Spider GX Review

Written by Brakken
January 2005

Introduction

The Spider GX modchip for the Microsoft XBOX is advertised to be your all in one solderless solution for booting unsigned code to run things such as Linux, emulators or turn your console into a Multi-Media Center for your living room. I’ve done some hardcore modding and testing to get this puppy up and running and am here to present to you my very dissatisfied with the results.

Feature Set

The system's heart: one full speed CPLD with low power consumption
16Mb Flash Memory: (OS)+(BIOS)+(SETTINGS)+(EEPROM Backup)
New Pogo-Pins with High electric conductivity metal
5v connector for xbox case and/or customizing light
LCD Connector, full software controlling
LCD Backlight engine control. (can be controlled manually or by software)
Front panel connector (with build-in real speed programmer connector)
Secret Connector
Status control LED
Spider Wires connector

Contents of the Nifty Box

Box w/Magnetized Lid
Spider GX Modchip
Spider Wireless Adapter
Wireless Plastic Placer
Programming Adapter
Programming Cable
Unknown Cable
Spacer & Screw

Installation Instructions

The Installation Guide that you can download from the Spider GX's homepage is hardy worth reading. I’d call it more of a crappy two page reference guide with a bunch of oversized pictures to make it look bigger. Sure, the thing is only five pages to begin with, but knock out the filler and you’ve got one and a half pages of text which only two paragraphs really matter.

The pictures in the Guide basically show you where to put the Spider GX’s Wireless Adapter’s Legs at and that is it. It doesn’t go into any detail on how to take apart your console, fit the Plastic Placer or even how to locate the LPC ports. Of course if you’re experienced you could use this Guide, but like I said – for reference material only.

If you are new to modding the XBOX you’re going to be left wondering what the hell is going on. You’ll end up having to do a lot of research on your own and depending on your knowledge and resources this could take an hour or a few days. The documentation provided from Spider GX is definitely not made for someone who is looking for an easy wireless modchip solution.

Luckily, there are other modchip manufactures who have published guides you can refer to and of course XBOX-SCENE, the mother of all XBOX modification websites, that you can read to get the knowledge you need. Like I said, if you’re new to XBOX modding and you only have the five page picture book Spider GX provides you’ll be left scratching you head and wondering what the hell a v1.6, LPC, D0, EEPROM and PCB are.

The screwed up part is once you find the information you’re looking for you will have already read about a few other chips and most likely had to read through their documentation to figure out what you’re supposed to do with the Spider GX. I almost think the other companies produced it just to push their own sales!

Installation - v1.0 XBOX

Now a v1.0 XBOX is one of the first generation of hardware setups Microsoft used to make their console with. If you own a v1.0 through v1.5 you won’t have to bother with any of the legs other then one of them (the D0) and can cut the rest off. All you’ll need to do is attach the Spider GX over the LPC port and then use the Wireless Adapter and attach it to the D0 point.

Due to the fact that I already knew where to fit the chip I located the LPC holes, placed the Spider GX over them and then screwed it down using the provided spacer and screw (the spacer goes underneath the chip). After this I plugged the Wireless Adapter into the Spider GX and then put the D0 leg into its place on the motherboard. One thing I noticed is that the legs were rather large and made out of a very flexible material making it harder to fit them into the D0 hole. When it did fit since it was so flexible it was not hard to move your XBOX and have it come out.

The Programming Cable and Adapter were next, which were a no brainer as all you do is plug in them. I booted the machine and the blue lights came on and I was presented with the OS screen, but then the XBOX shut off. I took off the DVD and Hard Drive assemblies off to find no problems. I tried a few more times and each time the XBOX would shut off at random points in time.

I decided the chip was getting bad contact with the LPC points and proceeded to remove the solder from them. Once I sucked all of the solder out and refit the Spider GX the chip worked a litter better, but it was still getting bad contact. I concluded that the Pogopins on the chip itself were off poor quality and removed them. They got replaced with another chips wireless pogopin adapter. Go figure …

Finally, the damned thing worked! No issues. So I flashed it with a 3rd party BIOS and tested out the normal stuff like emulators, XBOX Media Center (XBMC) and some games. Everything worked fine. I then erased the BIOS and left it in its default state so I could install it into a newer box.

Installation - v1.6 XBOX

As I was already upset at the fact the Spider GX was less then a solderless solution so I didn’t get my hopes up on how this installation was going to go. I actually set aside more time then usual just for errors. Good thing I did as the chip too way too long to install and the results were not to my liking - at all.

First off, the Wireless Plastic Placer would not stay in place. It is not a based on a proper mold at all. There is room for it to move around and each time it does all of the very weak and oversized legs on the Spider GX’s Wireless Adapter will pop right out of place. So to solve this issue I hot glued the sucker to the motherboard.

Next I proceeded to place all of the legs into their respective positions. Once they were in place I moved the XBOX over near a power outlet to test the chip to make sure all of the LED’s light up (this means it is connected right), but when I got to my designation I noticed all of the legs had come out of the holes. I examined the chip more and discovered that the Wireless Adapter itself doesn’t sit firm on the Spider GX (as it uses a really, really small connector) and will sway back and forth. What a piece of shit.

So I heated up the hot glue gun again (good thing I left it out) and glued the adapter onto the Spider GX chip so it wouldn’t move around anymore. I now turned the console one and didn’t get any lights! Great … So I cursed some and then cursed some more.

Following that I removed the Wireless Adapter (the glue comes off easily) and examined the points to make sure they still didn’t have any lacquer on them and they didn’t. I decided the damned Wireless Adapter was at fault and was going to do a manual LPC rebuild.

I flipped over the motherboard and found the LPC holes and used the LPC rebuild diagram to solder on the four wires to the eight points and then flipped it back over. I put on the chip and manually soldered it to the LAD point and tried to boot it. Nothing happened, no lights, no video output, nothing!

I thought that I might have messed up the LPC rebuild, so I put in a competitors chip and it booted fine. So the LPC rebuild was fine, the chip worked in the v1.0 so what could be wrong? At this point in time I got online and went looking for a solution and of course I would most likely find one on a forum. I checked Spider GX’s homepage, but as it has said since it has launched their forums are “coming soon,” so I emailed them with my issue and kept looking.

I found some unofficial forums and started to read in horror at all of the problems people are having with these chips. I had always heard people joke about their quality, but I never imagined it could be so bad. It’s like the box it comes in is actually better quality then the product itself. I narrowed down the problem to the pre-installed Operating System on the Spider GX itself so I went and updated it on the v1.0 XBOX, but the damned chip would still not boot.

Personally, I do not like being sent a product for review and then not being able to get it booting properly. So I sent an email to the company I received the product from and they told me that they have been getting reports of the chip also not working on v1.6b consoles and told me to hold off until a BIOS fix – that was a month ago. So I finally decided, against the companies will to post the review. Although, I felt it was best to not mention which resellers I obtained the Spider GX from I’m sure this review won’t help its sales in general.

Shortly after I made my decision and decided to share my work and photos with the company that sent me the chip they replied with an email which said – and I quote “We already have removed this piece of shit from our site.”. Guess the Spider GX is really trash.

Conclusion

Due to the Spider GX’s lack of documentation, poor construction, compatibility and the fact that it isn’t a “solderless” solution I would put this sucker on your not-to-buy list. I would stay the hell away from this chip and anything else the company produces. The damned box it came in was better quality then the chip! I know you might think it’s unfair to post a review of a half defective product, but after two months and three chips I’d call the Spider GX the NinjaMod of XBOX modchips. Talk about shit in a box!

Positives

The Box it comes inside

Negatives

Spider GX Pogopins don’t conduct properly
Spider GX is poorly manufactured
Lack of support for newer XBOX consoles
It’s not a “Solderless” Solution
Wireless Adapter sways back and forth
Wireless Adapter Legs are too large
Wireless Adapter Legs are too flexible
Too Many More to List …

Links

Spider GX's Homepage
Don't buy one!

One Last Thing

I did my normal thing and took high resolution scans of the chip and the first one I got was poorly made compared to the one XBOX-SCENE received. However, I noticed the shorted components before I installed it into the first XBOX and fixed it. Additionally, I received no replies from Spider GX (after a month and a half)!!! I believe that the trashy chip just doesn’t have support in it for the newest line of XBOX consoles. Once again, stay the hell away from this chip. If you see one – throw it away!

   
High Resolution Pictures Comparing Chips



-=[ Spider GX Review Discussion Thread ]=-

“We already have removed this piece of shit from our site.” Ex-Worldwide Reseller Product(s) were received from the website above. ISO-420 will always link back to whomever sent the product(s) *respect*, but please remember that the reviews are independently written by our staff and are not subject to alteration by whomever supplies us with the review product(s).