Cheap Xbox 360 S Trinity RGH using an LPT port and X360Ace

William Quade on July 31, 2017

Out of the three seventh generation consoles that I have modded, I found the Xbox 360 to be the hardest to hack, mostly because of how hard it was to find current tutorials. Forums are filled with outdated information, and there are just so many different modchips, console revisions, and methods of hacking. I wanted to know how I could mod my Trinity console into a Trinity RGH console.

This post covers the process of doing an RGH2 mod on my Xbox 360 S Trinity console as cheaply as possible. Most guides mention buying expensive NAND programmers, glitch chips, QSB’s, and other specialized parts. I’ll be using a cheap $7 modchip, along with several dollars worth of electronics that you might already own. [Read More]

Adding an HDMI port to the PS2 fat

William Quade on July 24, 2017

In March I added an HDMI port to my original Xbox. This is a similar post covering the process of adding an HDMI port to the PS2 fat. The PS2 has a multi AV output port which supports composite, component, RGB SCART, S-Video, and even RF. These options were fine for 2000, but they don’t work very well with modern HDTVs. Adding an HDMI port allows the PS2 to output video directly to a modern HDTV or computer monitor.

Things you’ll need

Here’s a list of items that you’ll need for adding an HDMI port to your PS2 fat. [Read More]

Original Xbox 80mm fan upgrade

William Quade on July 17, 2017

Last week I wrote about upgrading the fan inside of my SCPH-39001 PS2 to a quieter Noctua fan. This post covers a similar mod, an original Xbox 80mm fan upgrade. I’ll be using a pretty standard Noctua 80mm 12V computer fan to silence my original Xbox.

Things you’ll need

Here’s a short list of things you’ll need to upgrade your original Xbox’s fan.

  • Original Xbox console
  • 80mm fan, I used a Noctua NF-A8
  • Tools to cut plastic, like a Dremel

Original Xbox stock cooling system overview

The original Xbox has a pretty simple cooling system design. There is a single 72mm fan in the back that sucks air in from the vents on the sides. The air goes through components like the power supply, processor, and graphics processor, and then out the back of the system. Both the disc drive tray, and hard drive tray, are used to route air where it needs to go. The fan does a pretty good job of keeping the console cool. I’ve never had my original Xbox overheat, but it can get warm. [Read More]

SCPH-39001 PS2 fan upgrade

William Quade on July 10, 2017

While my PS2 fat console isn’t even close to as loud as my PS3 fat, the fan inside still makes enough noise to be annoying in game. This post covers the process of upgrading the fan inside of my PS2 fat to a standard 60mm computer fan.

Things you’ll need

Here’s a short list of things you’ll need to upgrade your PS2’s fan.

PS2 fat stock cooling system overview

The PS2 fat has a pretty simple cooling system design. There is a single slim 60mm fan in the back that sucks air in from the vents on the front. The air goes through the power supply and heatsink fins, and out the back of the system. The fan does a pretty good job of keeping the console cool. My PS2 does get warm, but I haven’t ever had it overheat. [Read More]

SCPH-39001 PS2 Modbo 5.0 modchip installation (V7 NTSC board)

William Quade on June 30, 2017

Earlier this month I installed a Modbo 4.0 modchip into my SCPH-70012 PS2 slim console. Since I also own an SCPH-39001 PS2 fat, I decided to install a modchip into it. Modchips for the PlayStation 2 you to get more out of your PS2. Things like playing games from other regions, playing PS1 and PS2 backups, and running homebrew applications. This blog post covers the installation of the Modbo 5.0 modchip into my SCPH-39001 PS2 fat console.

Update: I put together a Modbo modchip installation guide that covers all board revisions. You can find that guide here.

Things you’ll need

  • An SCPH-39001 PS2 fat console
  • Tools to take apart the PS2
  • A Modbo 4.0 or Modbo 5.0 modchip. They are pin compatible, I bought my chip from Eurasia.
  • 30 AWG kynar insulated wire wrapping wire
  • A soldering iron and solder

Both the Modbo 4.0 and Modbo 5.0 modchips are good modchips. The Modbo 5.0 chip allows booting homebrew directly off of a USB flash drive, which is less important for a PS2 fat, because of the hard drive bay, but still a nice feature. [Read More]