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Mod Of The Month - Dynamike- February 2005
Hi dynamike -
First of all, I would just like to congratulate you on your awesome Xbox. It stood out, by far, from all of the other MOTM entries.
You have been picked for the Mod of the Month for the month of February!
All you need to do is answer the following questions to the best of your ability. Some of the questions may seem obvious, but to someone seeing your Xbox for the first time, it is probably something they should know.
If you have any questions about the MOTM or these questions feel free to let me know.
Here are the questions:
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What is the reason for removing the CPU and GPU heat sinks and then reapplying them?
I read about the mod on xbox-scene and I just liked it. I didn't do it because my the temperature was to high. I don't know actually, because I have a v1.6 box, I cannot read temperatures :) But it just looked like a fun mod to do, and not one that everyone has.
Did you create the plexi glass case yourself?
Yes, it is my biggest pride. I must confess the case of M0db0X inspired me a lot and really got me into the plexiglass case making thing.
(From reading several of the image descriptions I am assuming you did,
if not ignore the next few questions)
About how long did it take you to create just the case?
I had to wait a lot to get all the materials and because I am a student I had to spread my work. The got the plexi at a glass shop where they already cut out the basic square sizes for me, so all I needed to do was drill holes for the corner pieces. The corner pieces I also had to customize because they were not the right size and shape originally. But the whole basic process for the square case, without any holes, around 3 days. The rest of the case modifications is just spread out over the rest of the project. Whenever I needed a hole in the plexi, I made it.
How many holes did you cut into the new case and for what reasons?
A lot! Seriously! My method for making square holes in the case, controllerports for example, is just drilling a lot of holes near the edge, and then filing it all off until you get a nice smooth edge. It it very time an energy expensive, but it gave the best looking result to me.
The big round holes (8cm diameter) I made with a special holes saw, so I got a perfect round hole to perfectly fit my fan.
How did you mount the motherboard on the plexi glass?
I layed down the motherboard on the plexi sheets where I wanted it, and set spots through the holes for the screws onto the plexi sheet. After that I drilled 3mm holes in the plexi, using a drill used for metal. I got hold of 5 mm
plastic spacers to keep a little space between the motherboard and the plexi. With a 3mm bolt and nut through the hole, through the spacer, through the mobo.
How many hard drives are in your case, and what do you use them for?
I've got 2 harddrives: the original 10 GB + an new 200GB Maxtor. I mainly use the Maxtor for backups and other software. But when I go play on Xbox Live!, I switch to the original, for safety. Because I heard the rumours about bannings because of new harddrives. I used the llamma double hdd switch, so I can just flip over a switch (when powered down) to go to the other drive.
What mod-chip do you have installed?
I've got an Xecuter 3.0 installed. I liked all the functions of the chip and its reputation, but most importantly: to easily connect a nice big lcd screen.
What do you use the USB ports on your Xbox for?
I only have 1 USB port installed. It is for keyboard use for Linux, though I haven’t been using it a lot because Linux just doesn’t perfectly work on v1.6 xboxes.
What all did you modify on your DVD drive?
I created a full dvd window myself. I got my inspiration from one8seven, who is also on xb-t. At first it was hard to imagine what was going on in the drive, but when I opened it, it suddenly was all clear to me. I made a new plexiglass top for the drive. To finish it I made custom stickers to not show the ugly parts of the drive and leave a nice shine. I also got my own personal spinning logo on the spinner. People liked it a lot, and asked me a lot of questions. This made me to make a tutorial, which has been on this site for some time now.
What does the LCD screen on the front of your Xbox case display?
It shows 4 lines of 20 characters. The 1 line displays the name of the chip, and the third line you can fill in yourself. It now just displays Dynamike :) Several programs on xbox support the lcd screen and will show you: progress bars or your selection.
What other hardware upgrades have you performed on your Xbox?
I installed two Ultra-Silent Fans of the brand Noiseblocker. They truly are VERY silent (9-11dB). Also for both of my harddrives a special silencer. My harddrives are mounted in some kind of rubber feet, which should cut the noise a little. I also had to lengthen my dvd drive cable, because it had to go to the other side of the box, for a better height distribution a box with two harddrives. Also a customized ATA133 Cable for two harddrives. I also shifted the positions of the connectors a bit, for a better fit. Some new buttons. Two new Power/Eject LED buttons, and a fan speed switch, to control the noise and speed of both of my fans.
How did you make the front of your Xbox white?
A white sticker is pasted on the inside of the plexiglass. At my work me have a big sticker cutting machine, so I could cut my own design. It is the same method as on top of the dvd drive.
What is the symbol on the front and on your DVD drive?
Is is the logo of my own brand bignose skateboarding. If you look closely you will see it is a nose from the side with a cirkel around it. At my work I create my own clothing and sometimes sell something to my buddies.
How did you light your case?
I used one big 30cm blue CCL in front of my case to light up the whole thing. I also added four controllerport LEDs and off course the led buttons, that’s all.
What do the various lights and switches on the front of your Xbox do?
From left to right: HDD switch, CCL Switch, Status LED (to display the original error codes), Power LED button, Eject LED button, Fan speed button. I will soon add another HDD and LAN activity LED next to the status LED.
How did you install the power switch on the back of your S controller?
I used a tutorial from xbox-scene. There seems to be an unused cable going through the controller cable, with can be used for other tasks, such as a switch. I used the same LED button, as the ones on front of my xbox. You will
have to modify some of the wiring in the xbox as well in the controller. There isn't much space in the S Controller so had a little bit of trouble getting it all in. But is worked out fine.
If you don’t mind us asking, about how much did the entire project cost you?
Hmmm, my mother certainly doesn't want to know :) I got the xbox for cheap: 150 euro's with controller and game. 100 Euro for the 200GB harddrive, 100 Euro for the chip and software, 70 Euro for the plexiglass, and lets say another 100 Euro for the rest of all the assecoires. It certainly wasn’t cheap, but I think it was worth it...
About how long did your entire project take?
As you can see I posted my first pic on 2nd of November 2004, so that was when is started. So that’s 3 months of school and modding.
Are you happy with the overall result of your Xbox?
Yes, very. And it is even better to receive the Mod of the Month Award for all my work. Thank you so much.
What was the hardest part of your project?
The patience I needes for all the plexi drilling and filing. Sometimes I really needed a break when I was doing that.
Do you plan on modifying your Xbox further or modifying another?
Except for the HDD and LAN activity LEDs, I am not planning on something. I may come over something in the future that I may add, but I don’t know for now. I'm also modding my old v1.0 box a little, just for fun. It isn't going as
radical as the other case.
Is there anything else you would like to mention?
Thank you guys for getting me into xbox modding. It really all started, when I first visited this website and saw all those cool casemods. I wish everybody all the luck in modding his or her xbox. Im from The Netherlands so my English may be faulty sometimes :)
Mike
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Thank you tremendously for taking your valuable time to answer these questions,
- Lee
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