XBOX Mod Chip Questions...

[Martoch]

Hi guys!


Can anyone provide me with info on just how the XBOX mod chip works? I was told that it allows you to download games to put on the XBOX's hard drive (regular IDE drive?) and play them without a disc...any truth to that? Also, can the XBOX hard drive be upgraded to allow for more games? Can it interfere with the DVD functionality or normal game play? Finally, is it legal?

I have no knowledge on the subject, but I promised I would find out ASAP and was hoping that somebody here would know something about it.

Thanks in advance,
Mike

[butch81385]

ok, legality first. well modding voids all warranties as you can guess. is it legal? the mod chip itself: yes. the bios you must flash onto the chip: not really (lots of gray and black area here). if you search for mod chips you will usually find that they "do not come flashed".

if you do happen to flash it, there are ways to upgrade the hard drive (i have seen someplaces that sell xboxes for $400+ that have a mod chip installed as well as a 120 or 160 gig hard drive). i believe you can put the games on the hard drive much like if you would store a cd image on a computer. if you try to go onto xbox live with a mod chip, you will get banned from xbox live (even if you take out the mod chip or try on a different system). to get around this they make mod chips that can turn on and off. the downside is that you can not play backups or hard-drive-stored games on xbox live. i believe the xbox hard drive is IDE or easily swapable with an IDE (maybe a connector, i dont know). with a mod chip you can also use the xbox to run different "dashboards" for playing mp3s or videos directly from the hard drive. you can also install linux on the xbox.

once again, the mod chip is legal, flashing it to play backups, imports, and hard-drive-stored games, installing a new dashboard, or installing linux is in the gray to black area (meaning it may be "technically legal" or "technically illegal" or straight up illegal.

someone else may be able to clarify or correct me on any of this

[mike_sanfil]

hmm, from what i have heard the bios are the ilegal part. You can use a mod chip in conjunction with some software called EvolutionX which can be used to install a new hard drive. It also creates a new dashboard that looks and works sort of like Windows Media Edition, that also lets you back up games to your hard drive. You can then transfer games and files between modded xboxes through your lan or even over the internet. (if you have a game backed up on one xbox, that game can be played on all the other modded xboxes on that lan) Mod chips are getting better every day, and the software is evolving so who knows that they have now. (no pun intended)

[yohon125]

everything you asked about can and has been done. as for the legallity, i am unsure. you can add a larger hd, backup games and music, and movies and play them off it. dvd quality and gameplay are completely unaffected.

[rpertusio]

You may find EvoX helpful. Check out the 'guides' section. You'll find (just about) everything you need to know!

- rp

[jmebonner]

YGPM, pardnar.