I don't have a lot of OG Xbox games so I am hoping I'll never need to buy another OG Xbox for a while
Oh, I doubt it. I didn't clear any data off my Xbox when I got it, becuase it's a hand-me-down. My fiance bought it new back around release. Then when he got a 360 he gave it to his brother. Then he gave it to his sister. Then it sat unused in the back of her entertainment center until I claimed it. So that guy's got 4 people's worth of save files, copied music, etc. and it's still got plenty of room left.
it might be a modded console because it came with an electric eye inside the 4th controller slot, I don't know what that does
If it comes out, it's probably the sensor for the remote control- Xboxes can play DVDs just like PS2, but you needed to get a kit to get it going.
Regardless of your serial number, if you have to reset the clock when you turn it on, find a repair guy & get your unit looked at- that's a sign that you could have a bad cap. If it advances, you'll start to see the unit turn itself on & possibly issues with the disc tray ejecting on its own.
If you act fast, everything will be fine- when my Xbox started turning itself on, I found a semi-local shop (about an hour away) & actually mailed it in becuase I couldn't make the trip up right away. They actually couldn't find any sign the capacitor was leaking, so either I caught it very early or I'd picked up some corrosion elsewhere. Either way, they pulled the cap for me & did a general refurb of the whole thing, & it's been great since. Even took care of the finicky disc drive (it didn't like to eject on startup.)
Of course, it's entirely possible the previous owner already had the cap pulled & that's why your clock is weird. If it keeps time while plugged in, check the bottom for signs it's been opened- you could be fine. I doubt it's been modded- by my experience most modded systems are running custom firmware, so if yours has the regular startup/menus, I doubt anything's been done.