I will be gettign a Xbox once the prices drop due to the 360 coming out. I want to be able to:

-Run Linux
-Play backup games
-mount bigger harddrive
-surf the internet
-clear casing

I have no clue on which modchip and other stuff to get. Feel free to help me.

AIM: T3hFUBARator

lets see....
-linux is free
-back up games using CD/DVD or HDD free except for the games.....
-free linksbot or linux
-casing 30-50 depending

well here are the prices
xbox - $100ish
chip - $49
HDD - $100 or better for a 120gb
case - $30 - $50

modchip to get i would look toward the more expensive kind of modchips more capable of more things but i have a xecuter 3 ce i got it for $67 solderless but still need to solder 3 cables on back of motherboard and u will need to the get updated flash BIOS then a new dashboard but u need to still find Slayers auto installer

First of all, you got your xbox for about let's say 150, just to estimate it high, in case if you were too anxious, and wanted to buy it now. You would need a chip because you can't TSOP and upgrading the hard drive is harder with a softmod. Basically, you won't need a flash, high-tech chip, but something that will work okay. I say the Xecuter 2.6 CE will be good. That's only 30 bucks. You're probably going to want a big hard drive, so I say 250 gb. HERE is a Maxtor 250 gb for 109 before shipping. As for the clear case, don't settle for the cheap, thin ones. HERE is a good one. The XCM Crystal Clear Case 50 bucks.

150 + 30 + 109 + 50 + (20 for shipping combined) = around 360 total

Id just go for the duox 2 chip. Cheap and easyish to install [easy if you know how to solder]. I dont think that it has a solderless option, but it has 2 flash banks so you can have your linux bios / hacked xbox bios. They can be anywhere between $10.00 - $15.00

The case you should go for is the XCM case, good quality replacement case. Around $50.00

I know HDD prices for AU so it would be no real use to you.

BTW, hppyland is me...

I kind of want to have the top of the line/best performing mod chip since I want this to be a one time job and not upgrade every 6 months or something.

x3ce....

The price of a chip has NOTHING to do with how reliable, or upgradable your mod will be.. If you can solder then go for a duox2.. Beyond that, I'd opt for a softmod since they are just as stable if you read about what you are doing, and you never have to worry about your chip coming loose if you traffic your xbox around..
Basically you can achieve the same end result with $150 for an xbox, and about $100 for the hdd if you hotswap to install a softmod (or if you have free access to items needed to gamesave..

Expensive chips don't actually allow you to do anything special (except possibly lcd screens).. They're more or less designed to perform functions on the chip that could be as easily accomplished with free software or a Cromwell bios.. Furthermore, the functions on some of those chip OS's aren't as safe as the software alternatives.. (On some chips the eeprom backup is easy to accidently overwrite, and the locking function does not set a master password..) This kind of thing can leave a noob who thought his big chip is godly, thinking if he hadn't have blown $80 on his modchip that maybe he'd still be able to unlock his 300GB hdd..

XBOX + DuoX2 + 200GB + XCM = ~$320

A DuoX2 is just fine for your purposes. 200GB is as low as $70 now. XCM is the best quality clear case.

No need to have the most up to date modchip. They can all be re-flashed with the latest BIOS and the latest dashboards can be installed to the HDD no problem.

Me, i just go for the cheapest method... TSOP Flash

He can't get a TSOP flash because no doubt he will have a v1.6 if he isn't buying his xbox until November.

Like everybody is saying, don't pay for an expensive chip. It's pointless. Get either a Duox2 or an Xecuter 2.6 CE. (Duox 2's are cheaper) Also, that 250 gb hard drive in my first post was from www.newegg.com. Only 110 dollars. That's a pretty good deal. Get the XCM Crystal Clear Case. Also, are you going to be getting Xbox Live?

Some of the newest xboxes are actually 1.4's with a regulr 5713 kernel on the 'tsop'.. I got one dated 01-11-05, and another from 04-04-05..