Review: Xbox 360 Xkey (Xk3y)

So. Here is the first part of the review. This is for an Xbox Phat.

When you get you Xk3y kit in the mail and open it up you will receive the following:
1. Xk3y board
2. Remote
3. USB Dongle
4. Two different size flat ribbon cables
5. 128MB Micro SD card
6. Power cable
7. SATA cable
8. USB --> Micro USB cable
9. Insulator cut out
Attachment 1092

After uploading the original drive firmware with my DVD key to the micro SD card I inserted the card into the Xk3y board, added a flat ribbon cable, and then covered it up with the insulator cut out. I had a USB micro USB adapter I used to upload firmware to card.
Attachment 1094
I then proceeded to dissemble the Xbox. The fitment is really tight with the Xk3y in place and the way the cables get routed is in my opinion dumb. I feel that they could have done a better job on plug placement for the cables to plug into the Xk3y board. Here it is hooked up in the xbox and then in it permanent place. Notice the ribbon cable sticking out through the rear USB location on the xbox.
Attachment 1095Attachment 1096
Plug the flat ribbon cable into the USB dongle and then plug dongle into rear USB port.
Attachment 1097
Now to test the key and ensure it powers up using both boot up methods. Normal mode and pass through mode. Normal mode is when you will use the Xk3y and you activate it by turning the Xbox on with the power button or the X button on the controller. Pass through mode is if you want to use the DVD drive for some reason. To activate that mode and disable the Xk3y, ensure the Xbox is powered off and turn it on with the eject button the drive. NOTE: Some slim models do not power on with the eject key. To get to pass through mode if this is the case, turn on Xbox with power button and within 1 second press eject button on drive.

Normal mode.
Attachment 1098
Pass through mode:
Attachment 1099

Everything works so far so I am going to put the Xbox back together. If you want you can try to play a game via HDD and ISO to ensure you don't receive the e65 error. This error is an error associated with an incorrect firmware file loaded to the micro USB card. I am confident I put the correct one on there and will reassemble.

Here it is put back together with the USB dongle attached and flat ribbon cable plugged into dongle.
Attachment 1100

Thats it for now. Stay tuned for the continuation when I actually play some game ISOs.
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Part II:

I created a backup ISO of Darksiders II and loaded onto my external. I went to play it and I got an AP25 error on teh Xk3y remote. I looked at the Xk3y firmware version I had and it was 1.06 and the latest release is 1.23. So, I downloaded the new firmware, put it on the external drive and the Xk3y found it automatically and upgraded. When it was done it said to reboot Xbox. I rebooted the box, selected the ISO from the Xk3y remote and voila, the game loaded fine.


OVERALL:
9/10

Pros:
Easy to use
Actually works like it is advertised
No need to flash to original firmware if you have a drive that is already flashed. This saved me some time.
Xk3y upgrades are simple

Cons:
Only con is the way the SATA connectors are arranged on the Xk3y board.