BlueX-5 Review...

[ShadowKnyght]

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 - 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!