PDA

View Full Version : BlueX-5 Review...


ShadowKnyght
10-12-2003, 03:55
Hello All,

Some of you may have seen my installation instructions recently for the V9... (www.psxmodchips.net/PS2_V9_BlueX-5.zip)

Yep means I have spent 2 days carefully constructing readable instructions and then installing my first V9 compatible BlueX-5 chip from BlueChip. Same thing really as the latest Smartchip...

After reading all the tales of whoe about dead and dying V9's I was very hesitant to switch her on... but flicked her on eventually - nice red light - good sign... hit eject and :D - up it started!

Inserted GT3 closed tray with eject - and straight away the screen went black... OMG... but wait - up came the game... :) that was fast!

Not only does this chip skip the PS2 logo - but it recognises the game in a fraction of a second. (later found out that some of this speed is also credited to the V9's themselves!)

The BlueX-5 recognises the game as soon as it is in the drive and jumps from this screen instantly to the game! wow - I am impressed! Hard thing to do recently!

Anyway enough dribble - on to the review:

# Used 100% Kynar AWG30 wire no thin enammel needed.
# Used two ground connection - just for the hell of it.
# Chip has 25 wires to solder in - 26 if you double up the ground

Boot Method:

PS2 Games Same as DUO & Apple Pro etc:
1) boot with eject
2) Stick Game in
3) Close with eject - play game

or Hit reset with game in tray - play game.

Note: PS2 logo is skipped - which is kinda cool anyway for fast load ups.

PS1 Games
1) Game in tray
2) Enter standby mode
3) Press and hold reset till blue light comes on - let go
4) Play game

Note2: PS1 logo is not skipped - but still boots up to logo much faster.

Note3: Appeared like there may have been a slight screen wobble on some PS1 games but that was more likely my old TV and tired eyes - was 2:30am at time of install...

Note4: To switch from PS1 Mode back to PS2 mode you do need to return to standby.

Games Tested:

PS2 Games:

Form...Game......................Media.....Result. ...Colour

PAL.....GT3.........................DVDR......100% .....N/A
PAL.....Splinter Cell.............DVDR......100%.....N/A
PAL.....SSX tricky................DVDR......100%.....N/A
PAL.....Commandos 2..........DVDR......100%.....N/A
PAL.....Tekken Tag..............CDR........100%.....N/A
PAL.....Dynasty Warriors 2...CDR........100%.....N/A
NTSC...Amplitude................DVDR......100%.... .Yes


PS1 Games:

Form...Game......................Media.....Result. ...Colour

PAL.....GT1.........................CDR........100 %....N/A
PAL.....GT2.........................CDR........100 %....N/A
NTSC...Thrill Kill..................CDR........100%....Yes
NTSC...Rival Schools...........CDR........100%....Yes

Overall I have to say I am impressed. The loss of the PS2 logo is no big thing for me - especially when you consider how fast these buggers load the games.

Only gripe I have with the chip is more a case of possible confusion with the R designator not being near the actual R pad. This could have been dangerous as the Pad it is actually near is a unmarked ground pad. But Luckily enough I worked this one out before turning the station on.

I give the chip a 95% rating - looses the 5% only because I am so used to the 17 wire DUO chip now that to go back to 25+ wires was a real pain!

But apart from that the chip is a 100% for game booting.

Should also mention - this chip also addresses the 2/3rds screen problem most other chips get when playing NTSC PS1 games on a PAL station - the picture doesn't quite fill the entire screen - but at least it is centralised, in colour and bigger than what I have seen on other chips like the Magic3.x etc that suffer the 2/3 screen problem!

*************************

Station is still alive and kicking 3 weeks later!

EVOEvo
10-12-2003, 05:35
well i got a smart chip pro in my v9 i dont know if pro is a clone or not but as soon as i pop the game in it dose know then it loads right up :) just it still has the logo so i know its not just a smart chip the install was done by NETMECH

ShadowKnyght
10-12-2003, 07:43
strange that!

As far as I knew he was Americanmodz which is affiliated with evolutionmods which sell the black smartchip prox5 or what ever they call it which does skip the logo...

the only diff is that Nemtechs site shows the V9 smartchip being green...

bighap
10-12-2003, 10:15
ShadowKnyght has a pm.;)