Check out the amazing work of Benjamin J Heckendorn. He hasn't just made an Xbox 360 look a bit different, he's... well, look. Look what he's done. He's gutted it, removed all the stuff, put in a new cooling system, added a screen, wired in a keyboard, and pretty much re-engineered the entire thing. The result is an amazing Xbox 360 with an HD screen in a custom laptop case. It's bewilderingly cool - and here's how he made it...
How do you even begin a project of this scale? We struggle to unclip the hard drive.
Heckendorn: Yes that hard drive clip is kind of a bugger isn't it? I suppose it's so it doesn't fall off during shipping, earthquakes, loud parties at your neighbours... Originally I didn't think that this project would exceed the complexity of my Atari 800 Laptop Computer, but I was dead wrong. Pretty much every aspect, from using a VGA LCD screen to water-cooling, was beyond what I've done before. But I always enjoy taking on insane challenges like this. Now I'm taking a break with the relatively easy Atari Jaguar.
How much did all the bits cost?
Heckendorn: About $1,300 US (approx £680) for parts, including Xbox 360 and screen, materials and time.
What was the trickiest to do?
Heckendorn: Water-cooling! I couldn't just put a stock water-cooling kit in there, so I machined my own radiator and reservoir. Not only did this take forever, but problems cropped up adding a good month to the project!
How come you know how to do this? Are you a proper engineer/scientist/electrician?
Heckendorn: Nope. But I've been hacking consoles for six years, thus I have 'come to know them'. The Xbox 360 is clearly the most advanced console yet, but it still has controller ports, video outputs and connectors, just like an Atari 2600 - except it's 200 degrees hotter.
How is that screen powered?
Heckendorn: I put a secondary AC/DC power adapter on top of the Xbox's power brick. The cabling runs up with the mains wire and then through the screen. Normally, I would power a screen and system from the same PSU, but with the pump already sucking off the Xbox 360's 12-volt supply, I figured I'd play it safe.
Did you ever consider battery powering it?
Heckendorn: Well, as sort of a wish, maybe. The Xbox 360 consumes massive amounts of power, this is clear from the amount of heat it pumps out. Perhaps a top-of-the-line laptop battery would run it for a bit, but probably for an hour or less.
Where'd that awesome retro keyboard come from?
Heckendorn: I used an old Gateway USB keyboard for the internals and silicone domes and then made all the keys myself out of plastic using a laser engraver/cutter. This way I could make the letters on the keys match the fonts of the other text on the unit. Also I wanted the keys round because it look retro and cool, plus 360=circle=round. Plus I just like circles.
What's been the reaction?
Heckendorn: A good one! People can't believe it works which is always great. I tell them "it looks impossible to build because it almost was!" I've had a few requests to build more, which is interesting. Being in the Official Xbox Magazine is cool!
Has anyone from Microsoft spoken to you about it?
Heckendorn: Nope, no emails from Bill Gates as of yet. Obviously, I have my finger on the pulse of the community!
Was it worth spending three months on?
Heckendorn: Sure, why not?
What other mods have you recently done?
Heckendorn: This is my first for the Xbox 360, but I've also made handheld portables of the Atari 2600, NES, Sega Genesis, PSone, PS2, Colecovision, Super Nintendo and probably a few others I can't recall. And of course my Atari 800 laptop computer.
Got anything nice lined up next?
Heckendorn: Let's see... doing a new-style Atari 800 laptop, an Atari Jaguar portable. And I plan to really trick out an Xbox 360 when I get one. Not 'laptop' trick out, but something good for my living room.
Can you make a smaller power supply for us?
Heckendorn: Shoot, sorry. That thing scares me enough as it is. But I believe they're making smaller versions of both the Xbox 360's CPU and GPU, which will, hopefully, consume less power and use a smaller mains supply.
First I,ve heard of it. Pretty cool though i didnt even know it was possible. My brother once hooked a psone upto the computer but thats completely different.
Beautiful. The type of thing I need when the girlfriend hogs the TV to watch some more reality TV crap.
What exactly is it that chicks find so great about reality tv???? Totally off topic but I seriously don't understand how they can watch television that if it was food, would make them fatter than santa claus.
someone get this bloke a job - ive got big respect for people taking the time out to do things like this, we'll all be drinking out of his 'smart cup' in 20 years time.
Only thing, he dropped some kudos on the last shot with the bens pens pot in view. I bet he's one of these people that that see the world in 0's and 1's like the matrix.
hey benjamen heckendorn can u make me an xbox 360 laptop i beg you!!!!!!! im 11 years old plz it my birthday in 2 months plzi dont have any money plz!!!!!!!!!!! add me on msn my email is greendaykicksass27@hotmail.com
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what did you take out of the xbox
