Replacing The Power Supply on an Original Xbox

Replacing the Power Supply on a Xbox

(and by that I mean an original 2004 Xbox)

If you're reading this I'm going to make two assumptions: 1) You have some ounce of technical knowledge or at least enough to know when I say PSU I mean power supply unit; and 2) you understand that. like all other mass-produced electronics, there are variations and differences between different consoles. My Xbox might not be the same as yours but it should be similar enough to get a grasp of what you need to know and I'm including the documentation that I found if you need to get more specialized data. It's also worth noting that a dead power supply might not be your issue and it could be something else like a bad solder joint or a cut trace either on the PSU or the motherboard. You will able to tell right away if you do a visual inspection if it's either of those issues. And with that, let's begin!

SAFETY: PLEASE UNPLUG THE CONSOLE

Step 0: Is it really worth it to you?

This might sound kinda stupid since you're here but have you asked yourself if it's really worth replacing parts on a nearly 20 year old console (at the time of writing). Odds are something else, or even the power supply again, could stop working at any moment depending on the wear you or a previous owner have caused on the console. Now in my case, and I presume your's too, I like older consoles and mine has a bit of history so I think it's worth it but if you're only interested in just playing an older Xbox game once every other year or so then check to see if it works on a 360 or if it's available on Xbox One because I can't guarantee how long parts are going to be available for a console that undersold compared to competition. Right now power supplies seem to be cheap and plentiful but these units do have a shelf life and will eventually run out of working units (as for when, I don't know because I'm not a fortune teller). That being said I'm not suggesting that you don't do it, it's just something to keep in mind.

Step 1: Identifying your Xbox

In order to tell what power supply you need and to know if something other than the PSU died (like a capacitor on the motherboard that operates the clock). In the heading for this section I linked an article that should help you figure out which Xbox you have. In my case my Xbox was a version 1.6 which is denoted on console by having a manufacturing date of April 10th, 2004 and a serial number that indicates it was made in China preceded by a 41 (the site I have notes 42 as the definitive start of 1.6 version consoles). However because mine was so close to the beginning of version 1.6 consoles I had to resort to finding the video chip to fully verify.

If you believe that you know what version you have you can order a replacement power supply at this stage, but it's better to wait until after you've inspected the power supply already inside the console in case it's not an issue you need to resolve via replacement. Skip to Step 3 to see which PSU to buy.

Step 2: Opening it Up

This step is pretty straightforwards, depending on if you have the right screw drivers. The correct heads are T20 Torx and T10 Torx screw drivers but I had only one of those so I just wound up using a smaller triangular shaped head on the screws inside the console. The key is getting them out without damaging the treading so as long as you do that anything works. As for where the screws are: 4 are underneath the rubber feet of the console, 1 is under the serial number label in one of the corners, and 1 is under the copyright/certifications label on the side where there is a gap between the text and the edge. With those out the top and two side vent areas lift off (mine was a bit stubborn but rocking it back and forth with a little bit of force got the job done). This should reveal the disc drive and the hard drive. Disconnect the ribbon cable from both units and unplug each unit's power cable. On the hard drive's housing you will need to remove the cable from it's plastic channel in order to fully remove the unit. From there there are 3 screws (were of a gold/brass color on my console) that need to get removed: one to the rear of the hard drive unit, one in the front corner of the console next to the disc tray, one on the opposite side of the disc tray beside where the HDD unit is. You can remove the hard drive unit after remove the first of the 3 screws listed making the last one easier to reach. Once the disc drive and the HDD is out of the way you have exposed the motherboard and the power supply. There are 2 more screws holding the power supply in place and a main power connection that need to be remove in order to pull the PSU out (there might be some little clips on the side holding it down as well but mine just slid out).

Step 3: Identifying Your Power Supply

Not all power supplies are equal. If your system is 1.0 or 1.1 you can use PSU's for those 2 versions only, versions 1.2 through 1.5 [if you have 1.5 they are rare, nice] then you can use any power supply that fit that range, and then 1.6 units only work for 1.6. There are power supplies out there that are designed to be universal (are sold with adapters and such) but I always recommend getting pieces designed for specifically for your console. One of the easiest ways to do this by looking at the PSU already in the system. In the case of the 1.6 Delta PSU in mine the product information labeled on the top of the card and on the large capacitor: DPSN-96DP A Rev:00. If you can't find it then you can do one of several options: buy one of those universal PSUs, trust the ebay seller you're buying from actually knows what version of Xbox the power supply you're buying is from, convert your new power supply into the right kind, or be really kool and turn an ATX power supply into an Xbox one (good luck because I can't help you). Either way there are plenty of options based on your expertise and patience.

Step 4: Test It

Connect the new PSU to the motherboard and hard drive. Does it power on? If so, you've done it. just unplug the console from the wall and reconnect everything. If not... well you've got a big problem on your hands. Try using another power cord if you have one (PS2 and some power bricks have the same type of plug but I'm not sure on the voltage/amps) and/or using another outlet. If neither of those work then thanks for stopping by but this is not what you're looking for (maybe read step 0).


Found this guide while looking for a cabling diagram of the power button. It covers far more than what I've detailed plus it covers doing some modding to the system.

Update: I Should Listen To Myself Some Time

Got my replacement PSU, installed it, and the system never powered on. Decided to finally take out the motherboard. About 4 or so traces from the main power connector on the board look suspiciously fried. Not sure how it happened since the thing as been unplugged for an unknown amount of time (don't remember doing it and it's been about a year) and had no issues the last time I used it. I don't any of the tools to replace/repair them (R.I.P. Xbox). So check back next week when I review the cxbx:reloaded Xbox emulator plus some little adapters so I can use the controllers with my PC.