Can i install a different drive in my xbox 360?

[georgesrechparis]

Hello dear friends,
i was puzzled weather to buy a wii, X360 or a PS3. And i picked the X360 because the PS3 is too expensive and i don't much like the wii. When i found out about flashing drives it became even more appealing.

I understand the Hitachi-LG drive is the easiest drive to flash according to many X360 Hacking sites, my question is that if i buy an X360 (in Australia) and the drive is not a Hitachi-LG, can i purchase one from ebay and install it. Then flash my X360?

[MsK]

Hello dear friends,
i was puzzled weather to buy a wii, X360 or a PS3. And i picked the X360 because the PS3 is too expensive and i don't much like the wii. When i found out about flashing drives it became even more appealing.

I understand the Hitachi-LG drive is the easiest drive to flash according to many X360 Hacking sites, my question is that if i buy an X360 (in Australia) and the drive is not a Hitachi-LG, can i purchase one from ebay and install it. Then flash my X360?

nope - you need to read/dump the original drive to obtain the drivekey to then then transfer it to a replacement drive...
so, if you can dump it you can just as easily flash it

in my opinion the best drives are benq's or sammys anyhow

The drive you do not want is the hitachi 0079.. this requires a chip to be soldiered before you can access it

[georgesrechparis]

Thanks for your info,
but according to http://360mods.net/, the Hitachi-LG drive is the easiest to flash - i've watched video tutorials and read about all the different procedures involved in flashing. Hitach-LG still sounds the easiest.

Please reply with your thoughts.

P.S. Since you feel BenQ/Samsung is the best - what flashing procedure does that involve? (what do you have?)

[Jman 31]

They're all pretty easy to do now days (except, as MSK says, the hit79). The hitachi is pretty easy to do if you have a sata port. If not you can get a usb360 connector from xecuter that makes a usb port into a sata port. The only thing difficult about a benq or Sammy drive is getting your computer to recognize the drive. There are some really good tutorials here to simplify the process and a great group of people on this forum to help walk you through it if you get stuck.

[CoFree]

the thing is it dont mater what drive you get(except the v79 hit)They are not that hard to flash.

Getting a hit drive in modeB with slax can be a trick for some.
Getting a v79 hit would be bad new for sure.You would have a solder in a passkey which is very small and not for beginners.
If by chance you got a v78 hit that drive can be flashed with software but can be a bit tricky being the only way to get it to modb is with slax cd.
All the other hit drives are not bad as long as you have the tool you need to flash it.
you have to get the drive in modeb some how.You can use slax (i dont) or you can use what jman said a x360usb/sata.(i use this )
http://www.divineo.com/cgi-bin/div-us/dd-360-xusb

samsung and benQ
they are not bad at all the only thing is you need a via6421a or L chipset on your sata.
http://tekgems.com/Products/la-pci22-vt6421a.htm
Then you would use iprep101 v006.2 to build a usb flash to boot your computer on and flash from there.
your computer would need to be able to boot from a usb.Most all computer will do this.
you can also use a floppy disc for iprep to build and then boot on to the floopy.
all computers that have a floppy will boot on to it.

here are some video guides on the different drives.
http://www.robinhoodsplayground.com/for ... =110&t=277
http://www.robinhoodsplayground.com/for ... =110&t=322
http://www.robinhoodsplayground.com/for ... =110&t=401
this video is on opening the 360
http://www.robinhoodsplayground.com/for ... =110&t=297

One last thing man.
if you are going to buy a new xbox 360 then the only 2 drive there areusing right now are the BenQ and the v79 hit.
There is almost no chance you will get a 360 with a different dvd drive

[MsK]

Thanks for your info,
but according to http://360mods.net/, the Hitachi-LG drive is the easiest to flash - i've watched video tutorials and read about all the different procedures involved in flashing. Hitach-LG still sounds the easiest.

Please reply with your thoughts.

P.S. Since you feel BenQ/Samsung is the best - what flashing procedure does that involve? (what do you have?)

Well to be completly honest with you I do not see any drive as being easier or more difficult than the other ~ with the exception of the 0079 that requires the passkey/chip... as my fellow mods & admin have outlined above, as long as you have "the right guide/info/friendly support, tools & hardware" it's all good.

in my opinion the best drives are benq's or sammys anyhow

Just to clarify exactly what I meant here also.. I do not favour these drives because I think they are easier to flash.. flashing in general is easy for every drive when you have "the right guide/info/friendly support, tools & hardware"

I just prefer the benq's & sammys because I personally see them as more reliable for reading backup media & I certainly would not replace a sam or benq with a hit...
Every1 has a different opinion on this - that's just my opinion

Cofree has listed just about everything you need to get moving.. any more questions don't hesitate to ask

[sadalius]

To sum it all up, if you get any drive except a hitachi 0079, then you are in good shape as far as flashing is concerned. You can replace a drive with another with a little work, but there really isn't much point unless the drive you are replacing isn't working. Your best to flash and use the drive that it comes with, unless its a 79, then your pretty much stuck without installing a 79 passkey.

[georgesrechparis]

Thanks Guys!
you have all been a grean help, CoFree said 'if you are going to buy a new xbox 360 then the only 2 drive there areusing right now are the BenQ and the v79 hit. There is almost no chance you will get a 360 with a different dvd drive'

- i havn't bought my 360 yet, i will make sure i get the BenQ drive then

What exactly do i need for the BenQ flash?

everyone's been a great help, thanks again. love the new forum!

Georgearechparis...

P.S. 'whats the deal with flashing and xbox live?'

[Jman 31]

samsung and benQ
they are not bad at all the only thing is you need a via6421a or L chipset on your sata.
http://tekgems.com/Products/la-pci22-vt6421a.htm
Then you would use iprep101 v006.2 to build a usb flash to boot your computer on and flash from there.
your computer would need to be able to boot from a usb.Most all computer will do this.
you can also use a floppy disc for iprep to build and then boot on to the floopy.
all computers that have a floppy will boot on to it.

Cofree posted this above which covers most of it. I would also suggest a Connectivity kit v2 by Team-Xecuter (this allows you to power the benq drive when its not in the 360), but some on this forum just use their 360 for power instead of a separate power supply. The jury is still out on if it matters. You would also need the latest ixtreme firmware for flashing to the drive. Check out the tutorials section. There are really good guides that will walk you through it.

[georgesrechparis]

Sweet,
I just read the guide for flashing the 360 BenQ and watched the video for flashing the 360 BenQ with Iprep101 v006.
it all seems pretty straight forward, but i dont understand the advantage of a connectivity kit...

i'de also like to ask about the 'Blaster 360', 'X360 USB' and 'Xbox Connectivity Kit v2'

thanks

Georgesrechparis...

[MsK]

Sweet,
I just read the guide for flashing the 360 BenQ and watched the video for flashing the 360 BenQ with Iprep101 v006.
it all seems pretty straight forward, but i dont understand the advantage of a connectivity kit...

i'de also like to ask about the 'Blaster 360', 'X360 USB' and 'Xbox Connectivity Kit v2'

thanks

Georgesrechparis...

The connectivity kit allows you to power the drive from an independant power source without using the xbox itself
For people that modify more than 1 console it's an essential tool...
It also lets you connect your xboxHD to a sata port on your pc & access the contents with software like "xplorer360"

There are also some that speculate using the 360 to power the drive without the data cable plugged in could potentially store an error log in the 360 itself, although this is unproven & to be honest not a concern to me.
I do use a kit but have flashed a handful with the 360 as power supply without problem.

[CoFree]

some of us dont like powering the 360 dvd drive with the 360 console.
You use a kit to power the drive.
There is a chance that the console logs a error when it is powered up without the dvd drive sata cable plugged in.
I dont think this is happening but i'll not take the chance.
So i use the kit to power the drive.

I have a OLD AT power supply that i took out of a computer that i hook to the kit to power the drive .
works great.It also works with the hit drive that i use slax to get in modeb.Being that the power supply is a stand alone the when i power down the computer it dont mater it stays in modeB