xbox->pc case mod
(v0.1)
Tutorial
written
by : djboo
some
people
may wonder
why you
might
want to
do this...
put an
xbox in
a pc case.
if you
ask that
question,
this guide
is probably
not suited
to you.
However,
ill try
to answer
it...
* easier
access
to the
internals
* drive
swaps
are
easier
* cooling
is easier
* its
god
damned
pretty.
as
you can
see from
the pictures
below
i managed
to find
myself
a nice
black
case,
and a
removeable
drive
chassis.
this means
i can
switch
drives
and experiment
more freely
- it also
means,
with the
added
bios enable/disable
i can
still
use XBOX
LIVE without
fear of
issues
(since
i buy
my games
- im only
chipped
for homebrew).
the
first
thing
youve
got to
do is
get your
xbox apart.
i recommend
just stripping
it RIGHT
down,
every
single
componant
out of
there.
Next,
youve
got to
prep the
case -
meaning
removing
mobo posts/psu
and so
forth...
the
thing
youll
probably
want to
deal with
first
is the
PSU, this
is a hell
of a lot
smaller
than a
pc power
supply
- and
a bit
longer.
every
case will
be different
in this
situation
- but
theres
an easy
fix. on
the left
hand side
of the
psu theres
2 screw
holes
for mounting...
find somewhere
you can
fit the
psu, lining
the power
input
with the
back of
the case
(a few
mill overhang
is good)
use the
psu as
a guid
and using
a small
screw
driver,
mark where
the screw
holes
are. now
remove
the psu
and drill
these
holes
ready
for motherboard
stands.
insert
the motherboard
stands
and screw
the psu
to them.
this will
most likely
be a bit
wobbly
so what
i did
was get
a metal
plate
a bit
bigger
than a
pc psu,
marked
holes
where
the screws
fix it,
and made
a hole
just a
tiny bit
bigger
than the
power
input
socket.
once screwed
in place
this holds
the psu
fine.
next
is the
mobo...
the mobo
may look
like one,
but its
NOT atx
form factor.
however...
i found
if you
line the
network
port with
the top
pci slot,
the video
cable
will line
up with
the atx
panel
and ONE
screw
will line
up...
mark the
rest of
the holes
then insert
a mobo
post to
the one
that will
line up.
drill
the holes
you marked
and put
posts
in these
too. if
using
a modchip,
i recommend
soldering
the black
earth
wire and
not putting
a post
here...
this improved
reliablity
of my
x2 lite
ten fold.
next
up we
shall
deal with
the HD
and the
DVD. the
hd is
simple.
either
stick
in a bay,
or if
you like,
as i did,
insert
a 'kingston
frame'
or similar
removable
hd chassis.
the dvd
im sure
youll
quickly
find...
wont fit.
this is
worrying
but simple
to do.
see those
bits that
get in
the way?
see that
hacksaw?
you got
it, hack
saw those
ears off,
and file
down the
clippy
bits at
the back.
The drive
itself
isnt great
to look
at so
you have
a few
options...
you could
remove
the xbox
draw front,
find a
black
drive
and replace
the facias...
i wanted
to leave
the xbox
logo on
mine so
i simply
got black
tape and
masked
the uglyness.
connect
the ide
to make
sure everything
reaches.
you may
notice
in my
pic ive
used a
custom
cable
with more
than the
normal
number
of IDE
drops...
this is
for a
future
project
similar
to the
411gb
project.
the power
for ide
is easy
but we
wont connect
just yet.
the power
for the
dvd tho
is difficult.
its a
10 pin
(if i
remember
correctly)
custom
connector.
i simply
cut it
in the
middle
and extended
it with
ide ribbon.
be warned.
this is
a slow
an laborious
task.
expect
to take
at LEAST
an hour
over this.
be care
to make
sure the
extension
is pin
for pin.
before
we connect
the hd
power
supply
we will
fit a
fan to
the cpu
heat sinc.
the final
layout
of this
in my
case was
different
to the
pic. i
removed
the large
case fan
and mounted
a large
cpu fan
directly
on the
heat sinc.
i connected
this to
a hd power
extender
on the
5v line
even tho
its a
12v fan.
the xbox
needs
very little
cooling
compared
to a pc
(but it
DOES need
some form
of cooling)
and 5v
is plenty
enough
and much
quieter.
once the
power
for the
fan is
sorted,
connect
the hd
power
up.
next
thing
is the
game ports.
theres
a lot
of freedom
here,
since
the xbox
is just
a slightly
custom
usb interface.
however
i have
the desire
to run
linux
so need
usb but
also have
a dvd
remote
and intend
to use
the light
gun (the
only mod
to the
usb is
the yellow
cable
which
is used
for lightguns)
so ive
gone for
2xusb
(front
of case
ready)
and 2xgameport
(taken
from xbox
case and
put into
a modified
3.5 inch
front
plate)
the xbox
has 2
connectors,
each with
2x usb
on it...
for the
game ports
you will
just have
to extend
the cables,
in a similar
fashion
to the
dvd power.
for usb,
simply
cut the
game connectors
off and
connect
up the
usb cable
instead.
the colours
(if the
case/ports
keep to
the standard)
match
colour
for colour...ie
connect
the xbox
white
wire to
the case's
white
wire and
so forth.
www.xbox-scene.com
has a
more detailed
doc on
this.
next to
the game
ports
i've also
fitted
a bios
enable/disable
switch.
this is
actually
pulled
from the
D0 wire
on my
mod, which
is a mod
chip disable
rather
than bios
switch
- this
means
if i run
dual bios's
on my
x2 lite,
i have
the choice
of 3 bios's
(would
involve
a 2nd
switch)
your
probably
getting
excited
at this
point,
being
able to
see your
exciting
new xbox
all connected
up. but
theres
one small
issue.
you dont
yet have
a power
switch.
this is
on a board
im pretty
much guessing
you havent
removed
from the
xbox yet.
its a
PIG to
get out
and caused
me to
break
the xbox
case in
the end.
on it
are 2xmicro
switch
(power+eject)
and 2x
led's.
the led's
are tri-wired
- due
to the
fact they
do more
than one
colour.
there
are probably
better
ways to
do this
but heres
the method
i used
to get
things
up and
running
on mine:
first,
follow
the tracks
on the
board
and work
out whats
ground.
its usually
the big
fat bit
that touches
everything
at some
point.
now follow
this to
all the
pins that
are ground
and yank
them out....strip
tem all,
twist
them all
together
and get
all the
case grounds
for 2xled's
and power/reset
connectors...
solder
if u can
and tape
up. next
follow
the other
pin of
the eject
switch
(it IS
labeled
:) pop
this wire
out and
conect
to the
other
wire for
the case
power
button
(i use
power
as its
larger
- matching
the xbox)..
do the
same for
power/reset.
for the
LED i
only had
2 led's
on the
case and
they are
1 colour,
not 2
colour
like the
xbox.
i decided
to sacrifice
the RIGHT
led, and
connect
the left
led's
wires
to the
two seperate
led's
on the
case.the
only wires
left now
are for
the other
led's
so pop
them off
too and
tidy them.
the board
is now
unconnected
and redundant
time
to fire
it up
and go!
hopefully
you will
be as
lucky
as me
and it'll
work first
time.
a couple
of hints:
cable
tie your
wires
- a good
airflow
helps
any system.
if the
mobo doesnt
feel solid
- moves
a bit
- cable
tie it
to the
backplate.
also,
to keep
noise
down,
i attached
the innards
of a hd
box (the
foamy
ridgged
stuff)
to the
side panel
- this
made a
huge difference.
Tutorial
written
by : djboo
