I have a US/C NTSC 30001-R v5 No-Solder, and it won't boot CD-R backups that are over 640 MB. And I've read that the type of media you use can make a difference, of course others say it's not true, but... I have successfully made DVD-R backups using Verbatim & TDK DVD-R's, no such luck with Memorex or Vivistar DVD-R's though. Same goes for CD-R backups, Verbatim CD-R's worked but I tried with TDK, Memorex, Sony, Imation, and PNY and all failed. So, make sure you use the right type of disc. Also, try using Prassi PrimoDVD found here:
http://psxcopyworld.co.uk/Downloads.htm ...for doing DVD-R backups. I used that and it worked. As far as patching is concerned, you do not have to patch a straight DVD to DVD-R backup. But in the event you do need to patch a game in the future, check here for info/programs:
http://www.megagames.com/ps2/ps2_utils.shtml ...and patches here:
http://www.megagames.com/ps2/ps2_patches.shtml ...good luck, I hope this helped.