Turns out $35 for a faulty Crystal Xbox is a fantastic deal
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 27. 06. 2024
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Today we have another system from the suitcase full of retro consoles that I brought back with me from the UK. This one is a faulty Crystal Xbox, which are quite common in the UK but rare in the USA as they had no official release here (although Canada saw a short limited edition run).
The goal with this system is to do a full PAL to NTSC conversion, but that assumes we can get it working firstâŠ
đ Specialty products specific to this project
Circuit Board Holder: amzn.to/3k35Pzm
Desoldering Vacuum Pump: amzn.to/3Qe9ipl
An inexpensive Hot Air Rework Station to get you started: amzn.to/3w023bF
110V to 220V transformer: amzn.to/3R9Vqg7
My philosophy on buying tools is to start small and to "outgrow" your gear over time. Expensive gear won't improve your repair and fault finding skills, only practice will do that. With that in mind below is what's in my current toolkit.
đ§ Toolkit
Screwdriver Set: amzn.to/2X7s0Gj
Automatic Wire Stripper: amzn.to/30F5TJm
Pocket Multimeter: amzn.to/3IdvzQz
Component Tester: amzn.to/3l5rHG8
đ Soldering Essentials
TS100 Soldering Iron: amzn.to/2YIJZUR
No Clean Flux Syringe: amzn.to/2NFUZvQ
No Clean Solder: amzn.to/2NHEAqQ
Desoldering Braid: amzn.to/312Grws
Tip Tinner: amzn.to/31w2EF4
Contact Cleaner: amzn.to/3dI93ly
đ Soldering Add-ons
Fume Extractor with Hose: amzn.to/3hspLZi
Desoldering Vacuum Pump: amzn.to/3Qe9ipl
Hot Air Rework Station: amzn.to/3w023bF
Circuit Board Holder: amzn.to/3k35Pzm
Helping Hands Soldering Aid: amzn.to/3ihgksP
đ„ Thermal Compounds & Tape
Kapton Tape amzn.to/3DEu0dd
Arctic MX-4 Thermal Paste: amzn.to/2Ak2y8w
1.5MM Arctic Thermal Pads: amzn.to/2Vv1RQU
𧎠Lubes and Epoxies
White Lithium Grease: amzn.to/2UApx5M
Plastic Epoxy: amzn.to/3up0LIm
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
2:34 Turn you on, baby
3:07 I wanna see underneath
7:15 Prepare for the journey ahead
10:09 Time for action
13:12 Show me love
14:31 What the future holds - Hry
I've just done a 1.6 xbox modded to ntsc using an openxenium, when you install the modchip, go into XeniumOS by pressing the eject button, go into eeprom tools and change the video standard to ntsc and game region to us/can, then press b to go to the previous screen and save the settings.
Once you boot into your preferred dashboard proper, either use enigmah videomode switcher to verify everything and if needed switch it to ntsc, or if using the stock ms dashboard go into the settings and verify that you can enable the high resolution modes and if not then use a custom dashboard and enigmah to change it to ntsc as mentioned, this should be all you need to do.
Liking and commenting to boost this for him.
Thanks for the info. I've heard nothing but good things about the OpenXenium but I already have a few Aladdins I'd still like to use. I thought the v1.6 wont let you write to the EEPROM so that's why I'm a bit confused. But from the looks of it you did this on your v1.6... so I guess you CAN write the region change to it after all.
@@BorderlineOCD I can't seem to find any info on the 1.6 not being able to store eeprom changes, I do recall that they can't flash the tsop, but that's a separate issue to writing config data to the eeprom.
I just double checked on the 1.6 on the stock ms dashboard, and it definitely has the options available to enable the high resolution modes despite being a pal system.
I really enjoy your videos as somebody that tinkers with consoles and electronics in general myself I find them super fascinating and informative. thank you for sharing
16 minutes of pure enjoyment! Thanks for the clear, thorough and honest job!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent video as usual. So satisfying to watch the order and patience you work with. I'll be waiting for 2nd part to see that baby fully restored
Thanks very much, glad you enjoyed it.
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing. I replaced those caps in my 1.4 black og Xbox as it kept freezing and noticed those caps were bulging and itâs still going well. My crystal Xbox is a v1.6 and itâs a pal Australian version and I have used enigma as well as unleash x to change to ntsc and 720 p output using a hdmi adaptor without any issues. Thanks again for sharing
I'm addicted to your videos very informative thanks
What a deal you got on the unit. Here in Canada, they are so expensive. Like always excellent job on the restoration....keep it up
4:45 looks like the caps in my OG XBOX well the bulging ones..
Putting that aside, keep up the good work! I really do enjoy watching your tear down/repair videos.
I literally look forward to any of your videos. You are a real Inspiration to me. Thanks.
Thanks buddy, glad you're enjoying them.
Finally! I was waiting to see this Xbox video! đ
Thanks for explaining what you're doing. Even though I'm not necessarily working on OG Xboxes, your tips can be carried over to other consoles. Maybe I'll feel like I know what I'm doing next time!
Love your work đ
Itâs a very common issue with these 5 capacitors on 1.6 PAL boards. One day I plugged my crystal Xbox and saw white smoke out of it. The 5 guys were in the same state as yours. And just by changing them Itâs still working today, one year later. :)
can confirm, my 1.6 NTSC experienced a similar problem where the 5 capacitors caused my Xbox to become a Microsoft branded Paperweight.
i liked that editing during the capacitors all the wire cutting sounded satisfying lol
Hey buddy thanks for another great video. Fun to watch your techniques.
A lot of v1.6 (all PALs) I have opened so far, had these capacitors in this (almost) condition. Also changed the output to NTSC with enigmah all the times.i would suggest you find a NTSC power supply and discard the PAL one
I plan to put a 110v PSU in there and get rid of the 220v one.
That was satisfying to watch & your voice cadence is so soothing.
Ha thanks. I'm pretty zenned out when I work on these older consoles so I'm glad that comes across on screen.
Excellent repair. What about sourcing a US power supply and transplanting it in?
It's funny how vid's loading circle fits perfectly to that Xbox logo. Perfection. đ
Xbox is just retro enough, while having modern innovations in tech, to be a pleasing project to work with. It's all so straightforward you could set a clock to it, when it didn't power on from the beginning I immediately thought ''it's the caps'', and sure enough. Awesome videos, always love watching you work!
Great job on the Xbox, I miss that OG Xbox sound :) Many an all nighter burned playing BTB on Blood Gulch with Halo 2.
This is so good!
If you're going to work on the power supply anyways, why not swap it with (or convert it to) a 120V PSU? That's a lot easier than hauling a transformer around.
I imagine a rectifier swap is the bulk of the work for a conversion.
Great video. Hope to see the second part soon.
Thank you!
I made the same deal than you 3 years ago, 35âŹ, it was in the UK, turned out 6 capacitors were faulty.
Works like a charm now
Nice one! Enjoyed the fun editing lately in your videos. I have modded a 1.6 from pal to NTSC. So should work using enigma. This was on a softmodded machine.
You just ran Enigmah through XBMC and it worked?
@@BorderlineOCD its been a long time since i used my 1.6 but i;m fairly postitive that i just used Enigmah, monster component and all was good :)
Good stuff man
I had the same issue with my v1.6 with the capacitors. The thing worked but I could tell it was only a matter of time before it crapped out. The same day my new capacitors came in is when it stopped working. Once I got the new capacitors in, I did notice the image quality was a bit better. Not sure why but the Xbox works like a champ now.
I have a modded crystal xbox with LED strip lights in and a custom red disc logo on top with a spiral metal base, it's pretty cool. Another great video my friend đâ
I love working on the og Xbox, really cool to watch, thanks!
Just watched until the end. I have a 1.6 Xbox with a OpenXenium. It's a pal Xbox as I'm from the Netherlands, I also changed it to NTSC with the latest Hexen or Heimdall or Rocky5 installer to enable 720p over component. Then I modified a Wii2HDMI adapter with the Xbox av connector to get it to connect over HDMI.
On my to do list is to upgrade my 1.6 to 128MB RAM, install my XboxHD+ and installing a 4TB drive. But there's no bios to get all 3 mods yet.
I really enjoyed seeing your desoldering and soldering tips and clean set up. Do you have any suggestions or a list of your tools you use/used? Appreciate the clean production!
Unironically, I also have a Crystal PAL Xbox with the same exact capacitors under the heatsink that are ruptured
"Plague Caps" are common in pretty much any electronics manufactured in the first half of the 2000s that've got big fat caps in a PSU or power conditioning stage. I have a whole friggin' box full of 19" Samsung SyncMaster LCDs that need their PSUs recapped. Computer motherboards, too. Not just cheap brands, either; these tainted caps ended up in *everybody's* supply chain from 1999 to 2007. I had a very expensive dual-CPU server board from Tyan that had a half dozen plague caps go pop and puke electrolytes all over the PCB. đŹ
That trick to get rid of the remaining solder by using the desoldering gun and hot air from the back is awesome. What temp did you set the hot air to when doing this? đ„
I have one of those and it is modified and filled with el wire I put in like 10 years ago. I got mine in Canada from a shop I was helping repair consoles for. Just got the case and put my own Xbox in it. Mine is a bit yellowed now tho but still cool. When I replace the capacitors I am gonna upgrade it to led strips lol
How good to see another excellent repair! The crystal xboxes were indeed somehow common in Europe, but again, they were never really widely available for a long time.
In case you're interested I do have a couple of ideas an suggestions.
It would be amazing if you're into some more challenging mods, like the RAM/CPU upgrade for the xbox. While not an easy task under any circumstances, it unlocks so many fantastic options for both new and existing games.
And in regards of the capacitors, I've seen that you're using generic brands, sold as bulks by shops who specialize into cap batches for consoles. The thing is, those capacitors are mediocre at best, and won't be stable after a few years. For that matter, I choose individual capacitors, by brands such as Nichi-Con, Chemi-Con and Panasonic, which will outperform any other random brand.
Keep it up friend!
Console5 has a good reputation in the community for providing high quality cap kits. As far as I can tell all the caps in my kit were either Panasonic or Nichicon.
I use the same for my Amiga re-caps. Nothing beats quality for capacitors. Back in the day I had access to Mill-spec ones that make the good consumer grade ones look crap.
If you end up getting any sort of extra funds, highly recommend a few sound deadening foam panels. Lots of stale echo in that room.
Love your videos regardless!
Drive belts, I've done SO many of those back in the day on OG and 360 Xboxes, if you think you're going to be doing more in the future I'd suggest you do the same and get yourself a bunch.
Also those caps were SHOT, good job on the replacement!
I recently bought an Xbox as well, 1.6, had two caps that had just started to bulge and leak. Actually just finished recapping it and am now watching this as a break before putting it back together!
Nice. What are you planning to do with your system?
@@BorderlineOCD For now I am just playing unmodified, although that disc drive whine is really annoying. I'm very likely going to look into some mod for it in the future.
Dude this is amazing stuff. I've been watching your videos on a binge for a while, now I'm subbing. I wish I had the courage and skill to try this. I want to make my OG xbox the best it can be and prolong it's life. The same with all the other retro consoles I have. Great content.
Glad you're enjoying the content. There's fun to be had for all skill levels. Start small and work your way up if its a hobby you think you'd enjoy getting into.
Get a broken console and practice, I know working on your own console is nerve-racking (I trembled while building my PC)
@@Saberwaisen Yeah I definitely need to learn. My OG xbox had an arcing capacitor on the power supply, and because I have no soldering skills, I ended up paying a local store 85 dollars for a replacement power supply. Definitely a skill to have.
nice, i have seen those caps leaked before but about 1 in 7 or so in average for me working on them, having worked on about 30 of them.
i really like repairing the OG Xbox, so easy to work on imo, easy access to the inside makes it fun to tinker with it.
Must be a common problem at least on the v1.6s.
@@BorderlineOCD didnt even think about what versions it was blown on to be honest but maybe it is a V1.6 issue, would think older versions would go first but it can be the type of cap they used on 1.6
nice video thanks for posting
Thanks!
4:23 those infamous leaking caps always hurts to see those
Excellent !
Great video. Converting a 1.6 PAL xbox with Enigmah works just fine, btw. The only issue you have to be aware of is some games do not work in progressive mode on the 1.6 video encoder, but as far as I am aware that's not specifically limited to the PAL consoles.
Nice work on this one, I was just playing mine today! I bought a for-parts Mountain Dew Xbox for $100 a while back with a 1.3 board that had the same problem and solution as this one, so it seems this easy fix isn't that uncommon.
Awesome find. I managed to get a green Halo locally for $25. It had a bad softmod, and needed to be factory reset. Works great now!
That's sweet. Would love to get my hands on a Halo edition console.
@@BorderlineOCD how's the fat PS3 you recapped last year holding up? I have one I might do the same thing to.
I just picked one up for 25 euro with both crystal controllers and 6 games. Not a bad buy I'd say. Already tested it and it plays just fine. Looking forward to working on it. recapping and modding it in the future.
We had an issue with our Xbox where the drive didn't always want to open. We had to put a paper clip into the right hand side of the drive to shift it over a bit and then it opened. Worth a shot just in case.
I modded a 1.6 for my brother, and the change to ntsc with enigmah was like every other board revision... The 1.6 has a different encoder, so you have to patch a couple of games to work with 480p output, like Panzer Dragoon Orta. Rocky 5ÂŽs XBMC for gamers is the right tool to do this ;)
Very good job, greetings from germany!
Thank you very much!
i have a few asian NTSC og 1.6 xboxes too. they have the same issue and replacing the 5 bulging caps restored them to working condition. you can convert the PAL xbox to NTSC permanently using Config Magic and editing the Region setting on the EEPROM. this unlocks the higher video modes. Config magic works on 1.6 xboxes too. i installed the makemhz hdmi board with the openxenium modchip and had the 128mb ram mod done. my 1.6 xbox can play chihiro games now with 720p output. the original hdds are usually faulty after so long so i replaced it with a ssd with the startech sata adapter and 80pin ide cable.
We use between 220-240v in the UK as labelled in the back of thr Xbox
I look forward to the second part of this repair/restoration. Looking forward to seeing that mod-chip installation on this type of OG Xbox! As always, thank you for the great content and advice!
holy shit, 11:27 thats brilliant using air gun to push to the desolder lol. Those simple things you never think of lol!, and then when you see it, it smacks you in the face!!!!
i have brand new sealed crystal and green original xbox's never opened them due to my original black 1 never had any issues then switched to 360 when they came out. awsome vid
I think the sealed system will have a few surprises waiting for you when you open it up.
Nicelly done,!đđđ
Extremely clean board for the age
this specific design is what i think of when i hear "original Xbox" -- I never actually had a black one until a few years ago!
I have a crystal blue ntsc og xbox that was a canadian exclusive. It has a similar white/silver crystal and the controllers do as well. But the controllers crystals are a bit different then t he clear crystal ones.
Are you using that blue yeti microphone to record yourself. If so that's crazy. It sounds fantastic with you being that far away.
I am. It's a great mic, bought it faulty and fixed it in an earlier video (broken USB). The gain is actually set to only about 25%.
You are the best!
I was gamblin on the PSU, but it where the caps :)
Looking forward to the follow up on this one.
That was my initial hunch as well. Was not expecting this to be a recap project but you never know what's waiting for you inside a 20 year old system!
Get used to seeing those leaky caps on the xbox, my sample size is a little larger than yours (I run a classic game store) and it is quite common to see more than just clock caps failing now...
Pretty clean example.
The ones you usually see on CZcams are very dirty/dusty.
On a completely different note, I ordered the tip you're using for your ts-100 (i have one as well) and i found it abolutely abysmal in contrast to my preferred bc2 tip (the small flat one). I was hoping it would be great for drag soldering, but I find the surface area is just not enough to transfer heat properly. I would like your opinion on tips some time :)
The J tip is nice for the angle it makes with the board. The pointy tip is useless for heat transfer, as there is no surface area making contact. It's only useful on the belly but I really like the ergonomics of it and have gotten quite used to it. I've heard good things about the BC2 tip but haven't tried it yet.
You may want to check with Modern Vintage Gamer about them settings for video, i remember he converted one of them PAL Crystals, even check his channel and scroll down and watch his vid he did on his
old dells used to blow all the time was forever replacing caps on them
13:07 when you clean it like that, where does the dirt go? it would seem that just stays there, but more spread out
Waiting for the next part on this box ... please bring it quickly
I'll be resuming it as soon as the rest of the parts arrive :)
I love the shirt, lol.
really pretty system. What adapter do you use to hook your systems to your computer to display them?
I've seen caps like that a few times. Each time it was a 1.6 motherboard. Other revisions I really only see the clock cap leaking. I really wish the crystals were more common because they're gorgeous, and I really don't like paying ~200$ for them.
great video but i wouldn't trust that multimeter for any mains voltage testing to be honest
I enjoy living life on the edge.
I have 6 of these ..But i live in the uk where they are a dime a dozen. They all work and have been recapped .I would sell for ÂŁ35 each all day long
Great project. I wanted to buy a crystal Xbox shell but they jumped up in price to over $100 bucks for the shell alone.
buy or import if you are in the US a dead crystal xbox and take the shell
the crystal clear isn't the best looking one I actually like the crystal blue and black for Canada and Japan
unfortunately I can't get one of those here
They are definitely expensive here for sure. Supply and demand. Pretty funny they are practically throwaway prices in the UK.
Usually in the dash you can force a video mode in the settings
I highly recommend xbmc4gamers as it as a 480p patcher for some games that have trouble on v1.6 encoders
unless you'e just going to use composite then the choice of dash don't matter so much but yes in the settings there should be a way to force a video mode on every game
You could try the component cable for it?
nice video, itâs interesting to watch.
also, didnât that âguyâ is such a versatile word! ;) but iâm not a native speaker anyways đ
hello I really like your channel give me inspiration to learn more about retro. I have a mega drive that gives sound to an lcd tv but not crt tv sound can you help me
Love all of your videos. Great stuff.
Much appreciated!
I picked up an Xbox crystal here in Canada that wouldn't run. Got it home plugged it in and no boot. I start opening it and the sticker has German writing on it? Turns out it was a 240v xbox that somehow ended up in Canada. Worked perfectly after converting.
I collect sealed consoles and I got a Canadian clear og Xbox that was send to me to California and I donât want to open the sealed Xbox but Iâm afraid what Iâm going to find once I opened it with all those capacitors popped.
For switch PAL to NTSC on a v1.6, XeniumOS on an OpenXenium worked for me, I did this exact thing with a Crystal Xbox last month. I'm not sure if XblastOS can do it and I know Enigma didn't work. Changing region in XeniumOS, then changing the display/region settings in UnleashX is what did it for me.
Super common to be seeing system caps fail in this way especially at there age now. Sometimes they turn on and turn off shortly after. New caps always fixes them. Never use cheap eBay capacitors. They are rubbish. I prefer Panasonic 105 degree C caps.
V1.6 must have a clock cap to work. Other versions they can be removed and not replaced.
I have used Enigma frequently to swap PAL to NTSC. It is a no brainer.
I modded heaps of Xboxes many years ago and have just recently returned to the scene via Cerbios.
Looking forward to the 1.6 version.
Im from europe and all the consoles i build were set on NTSC Video Mode. Eather using enigmah or xblast OS to switch the settings, even 1.6. On your 1.6 i would reccomend xblast cause you also can change your region as well. (: Happy Modding!
Did you just run Xblast from an installer disk like OG Xbox Installer or HeXen? I was told you cannot write to the EEPROM on the v1.6 which is why I'm a bit confused.
@@BorderlineOCD normaly i run Xblast OS directly via an XBlast Lite or XBlast Aladdin modchips i build, but itâs the same as run it as Software. You also can run XBlast OS via Hexen 21 as live application. You maybe right that you canât write the Eeprom on a 1.6, but isnât the Videomode also a Eeprom thing? Iâll test this tomorrow. I have a freshly LPC rebuilded 1.6 board on the bench. And as Lucky as i am in germany i have 2 NTSC Games to Test this for you (:
Let you know if it workâs out or not!
@@ileox4170 Thank you very much, your input is appreciated. Please let me know what you find. If I can do it with Xblast it will be a piece of cake.
@@BorderlineOCD
So good so far, i have good News (: i basicly throw my NTSC Splinter Cell in with everything in PAL Settings, so Video Mode and Gameregion.. it works..? It booted the PAL Version as well. On the setup was X2.5035 for 1.6 active, maybe thatâs the reason. Iâll lock the hdd to the system and remove LFrame so the System will be vanilla PAL. Then iâll switch to NTSC with modchip anable of course and then remove LFrame again. Should be then a vanilla NTSC.
@@BorderlineOCD Update:
You can rewrite the Eeprom with XBlast OS on 1.6! I checked my NTSC Splinter Cell with PAL Settings on vanilla 1.6, not working. But then i connected LFrame again to the Xblast and changed Video Mode AND Game Region to NTSC-U. Removed the LFrame Connection to have a vanilla 1.6 NTSC-U. NTSC Splinter Cell Now Boots up, higher resolutions available. So go for it with Xblast OS đđđ»
Crazy I remember when the crystal Xbox was selling for $200 working
I'm from the UK and I bought a broken PAL crystal Xbox with the exact same issue đđ» replaced the caps and all was fine. Successfully soft modded it as well. I'm thinking of installing a modchip now, is it possible to get 720p from the AV out?!
What temperature did you set that desoldering gun to?
Remember to change the thermal paste đ
Aren't you supposed to reflow after clipping the legs? Hairline fractures could be introduced due to the stress of clipping - or have I been taught wrong?
Dunno, I'm not familiar with the teachings of any particular curriculum or training program. If I had to take a guess, such programs probably use lead-free solder due to health considerations and it's more rigid and fragile compared to leaded solder so I can see the logic. What were you taught? What was the context of your lesson?
What capture card are you using
Why not swap in a 120v psu from another 1.6?
Look into True HeXEn... I think the latest was 2019, should do what you're looking for
Hey, You probably know this, but there's a much cleaner way of removing smd caps than with hot air - cut them right at the base (above the plastic part). Then remove the plasticy bit (it just slides out) and then you can easily remove the legs using a normal soldering iron. I think it's a much cleaner way than wrestling with hot air, and you absolutely avoid the possibility of lifting a pad
I've seen such videos, but have yet to try it.
@@BorderlineOCD i highly recommend it, made recapping my GBC much easier
on RMC Neil and Mark replaced the internal step down transformer on a 3DO, to make 220v from 110v, is it something you could do on the xbox but opposite instead of the step up box you bought? cheers
or just use a 110 psu?
Just a comment about replacing the capacitors. I would suggest if you are fairly new to doing that, that you remove and replace them one at a time, so you know which ones go where, rather than taking them all out and trying to figure it out? I know experienced people wouldn't have a problem with removing all of them, and then replacing, and I know it would take longer to do it one at a time, but as a rookie it might be better? Other than the added time to do that, would there be any other issues?
On the contrary, what I'm trying to demonstrate is that a little more preparation upfront makes the job *easier* and keeps things organized, hence the board diagram. I actually think going back and forth between tools for each capacitor makes the job tedious and inefficient vs. using each tool once for all caps and putting it aside. It's not about beginner vs. advanced soldering skills, I think its about patient vs. impatient and organized vs. disorganized. Ultimately how you go about it is up to you so whatever feels good and makes sense.
I've repaired around five OG Xbox and four of them had similar blown capacitors. I'm in Europe
There could be a pattern with the v1.6s or with regional versions like certain PAL systems but ultimately all Xbox variants will need a recap given it's already over 20 years old.
Hi which controllers would you recommend I should buy for the Original Xbox
Harikasın adamım. Seni izlemek çok zevkli. Bidahakine ps4 tamiri gelsin.