I am working on a version 1.0 box with an Xecuter 3 chip.

I soldered all the points correctly (at least I think its all correct) but when I go to boot up the chip, it does the frag where it turns on 2 times then the third it stays on while flashing Red/Green.

I have alot of experience with Xecuter 2.x chips, but this is the first X3 that Ive done.
When I went to install it, I expected that it would install in the same fashion as the X2 chips. (the chip would be to the left of the pin header as it is with a X2 chip)

Well after taking another look at the install guide, I noticed that the chip sits to the RIGHT of the pin header (the exact opposite of the X2).

I switched the chip around and this time it would have the lights turning on but its still fraggs just like before (when I had the chip seated like a 2.6, it would frag the same, but none of the lights were on)

So, after reading the forums and seeing everybody say that usually this is a solder problem, I double and triple checked my solder points, even added some more solder to make sure. Still frags.

I then installed a 2.6 chip and it booted right away, so this leave me to beleive one of two things:

1. The X3 chip is fried due to me installing it backwards
or
2. Since the X3 chip is desinged differently than the X2, does it pick up its power from different points on the pin header, and therefore this still could be a solder problem? (The reason I say this one is becuase if the X2 chip boots and if the X3 picks up power from a different point then it might not be fried...but if it still picks up the power from the same points, then the soldering is correct, and the chip most likely is fried.)

I would like anybody to please tell me what they think, if I fried the chip or not, and/or what I can do to remedy this problem. I appreciate any feedback you all give me.

Nyght$pydr
Tokyo, Japan

First off check your voltages, the correct ones are in my sig. If the voltages are correct, and your grounds are ok, and it still frags, you may have damaged the chip, altho the pin header is keyed so you should not have been able to put it the wrong way. Anyway, if you have another chip to test it on that would help. No matter what check your voltages first.

woah, i didn't think you could seat the chip backwards (especially xecuter) into the pinheader without some force. You must have really pushed it in there.

i hope it's not fried

Well..........When i first put it in...I did hear a little "snap"...but i wasnt' pushing down on the chip with any more force than I usally do.....seriously. Do you think that might have done it?

..................

Does ANYBODY know any thing else that it could be???
I appreciate ANY help you all can give me

I think it's hooped if you powered it up like that. Have you visually inspected it to see if you can see anything burnt?

Kind of a long shot but the X3 uses more of the pins than the 2.x chips, did you pull any pins out of the header b4 soldering?

Chip ain't fried from reverse install. I did my first wire install last night, first time I could not, for the life of me, get all the solder out of a 1.0. Placed the chip on it backwards, flashed orange, switched, worked fine.

It's your soldering.

No I did not pull any pins out of the header. I followed the instructions just as they said.

So, if a 2.6 boots up just fine, it still is my soldering that is preventing the X3 from booting? Am I correct when I say that?

Thanks!

You should have 3 pins that aren't in your pinheader. looking at the pinheader from the front of the box ...the left row of pins should have the 2nd, 3rd and 8th pin should be removed. The right row should have all 8 pins.

The X3 simply doesn't let you put it in backwards...one of the female holes on the chip is filled in to prevent this.

How did you do it?

Also, the instructions say to pull out a pin...you may have soldered one too many pins....dunno if this is hte problem

My bad you said 1.0 box...only 2 pins should be missing...

Well, here is an update...

After following the advice of a good friend, I tried building a new box (v1.5) and putting in the X3 chip to see if it works in there. If it WAS my soldering that was bad, then it should boot in this new install.

Well, I did that and it still frags!!! Now, I seriously doubt that I suck that bad at soldering that two boxes don't work with this chip...both boot just fine with X2.6.

So, I think I DID indeed fry the chip somehow. I don't know, but I don't know what else to do...I don't have a multimeter, so i can't check the voltages. I will have to order one offline soon.

Well, I don't think there is much more that I can do here. If anybody else has any other suggestions, let me know. Thanks.

No, you're wrong to say you couldn't have screwed up twice if you couldn't get it the first time.

With all due respect, I have done MANY installs and I have never had a soldering issue (except the first one I did, which was mine, and I lifted a trace) so I don't think I could have messed up a soldering job twice when I am very experienced in Soldering. Thank you for your help though. I appreciate it!

Have you tried booting into the backup bios? Also disconnect the external bios switch from the x3 totally. I had the same problem in my v1.0 xbox and it turned out it was a bad switch. Also as others stated check for burn marks on the chip itself.
You could always try a wire install if all else fails on the 1.0. If you can boot into the backup bios then more than likely the chip is not fried.

Allright, I will try that next....I thought you HAVE to have the external switch hooked up in order for it to work. I think the 2.6 wont work withouth the switch, so thats why i thought that. I will try that, then the wire install if nothing else. thanks!

The x3 chip automaticaly defaults to the 1mb bank without the switch installed. I know xecuter recommends the pin header install, but I prefer the wire for two reasons.
1. If chip moves at all or the dvd drive pushes down to hard on the chip it will cause the xbox to frag.
2. Upgrades. It is a pain installing the mcpx heatsink if you go the pinheader route especially if you have the x3lcd connected as the cable comes out of the chip right where the heatsink sits.
This is just my opion of course others will differ.

Well, I've already explained that a reverse install would NOT fry the chip, so the only possible problem is...

To answer your question in your first post; yes, the X3 uses additional pins. Not sure of which, believe it's 9 and 14 or 15. Could be wrong, sure I read it somewhere before. Worth looking into.

Certainly not trying to sound like a prick, I've helped a lot of people straighten out their X3 issues.

Well over 100+ X3 installs w/o fail.

d0 point?

He said X2 booted fine.

I am having the same 'frag' problem also. Except how I got there was a little different. He did his soldering correct. When I finished soldering, I loaded up FlashBIOS normally, except I flashed EVO-X bios. Loading the bios on every startup was a trick, sometimes it would take multiple trys to load EVO-X. My problem was, I could not get a evox dash loaded, it would load the EVO-X on the startup (the blob thing) and then go to the origional ms dash. So I decided to go for the X3 bios and maybe that would work. I burned the ISO and loaded up FlashBIOS. FlashBIOS erased the EVO-X, but had a error in the middle of flashing the X3, something about a line written wrong. So it froze, and I have yet to be able to start up my XBox because of it. It gives me the 'frag' thing all the time. I can't even get into FlashBIOS... any suggestions?

I got it. Sorry, it is the soldering. Xecuter Rox My Box baby!!! I'm so happy. Youre chip isn't fried. You missed one solder point http://www.teamxecuter.com/x3/tutorials/x3pin16.htm look at the pic with the blue wires. Look carefully, you missed one single point thats hard to see.

I'm using a 1.0 MB...not a 1.6, I dont have to do the LPC rebuild points.

Now one thing I mentioned earlier was that I heard a little "snap" when I installed the chip backwards, and after looking at it, I noticed the one hole that was closed is now open ( i must have poked through the bit of plastic covering it when i installed it wrong.) Would this cause the chip to fry, being that the hole was covered up on purpose and i poked through it and applied power to it by trying to boot it?
I know you say that the chip couldnt be fried, but even if this is not the case, maybe i just got a bad chip? I wish i could test it, but i dont have a multimeter to test with...damn

that piece of plastic was there to keep you from doing that...didn't work too well I guess.

1. Never do electrical work without a multimeter.

Also you never reported back on unhooking the switch from the chip and also trying to boot into the backup bios. As to the question as to whether you fried the chip the only way to be sure is if you no someone that has an x3 chip take yours and put it in there xbox if it works you know you did something wrong. The chip itself could still be getting power when testing with a multimeter and be fried. As far as a defective chip I have installed many and never had a bad one. Only bad switches.