Xbox 360 DVD firmware key extraction

William Quade on February 18, 2017

Every Xbox 360 has a special key that is stored on the DVD drive, and the motherboard. This key is used to prevent modification to the console. In order to flash a custom drive firmware, use an ODE, or replace the DVD drive, you must first obtain the key from the original DVD drive. This is a guide on how to extract the Xbox 360 DVD firmware key using household items.

If you search Google for how to get the DVD key from an Xbox 360 you’ll find that most tutorials say that some sort of external device that you have to buy is required. Common hardware devices include the Team Xecuter X360USB, and Xecuter CK3i. Additionally some drives require special probes to be flashed. [Read More]

PS3 delid, Cell CPU and RSX GPU IHS removal

William Quade on February 13, 2017

In order to save a little bit of money, maximizing profits, it’s common for companies to use cheap thermal interface material. In the case of the PS3, the thermal paste that Sony used for the Cell processor and the RSX graphics processor doesn’t age very well.

I recently bought an original 60GB PlayStation 3, with the CECHA01 model number. In the past I have used newer PS3s, and they were all reasonably quiet, so I was surprised at what I heard not long after turning on my console. The fan went to full speed, and never went back down to a reasonable level. [Read More]

Xenon Xbox 360 project introduction

William Quade on February 11, 2017

Microsoft was the first company to release a seventh generation video game console when they released the Xbox 360. Even though Microsoft had problems with reliability, and required a paid subscription to play online, they outsold the PS3 within the United States for much of the generation. Last November, I bought one of those original white 20GB Xbox 360 Pro systems for less than $25. That’s less than 7% of what the original MSRP was back in 2005.

My console has an interesting past. I know it’s one of the launch Xenon consoles because of the 20GB hard drive, the lack of an HDMI port, and the higher wattage power port. At one point the system must have failed and was fixed by Microsoft, because there is an upgraded heatsink, and a sticker on the back marked as 2009. Because these older Xbox 360 consoles are prone to failure, I’m going to be modding my console to run as cool and quiet as possible. This is the introduction to a series of blog posts documenting my experiences restoring and modding my Xbox 360. [Read More]

CECHA01 PS3 project introduction

William Quade on February 11, 2017

Sony’s original PS3 consoles were built to do everything. With built in support for PS1, PS2, and PS3 games, in addition to a Blu-ray player, the launch PS3 models were very versatile. Last November I bought a CECHA01 system, the original 60GB fat model, from eBay for a little over $50, less than 9% of what the original MSRP was back in 2006.

While I did know that the original Xbox 360s had reliability issues, I didn’t know that the original PS3s were also so prone to failure. In an effort to keep my PS3 running for a long time I’m modding the system to run as cool and quietly as possible. This is the introduction to a series of blog posts documenting my experiences restoring and modifying my original PS3. [Read More]

Post 0: Hello World

William Quade on February 10, 2017

Hello world.

I’ve had this domain for a while, but have never used it for anything. Most recently it has been a resume landing page containing information about my experience, and links to my social media profiles.

I have since installed WordPress, so that I can write about projects that I am working on. Writing about my projects should be a lot more interesting than what was on here before. Along with blog posts I’m planning on recording some videos.

Some of the first projects I’ll be covering on this blog include restoring and modding an original Xbox 360 and PS3, my weather station, and my plans to build a basic computer from scratch using transistors. [Read More]