Hacking Hardware Cheapmod Mini - a brand-new Cheapmod-based modchip for the OG Xbox

Jayro · Feb 14, 2024

Have you toyed with the idea of using a 512KB chip with a switch to swap address banks, and possibly have a dual-bios setup? If not, I suppose two 256KB chips could still work. But then it wouldn't be exactly "Mini" :rofl2:

SylverReZ · Feb 14, 2024

Jayro said:
Have you toyed with the idea of using a 512KB chip with a switch to swap address banks, and possibly have a dual-bios setup? If not, I suppose two 256KB chips could still work. But then it wouldn't be exactly "Mini"

I guess you could say that its possible, never tried it though.

marsy_mcmarsface · Feb 15, 2024

I have a 1.6 Xbox here that doesn't have a disc drive and I am looking for the cheapest possible way to make it playable. I think your modchip is my best bet. I, however, am very new to Xbox modding. Is it even necessary to have a drive at all? A lot of the things I have read make it seem like most modchips need the disc drive for intial set up. Maybe I am reading them wrong though.

Also, how do you intend to get the required flash chips? Other than the Italian man that you mentioned, who doesn't seem to ship to the USA, I haven't been able to find a reliable supplier for them.

SylverReZ · Feb 15, 2024

marsy_mcmarsface said:
I have a 1.6 Xbox here that doesn't have a disc drive and I am looking for the cheapest possible way to make it playable. I think your modchip is my best bet. I, however, am very new to Xbox modding. Is it even necessary to have a drive at all?

You don't always need to have a DVD drive, since once you've modded it, you can have all of your games onto the HDD. Cerbios is what I personally recommend, it doesn't check for the disc drive on boot-up and does a lot more over the original BIOS.

marsy_mcmarsface said:
Also, how do you intend to get the required flash chips? Other than the Italian man that you mentioned, who doesn't seem to ship to the USA, I haven't been able to find a reliable supplier for them.

I got them from the Italian eBay seller, although, there are 49LF020 chips on AliExpress. When you buy them from Ali, you are either likely to get resurfaced 49LF020A/Bs which do not work with this, or supposedly the real deal. I haven't bought any from there yet, I do suggest getting a PLCC32 socket just to test.

marsy_mcmarsface · Feb 15, 2024

SylverReZ said:
I got them from the Italian eBay seller, although, there are 49LF020 chips on AliExpress. When you buy them from Ali, you are either likely to get resurfaced 49LF020A/Bs which do not work with this, or supposedly the real deal. I haven't bought any from there yet, I do suggest getting a PLCC32 socket just to test.

Just got off the phone with a company out in California that specializes in obsolete components. Website says they have 1,033 of them, I never trust those online number though. He said he would get back to me on a quote for 10 of them. They seem pretty legit. Website lists about every certification there is and they claim to have "Counterfeit Screening."

If the quote is a good price and the chips are legit, I feel like your design could become the new budget option for a modchip.