Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Consoles => Topic started by: whatzcrackn on March 10, 2006, 01:11:40 pm

Title: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: whatzcrackn on March 10, 2006, 01:11:40 pm
has anyone changed the ram in their xbox.  does adding more ram help the xbox?  meaning taking speeding up emulators, programs, games and/or the functioning.

Thx
Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: Hoagie_one on March 10, 2006, 01:49:03 pm
you can do that?
Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: versapak on March 10, 2006, 02:35:49 pm
Yep, there are some emulators that do take advantage of 128MB of ram.

I dunno if there is any other software out there that really takes advantage of it, but being able to load the entire rom into ram certainly helps it run more like it would have originally.

That being said...

I don't have the 128 upgrade on any of my Xboxes. I have found that the vm that has been implemented in a lot of these programs has been just fine for me.

Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: Hoagie_one on March 10, 2006, 02:41:12 pm
is it a plug and play kind of mod or difficult soldering type of mod?
Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: versapak on March 10, 2006, 02:47:27 pm
is it a plug and play kind of mod or difficult soldering type of mod?


Definitely a difficult soldering type of mod.

You'd actually need to solder the ram chips onto the system board, which involves a LOT of tiny soldering points.


Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: pointdablame on March 10, 2006, 04:27:07 pm
The two programs that get mentioned most when you talk to people with 128mb Xboxes are Linux and Mame.  Supposedly it is worth it if you are using one or both of those programs a LOT on your xbox.

It's not an easy mod though.
Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: Fig on March 13, 2006, 09:52:13 pm
Ive done it a few times.Very hard mod to do each ram chip has 100 little pins that needs to be soldered on the motherboard.400 pins total  :o
Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: Jubal on April 18, 2006, 03:51:45 am
I hear that the 128 upgrade help with linux and mame, but does this mod show any improvement with Surreal 64 (N64) and pcsxbox (PSone)?

-Jubal-
Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: Timoe on April 18, 2006, 07:06:46 am
also, Which mame is best to use?

And do you get this version of mame from the usual places? (yes/no question)
Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: pointdablame on April 18, 2006, 11:35:19 am
also, Which mame is best to use?

And do you get this version of mame from the usual places? (yes/no question)

you need a specific version of mame compiled to work with the xbox.  There are only a few versions.  You can use the roms you already have though.
Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: Timoe on April 18, 2006, 12:12:58 pm
point and blame-

I have MAMEoX on one xbox and MAMEdoX running on another but I believe I have read about a "MAMEoX128"

I just haven't seen it on the bins though.  I'm lookin for a heads up on where to find it.
Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: dweebs0r on April 18, 2006, 12:47:32 pm
It wont help that much with the Nintendo 64 emulators.  That console isnt emulated very well even on powerful PC's so it wont run on the much less powerful (CPU-wise) Xbox.

-D
Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: Timoe on April 18, 2006, 04:33:25 pm
^ I'm just joshin ya with that "point and blame" nonsense, I saw that on some other post and thought it was funny. 
Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: sliceypete on April 18, 2006, 05:36:07 pm
hmm i have an extra working xbox mobo would anyone be willing to do the upgrade for me..i mean i can solder but not that great(i did mod my xbox) id glady pay. or if some one has a link to a tutorial that be great
Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: pointdablame on April 18, 2006, 06:22:22 pm
hmm i have an extra working xbox mobo would anyone be willing to do the upgrade for me..i mean i can solder but not that great(i did mod my xbox) id glady pay. or if some one has a link to a tutorial that be great

If you DO get it done, make sure the person who does it has pics and references of other boxes he's done.  The soldering job required for the ram upgrade on an xbox is not for the faint of heart.  I got my way through modding a few xboxes, and guess I am an "ok" solderer... but I wouldn't even think of touching that ram upgrade job.

Its very easy to mess up, and very easy to destroy your motherboard.  Make sure you are paying someone who knows what they are doing.
Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: shmokes on April 18, 2006, 07:13:25 pm
I'm pretty sure XBMC takes advantage of it too.  Can't play HD video without the RAM upgrade, but can with it from what I understand.  At least I seem to remember having heard that before.  I've modded a few Xboxes with solder mods but I wouldn't even dream of doing a RAM upgrade.  The idea that I would EVER get each of the pins individually soldered, without connecting any of them together with solder is laughable.  And once they are connected together I'd pull out the desoldering braid but I'd end up pulling the solder off like four or five pins which would have to be redone.  I'd get two of them good, but then I'd connect the next to and go back to the desolder braid, etc., etc., etc., etc....
Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: Daniel270 on April 19, 2006, 02:52:23 am
Just curious....

does the 128 MB upgrade have any improvement on regular Xbox games?
Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: Timoe on April 19, 2006, 07:09:32 am
It doesnt seem to make too much difference.  Dweebs0r traded me an xbox with the upgrade.  I believe it helps with the Killer Instinct Emulator most of all.

XBMC plays video without the Ram upgrade.  I was watching Ninja Scroll on a non Ram upgraded xbox with XBMC last night and it was solid.

Its just cool to have.  If I ever have company over and I'm bragging about my xboxs, I'll probably brag about that one the most.  (I might even be bragging right now )
Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: dweebs0r on April 19, 2006, 08:58:33 am
The upgraded ram does not help when it comes to playing regular Xbox games.

It does however help with the occasional stutters that XBMC has due to the reg Xboxes limited memory.

It also helps prevent lags and stutters with the more demanding Mame roms.

Like Timoe said though alot of it is a "my Xbox is bigger than your Xbox" kind of thing.

-D
Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: SNAAKE on April 19, 2006, 10:58:27 am
this is SO useless. It helps mame but mame already runs most games just fine. Only games that dont run is random weird crap like wargods,tekken,etc but those games suck anyway. You wanna play 3d then just play soul calibur 3,dead or live 3,etc.

its very to install as well..very tiny solder points and you can easily f#@K up your mainboard ! :dizzy:

Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: Timoe on April 19, 2006, 11:38:19 am
Snaake is just jealous cause he's a button masher!   :cheers:
Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: SNAAKE on April 19, 2006, 11:49:07 am
masher who ?? I will challange anyone here and guarantee win in pretty much any street fighter on xbox live you can think of ! ;)

 :cheers:
Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: Timoe on April 19, 2006, 09:19:35 pm
HAX

 ;D
Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: shmokes on April 20, 2006, 05:54:54 pm

XBMC plays video without the Ram upgrade.  I was watching Ninja Scroll on a non Ram upgraded xbox with XBMC last night and it was solid.


I think you misunderstood me.  I mean that XBMC won't play HD video, as in high definition video, without the upgrade.  Not a big deal, really, cos how much high def content is out there right now anyway.  But that's what I read somewhere. 

It plays regular DIVX, XVID and DVDs beautifully, though, and will even upsample them to hi-def resolutions.
Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: dweebs0r on April 20, 2006, 06:38:48 pm
this is SO useless.

Fact of the matter is that it's mostly a novelty.  It does add some function to an Xbox but mostly its just for show.

Kind of like adding leds and stuff to an Xbox.  All for the "wow" factor not so much for function.

Here's a pic of one of my Xboxen for an example of the "wow" factor.

(http://img395.imageshack.us/img395/7650/red0082pe.jpg)

(http://img395.imageshack.us/img395/8421/red0099uf.jpg)



Anyone want to trade me something good  for this case and leds?  PM me.
Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: Timoe on April 20, 2006, 09:10:17 pm
Hax  :angry:
Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: Jubal on April 21, 2006, 03:04:53 am
http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=506947

might be of interest ot people here
Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: dweebs0r on April 21, 2006, 05:29:57 am
For the folks on here who need help w/ timoe's abusive language.   ;D

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hax
Title: Re: 64 vs 128 with the xbox
Post by: superlime on April 23, 2006, 11:28:20 pm
I picked up the chips to do the ram mod a couple years ago but haven't had the courage to try it..  I've got a spare xbox now though, so I may just bite the bullet.  :)

I think I ran in to the HD video problem mentioned earlier..  Was running some crazy MKV w/ MPEG2 compression at a higher than usual resolution and it was chopping up a lot.  I've got a spare set of ram chips for the Xbox if anyone wants to buy it off me...  But like has been stated many times, it's not an upgrade for the faint of heart.

I've actually got a pretty crazy soldering setup, with a "ThermoJet" handpiece that is supposedly for this kind of thing.  I'll prolly try my hand with that and see how it goes.  If it ends up being really easy, I may just offer up the other set of ram as an upgrade service.  :)

-superlime