 23, 2003, 09:27:00 PM »

updated and straight-forward guide to determining xbox version at...

http://xbox-linux.so...onsfinding.html

theancientone · « **Reply #94 on:** October 25, 2003, 11:47:00 AM »

. My PAL Xbox's DVD seems to be going down the pan, it has chronic read problems on games that worked fine, I keep getting DDDE's (Dirty/Disk Damaged Error) I have verified the disks on other machines and work fine. What and how do I change the DVD on a unmodded box, I asked MS for a replacement to buy and they just got funny telling me to send it to them to repair, I want to keep the original look at the mo so how do I keep the flush fitting drive door in place.

Cheers all to everyone except the snotty buggers at MS

dink · « **Reply #95 on:** October 29, 2003, 09:02:00 AM »

Blind Samuari wrote:

QUOTE

Is there a tutorial on this?
There is no definite tutorial on how to do this.

I'll take a crack at it.

How to install an additional 64 meg into XBOX's.

I recommend using 4 BRAND NEW memory chips. Not from another MB or Video card. You can run into problems by using other memory chips that were removed via some type of heat method. Heat can destroy these chips!

Most of this comes from my 8+ yrs of soldering experience and from this instructional site, that has a video clip, showing how to solder SMT chips.

CAUTION: Before adding the memory or doing any other mods, make sure your box is unplug and you are grounded from any Static Electricity!!

PREP WORK: The XBox MB's that I upgraded were 1.0's and 1.1's. When looking at the memory pads, you will notice a little mound of solder on each of them. I removed the extra solder for all of the memory pads first, with solder wick. The video show the pads being tinned, not having a mound solder on them. You can tell by looking at the memory pads and run your finger across them. With the memory pads being tinned and the chips being tinned, is ample enough of solder to do the job.

1. Placed a small amount flux around the pads. (just like in the video, but use much less)

2. Line up pin 1 of the chip with pin 1 on the MB. Look at the another memory chip on the MB as a comparision.

3. Align the pins

4. Check the alignment of all pins, on each sides.

5. Tack down one pin in a corner with the Solder iron. (DO NOT ADD ANY SOLDER)

6. Check aligment again!

7. Tack down one pin on the opposite corner. (DO NOT ADD ANY SOLDER)

8. Check alignment. (After the next step, there is NO turning back!!)

9. Now slowly move the solder iron along the pins on each side, just like in the video.

10. Double check for any shorts between pins with a magnify glass. I used my wife's embroidery magnify glass. As you can see in the picture below, a digital camera works great!

11. Now repeat this process for the 3 other memory chips. 2 on each side of the board.

If you compare the pins on the chip you just soldered in, with other memory chip, you will see that there is less solder on your chip. This if fine. With the solder still tinned on the pad and the solder tinned on pins of the chip, there is plenty of solder to do the job.

As for difficulty, it was challenging.

Other suggestions:
DON'T RUSH IT!
Take you time!
Do 1 chip an hour!

The 1st time I did this, it took over 4 hrs. (I did not remove the mounds of solder first) Afterwards, I found lots of shorts.
The 2nd time it took an hour. (This time I removed the mounds of solder first) Afterwards, I found 3 shorts.
The 3rd time it took 45 mins. No shorts

Here is a sample of one of the chips I soldered in.
If you look closely, in the RED circles you will see a couple of solder bridges.
user posted image

Once you have soldered them and the pins look good, you should double check each voltage (VDD, VDDQ) pins with an ohm meter to ground. In a German 64 meg installation PDF file, it shows which pins are the VDD and VDDQ pins.

You can do a quick test, by only powering up the MB. You don't need to connect up the drives yet. Once powered up, you should get the normal GREEN LED and the "X" logo. Assuming you are using the retail BIOS.

If you get FRAO (Flashing Red And Orange) you have a short somewhere or an open!

Once you get the normal GREEN LED, you can then reassemble the box.
I then loaded up XBMP and went to "System", "Status" and view the memory status. You should see 95/128MB.
user posted image

Good Luck!

Dink...

Rodent · « **Reply #96 on:** November 10, 2003, 03:24:00 AM »

mate,
thanks for relinkingmy tutorial,
actually i would like this to be translated in english,

but havent found someone yet, who is willing to do that.

also great tutorial from you

greets
rod

liemer · « **Reply #97 on:** November 15, 2003, 08:57:00 AM »

Can u guys show pics of where to install the chip i cant tell where u installed the ram
like point to it with like fireworks or something thanx

Cutriss · « **Reply #98 on:** November 15, 2003, 04:24:00 PM »

QUOTE (liemer @ Nov 15 2003, 06:57 PM)

Can u guys show pics of where to install the chip i cant tell where u installed the ram
like point to it with like fireworks or something thanx

I think I can safely say that if you're asking where the RAM should go, you shouldn't be installing it...

heinrich · « **Reply #99 on:** November 15, 2003, 04:34:00 PM »

dink: can you post what bios's you have used and the results (which ones recognize the extra RAM ok). From what I have read, the x2 bios's work fine, but have you (or anyone else) tried using a evox bios?

TIA.

evoxreloaded · « **Reply #100 on:** November 23, 2003, 01:00:00 AM »

i was wondering about the xbox defrag.. my drive is full and some games lag mostly halo at some points.. but this shouldnt happen the box is too powerful.. how can i fix this???

heinrich · « **Reply #101 on:** November 23, 2003, 01:25:00 AM »

QUOTE (evoxreloaded @ Nov 23 2003, 05:00 AM)

i was wondering about the xbox defrag.. my drive is full and some games lag mostly halo at some points.. but this shouldnt happen the box is too powerful.. how can i fix this???

backup your data and format.

evoxreloaded · « **Reply #102 on:** November 23, 2003, 08:07:00 AM »

i cant format my laptop hdd is too small to hold all the progz on my box and i spent too much time getting those

Cutriss · « **Reply #103 on:** November 23, 2003, 09:11:00 AM »

Well, that's the only route you've got for now. There is currently no Xbox disk defrag program. The only way to do it is to pull all the data off of it and then put it back in order.

heinrich · « **Reply #104 on:** November 23, 2003, 11:01:00 AM »

QUOTE (evoxreloaded @ Nov 23 2003, 12:07 PM)

i cant format my laptop hdd is too small to hold all the progz on my box and i spent too much time getting those

Then you are out of luck! There is no defrag app for the xbox.

Author Topic: General Hardware FAQ (Read 18320 times)