PS1/2 Wanting to mod my PS2, found this ModBo 5.0 clone on eBay...

[dj505]

This is it:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/MODBO5-0-V1-...637472?hash=item4884061920:g:s-cAAOSwCqVXiGq2
Anyone ever tried one of these clone chips? Or is it just crap? The official chips are WAY too expensive (I'm talking like $60 total here in Canada with shipping and everything). I wanna play some Japanese DDR games, but don't have a NTSC-J console, and since I've successfully modded my Gamecube as well as a few other consoles, it shouldn't be difficult.

 

[Armadillo]

As far as I am aware, the 5.0 works fine. It's just modbo4.0 with a built in boot menu for loading from usb.

What do you mean by official anyway? All the modbos are just Matrix infinity clones anyway.

 

[TidusWulf]

244 sold, high volume high quality seller, it's probably a satisfactory product. Just make sure you're willing to solder. Otherwise buy an action replay/gameshark to play imports/ burned games. There's a softmod these days. No chip required. That's why they're going out of style, I'm pretty sure. http://www.epforums.org/showthread.php?80570-PS2-Softmod-ultimate-guide

 

[dj505]

As far as I am aware, the 5.0 works fine. It's just modbo4.0 with a built in boot menu for loading from usb.

What do you mean by official anyway? All the modbos are just Matrix infinity clones anyway.

Ah, I didn't know that. I saw some chips that were more expensive on a modchip-specific site beforehand. Should I get a 4.0 instead then? I wanna be able to boot from USB.

There's a softmod these days. No chip required. That's why they're going out of style, I'm pretty sure. http://www.epforums.org/showthread.php?80570-PS2-Softmod-ultimate-guide

I'd honestly rather hardmod it, haha. It's more fun tinkering around with the actual hardware and seeing how it works imo, plus I wouldn't have to switch discs every time. Just put the disc in and play.

 

[Armadillo]

Ah, I didn't know that. I saw some chips that were more expensive on a modchip-specific site beforehand. Should I get a 4.0 instead then? I wanna be able to boot from USB.

Far as I am aware, the boot from usb with the 5.0 is just a built in menu to load stuff from usb. I wouldn't get too hung up on it, it's just something been added to try and make it stand out from the crowd. While not a built in menu, any chip with dev1/dev2 mode (basically loading a .elf from hdd/memory card on boot if you hold a button down), can achieve basically the same thing by just setting ulaunchelf (file manager, can launch other elfs among other stuff) or opl or whatever homebrew for loading something, to dev1/dev2. Loading games from usb is shit though if you didn't know. Usb 1.1 is slow and bad.

Modbo 4.0 is fine as well. Earlier than that, I would leave it. Wasn't until the 4.0 that modbo sorted the config menu (earlier modbos either bricked or couldn't save settings if you accessed the matrix infinity config menu).

Softmods have come along way, but chip is still the only way for direct boot of unpatched backups and imports. Not like softmod and chip are exclusive anyway, if you want to start loading from hdd at anypoint, nothing stopping you from using stuff like opl on a chipped machine.

 

[dj505]

usb 1.1 is slow and bad.

Trust me, I know haha.

Thanks for all the info! I ordered the chip, it should be here in a month or so (I wish shipping didn't take so long)