Xbox Slim Worklog

Includes PS2, Xbox 1, GameCube (but not the Phantom Game Console)

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Xbox Slim Worklog

Post by eagle5953 » Tue Mar 03, 2009 1:33 pm

Not an actual portable, but I'm planning on slimming down an original xbox. Ideally, it will look something like this:

Image

While it may look impossibly thin, remember that the angle of the picture minimizes the bottom of it. However, if it does end up being a half inch taller than the pic, I'm not going to be broken up about it.

This will be achieved by using some of the same tactics used by Ben for his Xpod:
[X] replacing the stock hard drive with a laptop hard drive
[X] loading the hard drive with my XBox games
[X] removing the disk drive
[ ] flashing the TSOP
[ ] trimming the original case down

I'm debating making the disk drive plug in like the XBox 360's HD-DVD drive. Also, do you think it will look good in white? I think it would look Apple-esque.
Last edited by eagle5953 on Fri Mar 06, 2009 5:22 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Xbox Slim

Post by 64M320N3 » Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:50 pm

Oh, it wouldn't be impossible.
You're pretty good at photoshop, BTW.
Good idea, but the thing still sucks too much power down to make it "portable".
White would look good!
(as for the apple motive, uh... why?)
Contradiction is great! Do it!
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Re: Xbox Slim

Post by nevermind1534 » Tue Mar 03, 2009 6:14 pm

I know somebody who slims down xboxes. He has one that is incredibly small. I'll post a link if anybody's interested.
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Re: Xbox Slim

Post by 64M320N3 » Tue Mar 03, 2009 6:18 pm

The guy that made the xbox mini?
You KNOW HIM? personally? Really?
Sorry, that's kind of what I was assuming what you were talking about.
Making stuff with my new beautiful CNC machine!
Would you like a professional looking custom case for your portable? I may be able to help you. Check out this link:
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Re: Xbox Slim

Post by nevermind1534 » Tue Mar 03, 2009 6:30 pm

64M320N3 wrote:The guy that made the xbox mini?
You KNOW HIM? personally? Really?
Sorry, that's kind of what I was assuming what you were talking about.
nope, just a somebody who makes them. http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/foru ... hp?t=17269
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Re: Xbox Slim

Post by eagle5953 » Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:09 pm

64M320N3 wrote:Oh, it wouldn't be impossible.
You're pretty good at photoshop, BTW.
Good idea, but the thing still sucks too much power down to make it "portable".
White would look good!
(as for the apple motive, uh... why?)
Contradiction is great! Do it!
Thanks! (I use Gimp, actually, but thanks just the same) :)

I think I'd like the look of white. When I said "Apple-esque," I meant in the sense that they have clean, minimalistic designs. I actually don't have a single Apple product, now that I think of it, not even an iPod (more of a Creative man myself).

Should I keep the jewel green, or should that be white as well?

nevermind1534 wrote:I know somebody who slims down xboxes. He has one that is incredibly small. I'll post a link if anybody's interested.
I followed your link - he's very good. He doesn't even bother with using a laptop hard drive, which is impressive. However, I don't feel I need to make it as absolutely thin as possible; rather, I want to make a relatively thin one that does not require extensive modification. For example, I'm willing to chop up/bend heatsinks, but not resort to water-cooling.

Perhaps I'll get very motivated and have it ready in time for MGC '09. Not nearly as impressive a mod as a portable, but at least I wouldn't be showing up empty-handed.

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Re: Xbox Slim

Post by nevermind1534 » Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:14 pm

eagle5953 wrote:
nevermind1534 wrote:I know somebody who slims down xboxes. He has one that is incredibly small. I'll post a link if anybody's interested.
I followed your link - he's very good. He doesn't even bother with using a laptop hard drive, which is impressive. However, I don't feel I need to make it as absolutely thin as possible; rather, I want to make a relatively thin one that does not require extensive modification. For example, I'm willing to chop up/bend heatsinks, but not resort to water-cooling.

Perhaps I'll get very motivated and have it ready in time for MGC '09. Not nearly as impressive a mod as a portable, but at least I wouldn't be showing up empty-handed.
Actually, he did wire up a laptop hard drive later on, but ended up having to put it in his gf's laptop after the hard drive in it died. He has no money, so I'm sending him a package with RAM and a heatsink so he can get his new computer working (his old one died). I happen to know somebody else who lives within 20 minutes who is going to be buying stuff from me, so that covers the shipping, plus some. I also got him a job modding that guy's xbox. I'd post some additional pics, but his server isn't online right now.

I wish I could go to the MGC, but I can't this time :(
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Re: Xbox Slim

Post by eagle5953 » Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:21 pm

I see. XBox modding is so tough to figure out initially - I looked at tons of websites before I found one that explained it in a way I could understand, and even then, it still took hours of guess-and-test work to get it to happen. If I had a friend who could do that, I would be all over it.

On the plus side, I now have 2 8GB hard drives that I can use for other purposes.

Seems to be a lot of people who wish they could come to MGC but can't - I'm fortunate to be living near enough to go there.

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Re: Xbox Slim

Post by nevermind1534 » Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:38 pm

eagle5953 wrote:I see. XBox modding is so tough to figure out initially - I looked at tons of websites before I found one that explained it in a way I could understand, and even then, it still took hours of guess-and-test work to get it to happen. If I had a friend who could do that, I would be all over it.
He actually offered to mod one of mine for free. I might take him up on that offer eventually.
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Re: Xbox Slim

Post by eagle5953 » Wed Mar 04, 2009 8:56 pm

I'm working tonight on saving all my games onto the hard drive. Not only will that allow me to lose the disk drive, but games load much faster as well.

*adjusting first post to reflect current status*

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Re: Xbox Slim

Post by 64M320N3 » Fri Mar 06, 2009 3:50 pm

How big of a hard drive is it?
You won't be able to save crap on the stock 8 GB hard drive.
(and i think the xbox can address max 120 GB, or is that the 360? correct me if i'm wrong.)
Making stuff with my new beautiful CNC machine!
Would you like a professional looking custom case for your portable? I may be able to help you. Check out this link:
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Re: Xbox Slim

Post by eagle5953 » Fri Mar 06, 2009 4:06 pm

64M320N3 wrote:How big of a hard drive is it?
You won't be able to save crap on the stock 8 GB hard drive.
(and i think the xbox can address max 120 GB, or is that the 360? correct me if i'm wrong.)
You're right about the uselessness of 8 GB drives - I put a 120 GB drive in it. Could have gone bigger, but I think it's more than enough. Not putting my entire movie collection on it, after all.

The C:, E:, X:, Y:, and Z: partitions get the first 8 GB, I think. Beyond that, it creates an F: partition. If the F: partition would be over 137 GB, it creates a G: partition for the remainder (presumably up to an additional 137 GB). It'd probably just keep adding 137 GB partitions as needed.

If anyone has thrown a Terabyte drive in there, let me know what it does. :D

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Re: Xbox Slim

Post by nevermind1534 » Fri Mar 06, 2009 4:12 pm

eagle5953 wrote:
64M320N3 wrote:How big of a hard drive is it?
You won't be able to save crap on the stock 8 GB hard drive.
(and i think the xbox can address max 120 GB, or is that the 360? correct me if i'm wrong.)
You're right about the uselessness of 8 GB drives - I put a 120 GB drive in it. Could have gone bigger, but I think it's more than enough. Not putting my entire movie collection on it, after all.

The C:, E:, X:, Y:, and Z: partitions get the first 8 GB, I think. Beyond that, it creates an F: partition. If the F: partition would be over 137 GB, it creates a G: partition for the remainder (presumably up to an additional 137 GB). It'd probably just keep adding 137 GB partitions as needed.

If anyone has thrown a Terabyte drive in there, let me know what it does. :D
You'd need an IDE-SATA adapter. Will IDE even work with drives that big?
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Re: Xbox Slim

Post by eagle5953 » Fri Mar 06, 2009 4:13 pm

Don't know enough about IDE to answer that.

I already had to adapt if from 44 pin laptop to 40 pin desktop IDE.

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Re: Xbox Slim Worklog

Post by eagle5953 » Fri Mar 06, 2009 5:25 pm

First major snag:

The XBox throws up an error message (no. 12) when the disk drive is unplugged. Not sure how to get around this one, but I'm going to start with google. Hopefully, there's a way to wire up something so that it detects a (nonexistent) drive.

Other people probably used mod chips, but mine's softmodded. Hope I can figure this one out.

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