1st has anyone used a USB Extreme softwaer can you download it from anywere befre it get protected .
and what maybe the pros and cons.also how hard is it to put in a mod chip into my ps2 .have a scph 70002 whats a good chip well ok the chearest.does swap magic work trying not to use a mod chip dont mind a bit of work but

Rule of thumb with modchips is you get what you pay for. It's not worth saving $10 or $20 on a modchip. The best chips for the PS2 are the DMS 4 Pro SE, Matrix Inifinity Green Dot, and Crystal Chip 2.0. They are all very good, reliable chips. A chip+install+shipping is about $100. Soldering a PS2 modchip is pretty difficult, there's 18-20 solder points along the mobo. It's not recommended unless you are a good solderer. http://www.teammodders.com does excellent work, modded practically everybody's modded PS2 on this site, all with rave reviews. Davbere and Team Modders are very reliable, honest installers. If you game a lot, a modchip is a much better solution than Swap Magic, just insert and play your PSX/PS2 games like originals, no case mod or swapping.

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or if you are tight like me go for swap magic its

good points, cheap, and it works

bad points, need to swap,some games dont work or need work doing to them
no psx or dvd9 suport

ive got over 500 backups for ps2 and have no troubles with sm i can do it with my eyes shut ive done it that many time

i would say stay away from usb xtreme and if you have no other systems go for a chip if you have other system and like me just want to be able to play certain games on the ps2 go for swap magic

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well, i agree with the others. USB hard drives are just a waste of time really. The only advantage i will say is that it will save wear and tear on your laser and your discs. I can see using one on some of the newer slimline models where you do not have a choice. But i spent a good deal of money to get my PS2 just the way i wanted it. (at teammodders.com of course)
Got my V12 put into an HD Combo case just so i could have an internal hard drive, and already had the DMS4 Pro chip in it. Nice advantage to that case is the dual fans, so i do not have the overheating issues that other V12 owners have had.

as for installing one, i would not try it yourself unless you are VERY good with a soldering iron and have excellent eye sight. The solder points are tiny and a mistake could cost you your system.

as far as chips, here is a little overview.

DMS4 Pro SE-PROS:
Good chip with built in software to run an internal hard drive, has a downloadable megapack with other programs, one of which can run a USB hard drive. Has a built in cheat device, a good OS (ToxicOS) and an ELF exploit loader. Has built in support to play DVD9 back ups with no patching needed.

Cons : DMS4 Team has pretty much gone away so there is no real support or firmware upgrades that are going to happen. But it will pretty much do anything most people need already.

Crystal Chip V2.0-PROS:
Good chip as well. Team is still active so firmware upgrades will most likely happen too. Has auto patching for online play so back ups do not need manual patching to play online. Has downloadable programs for running an internal hard drive.
CONS: none that i have heard of

Matrix Infinity green dot: this is one of the top 3 chips but i really do not know much about the firmware available for it or what it can and can not do.

Duo 3 Gold- this option is for people with less money ($20) who just want a chip that will play back up PS2 games and nothing more. It is cheaper and stable but it can not be upgraded with firmware like the three above.
read on the features here: http://www.teammodders.com/store/ps2/6/

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