Q. re m-chip necessity & Starchip

[parklife]

Hi, I have a couple of basic questions I need answered to clarify things for me.

On psxcopyworld I read that modchips are needed to "add the boot up sequence of the game to the console...[t]he same goes for a game enhancer...".

I'm only interested in playing PS2 game ripped by Kalisto, Genius, Miracle et al. I don't care about imports or making backups from originals.

Will I need a modchip to do what I want or will GS/AR suffice?
I assume I will but I wanted to make sure.

I was going to go with the Starchip since I can have the installation done locally with a guarantee. Is this a bad idea considering what I'll be using it for? (rips only) Are there any issues with damage to the console?

I'm in Toronto so if anyone has a better solution than going to New Century in Markham to have the Starchip installed, please let me know.

For the record I did try to research the answers via the forums and web but I'm still unclear on some points. When people write 'backup' am I correct in thinking this is a clone of an original as opposed to a rip but is similar in that both backups and rips require a modchip?

Thanks for your time!