The really hard thing is telling a softmod from a tsop flash.
Some chips have a dash all their own, as I'm sure your marathon revealed. Try seeing if you can boot a chip dash, then if there isn't one you may get a bios dash revealing a tsop instead of a softmod.
It has a big hdd fitted.. open it up and have a look.. and clean the dust out of the fan and vents while you are at it ;)
Actually its very easy, open up XBMC, click down on the right thumbstick and go to system info. The "default" page has the XBOX kernal version on it. If it says 5035 or lower it's a hardmodded xbox, not softmodded. This show's you what bios is on the box. Softmod does not require a bios change.
Not actually quite true, but not a bad try.. one of my xecuter3's boots the last "official" M8xx4plus bios which equates to a 1.6b kernel updated..(will only boot from bank B as well) the last M$ kernel upgrade released. 5838 :lol:
There are 9 kernel/bios versions of XBOX.
xbox v1.0 : 3944 (usa only) , 4034 , 4036 , 4627
xbox v1.1 : 4817, 4972 (every UK one I have seen)
xbox v1.2-1.5 :5101, 5713
xbox v1.6 : 5838
No version returned means a 3944
Assume nothing you read from a newbie is correct, especially 6 weeks after the fact. Not that this is actually wrong information.. just ill informed and 5 years out of date.
Google more carefully my friend.. It's KERNEL.. if you want to sound like you know what you are on about XD
