My Xbox came in the mail yesterday!
Sorry if this post isn't worded well, I've had an exhausting day...
Unlike when I got the 360 (the seller just tossed everything loose in a box, including a loose disc LOL), the seller of this Xbox actually did a great job packaging it. The console had a few layers of bubble wrap on all sides, and there was padding all around it in the box. I tested it a little bit last night, just a few minutes in a couple of games, and everything seems to work great!
I had to open it up to check on a few things. Most important, I wanted to check the solder joints for the AC connector since that can be dangerous. They look OK. The seller stated that some maintenance was done: Clock cap removed, drive belt replaced, CPU and GPU thermal compound replaced. I wanted to crack it open and confirm a few things. The clock cap was indeed removed, but it looks like it leaked a bit. Either someone didn't clean it, or didn't do a good enough job cleaning it. So I scrub it a little with IPA, you don't want that stuff to sit on the PCB because it will corrode parts and eat traces. For those that don't know, the Xbox is known for having the clock capacitor leak. And I saw a bit of dried thermal paste floating around, so I guess that means the heatsinks were pulled. I'll probably pull them off again and then have to reapply the thermal compound. I think I want to do a recap on this, so I'll end up doing a more detailed cleaning of the motherboard at that time.
So it looks like this is a version 1.0 console. I've seen different 3D printed brackets to get aftermarket fans on there, which I definitely want to do. The stock fans are so damn loud and annoying. What I'll probably do is just slowly order parts for this. I already have the mod chip, but I'll have to order caps, fan brackets, and some other random bits and bobs. Then at some point I'll just go to town and do everything at once. After I get the mod chip installed, I plan to upgrade the HDD with a SSD.
The console skin is kinda cool, at least in that it's a part of video game history. Like when you see those NES controller stickers. So it almost seems like a shame to remove it, but there's just no way I want to keep that on there LOL. It came off very easily, and luckily there were no real surprises underneath. Just one small blemish, but not a bid deal. Looks better in person than the above pic, the camera pics up everything. The scratches on the glossy part to stand out nearly as much in person. And also, there's a ton of lint on it because I had just wiped it prior to taking that pic.
edit: Forgot to mention... This Xbox came with composite cables. I know I can get really cheap component cables, but the quality of them is questionable. I was going to hold out and get the
ElectronXout when it's back in stock (converts to HDMI output), but I may end up getting some cheap component cables after all. Just to hold me over. The composite video signal really is shit.
opa wrote: ↑Tue Apr 23, 2024 11:36 pm
It's an okay game. If you wind up being a big LotR fan after finishing the books I'd check it out. Otherwise your time may be better spent giving FFX another shot (if you so desire). It's one I want to go back to when I find the time (but I really enjoy LotR).
I only just recently became interested in LotR. And like I said, I'm most of the way through Fellowship. But that said, so far I'm a fan. This game definitely sounds interesting. And I've already picked up a copy since it's very cheap. Question though: To avoid any possible spoilers, is it safe to play the game after reading Fellowship? Or should I wait to play this game until after I finish the trilogy?
emwearz wrote: ↑Wed Apr 24, 2024 12:27 am
What time of games are you currently in the mood for Ziggs? Or are you just wanting a bit of a backlog and enjoy collecting again?
Yeah, I have to admit, I'm really enjoying being able to collect again with a lot of the Xbox games being so cheap. So I guess I'm just looking to grab any game that I might be interested in playing, either now or sometime in the future. But I have been on sort of an old school FPS kick. I use to play a lot of FPS during this console generation, but eventually I got pretty burnt out on them. I haven't played many FPS since then. But more recently I've been slowly becoming interested in them again. I don't know if it's nostalgia for the games I played back then, or if I'm just genuinely interested in the genre again LOL.