286 CHAPTER 13 lighting Up the Case Examining the Cold Cathode Light You will also obtain very good results with a stock (black) Xbox case, because the side vents allow light to pass through. However, you will need to replace the stock system jewel (on top) with a new jewel to really see a cold cathode light under the case cover, in order to achieve a result sim- ilar to the one shown in Figure 13.16), because the stock case jewel is opaque. As an alternative to replacing a stock jewel, you should consider buying an aftermarket case or finding a "Halo Special Edition" case, which is also translucent and looks fantastic with light mods installed! FIGURE 13.16 The glowing case jewel is really bright! There is another option that you might consider if you purchase an aftermarket case like I have used as an example here. These cases are UV (ultraviolet) sensitive, meaning the case will react if you install a UV light. I have used cold cathode here, but a UV light has more of an ambient glow to it, especially when the case is UV sensitive! Figure 13.17 shows the clear case with some UV reaction showing, especially on the right side (in color it looks somewhat purplish). The Custom LEOs Let's take a look from the right side of the case to see how the LEDs turned out. As you can see from Figure 13.18, the right LED is not only glowing inside the case, but shining its light through the case vent and reflecting off the side of the case, exactly like I was hoping it would! Summary 287 FIGURE 13.17 View of this heavily modified Xbox from the front. FIGURE 13.18 This LED is shining through the right case vent. The other side of the case is actually a different color than the right LED (blue and green). Summary I have shown you only a small example of the light mods you can do with your Xbox to greatly enhance the appearance of your Xbox case. Cold cathode is definitely an impressive look but may be too strong for the taste of some. Ultraviolet is a great option that you should definitely con- sider if you have invested in an aftermarket clear case (especially if it is in a designer color rather than my "regular" clear case). After you have learned how to construct an LED loom (with a 100- ohm resistor and wires), there is no limit to the creative work you can render in your Xbox using LEDs in a variety of colors. [...]... sites I visit most often Xbox Information Sites Xbox 365 http://www .xbox3 65.com Nice Xbox fan site with an underground feel to it Official Xbox Magazine http://www.officialxboxmagazine com Since it's "official;' this magazine is definitely not XBN, the "unofficial" Xbox magazine Good content with fair reviews Offical Xbox Site http://www .xbox. com The official Xbox home site on the Web The Xbox Reporter... http://www.xbreporter.com Reports on the latest Xbox news and provides articles about Xbox games, hardware, and accessories IGN Xbox http:/ /xbox. ign.com Online magazine that covers all things related to the Xbox and provides game reviews Team Xbox http://www.teamxbox.com Good breadth of information about Xbox hardware, software, game reviews, rumors, and news 298 APPENDIX A Xbox Resources GameSpy Xbox http:/ /xbox. gamespy.com.Mainly... Manufacturers SmartXX http://www.smartxx.com Manufactures the SmartXX mod chip Team Xodus http://www.tearnxodus.com Manufactures the Xenium mod chip Team Xecuter http://www.tearnxecuter.com Manufactures the Xecuter mod chip Xbox Hardware Sites American Xbox Mod Chips http://www.americanxboxmodchips.com Despite the obnoxious name, this site offers all of the Xbox mod chips at reasonable prices Custom Xbox Cases... true, but good overall content Xbox Garners http://www.xboxgamers.com.An attractive Xbox fan site with news, rumors, previews, reviews, and interviews Xbox Nation http://www.xbnmag.com A good alternative magazine (full color, glossy, retail) dedicated to the Xbox Xbox Scene http://www .xbox- scene.com Contains a wealth of information for Xbox modding Xbox Solution http://www.xboxsolution.com Nice fan site... Dashboard, with online documentation, forums, and version information Xbox Linux http://www .xbox- linux.org All the information you need to install and run Linux on your modded Xbox Xbox Media Center (XBMC) http://www.xboxmediacenter.com Home of the XBMC Dashboard/application for your modded Xbox XboxSaves http://www .xbox- saves.com.Providesadatabaseofsaved games that are available for download Xenium O/S http://www.tearnxodus.com... http://www .xbox- chips.com Xbox mod chip online store and information site Xbox Hackz http://www.xboxbackz.com A hardware site providing information about Xbox mod chips and related information Xbox Software Sites Xbox Software Sites Avalaunch http://www.teamavalaunch.com Home site for the Avalaunch Dashboard with online documentation and screenshots EvolutionX http://www.evolutionx.info Home site for the. .. FIGURE 14.9 Cooling Down Your Xbox The 40mm fan is small enough to fit beneath the case cover Summary This chapter provided just a brief summary of the cooling options available for the Xbox It is a good idea to add one or more fans to the inside of your Xbox case if you have madded it because heat will eventually wear out components like hard drives, especially if you use your Xbox for long periods at... two under the Xbox hood will ensure that your Xbox runs reliably and consistently cool for years to come A Xbox Resources This appendix provides a list of online resources that should provide you with additional information that you may refer to in the event that you encounter a problem or additional Xbox mods not covered in this book This list is by no means complete, but does represent the main sites... cooling controller port assemblies, 256 history of Xbox, 7-14 drives, 258 bridging PC/console gap, 13 front button assembly, 253-254 lessons learned, 10-1 1 front panels, 255 market timing, 12 motherboards, 256 Microsoft's dedication to developers, 12-14 power supply, 256 pirated games, 15-16 potential of Xbox, 15-18 Sega Dreamcast, 11-1 2 success of Xbox, 14-15 video game competition, 9-10 Avalaunch... downloadable manuals for the Xenium O/S (pre-installed on Xenium mod chips) 299 Index Numbers adapters, solderless, 89-93 1.0 Xbox, 57 aftermarket cases, assembling, 252 1.0-1.1 motherboards DO points, 89 controller port assemblies, 256 LPC ports, 86 drives, 258 1.1 Xbox, 57 1.2 Xbox, 58 front button assembly, 253-254 1.2-1.6 motherboards front panels, 255 DO points, 89 LPC ports, 87 motherboards, 256 power . magazine is definitely not XBN, the "unofficial" Xbox magazine. Good content with fair reviews. Offical Xbox Site. http://www .xbox. com. The official Xbox home site on the Web. The Xbox Reporter. http://www.xbreporter.com these in my Xbox? I configured Xbox Media Center to run the fans at 100%, which pushes them to their rpm limits, and then recorded the temperature drop with a total of three fans running in the. that you can adjust the speed of the Xbox case fan to improve cooling. By default, the Xbox fan runs at 20% of full speed. This means that if the fan is rated at 7,500rpm, the Xbox utilizes it only