Nintendo 64 Case Mod

B

brionbastian

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jun 30, 2005
Messages
272
Hello everyone, I'm a new member here but it looks like a great forum. This project is one that I was logging on another forum, but there weren't very many people there and all they wanted to do was prove that they knew more than the last guy, so here we are. I'm about 1/4 of the way done with this project, so there's plenty more to come. If some of the wording in my posts don't make sense, it's because it was in reply to someone else's post. Considering they weren't helping me out, they weren't included.

The Beginning:

#1: I got the victim on the way home from work. It's an N64. First I gotta figure out how to disassemble it without getting the special tool. I'll post pics as soon as it gets interesting.

#2: I don't get terribly excited about the old games, this mod is mainly a time-consuming, not-too-expensive project for me to work on in my spare time. It was inspired by those 4" CCFLs and the challenge to figure out the wiring and how to hide all the necessary garbage like power inverters and power connectors. I'm a former Electrical Engineer major that switched to PC Support and this seems like it could be a very interesting experiment for me.

I'd like suggestions on what components I should put inside the acrylic case once it's built. I need to order the stuff so it's here when I need it. I have a general idea what i want in there, so here's what I picked out.

http://xoxide.com/dual-4-inch-uv-cathode.html

http://xoxide.com/4blcocakitdr.html - I wanted a dual blue light kit but it doesn't seem to exist. I might have to get 2 single kits.

http://xoxide.com/40qublledfan.html - probly about 4 of these (out of stock now, I'm hoping they'll get more in soon)

http://xoxide.com/sunbeam-led-case-handle-blue.html

http://xoxide.com/bluledligkit.html - maybe 2 of these

http://xoxide.com/sleevingkit2.html

Maybe some blue case feet, I haven't decided yet.
Let me know what you think.

#3: For powering all this stuff, I think I found the perfect power supply, but I'd like to know if anyone has experience with it.

http://xoxide.com/miposunocone.html

It would save me a ton of wiring but i'm a little worried that it won't be able to power the maybe 10-12 things it's gonna be supplying. In the description it says 'Good for powering 1-2 devices' but it's also 1000mA.

#4: Here's an update on the slaughter *ahem* mod so far. All i've done is remove the top case, but believe me, it took quite an effort. I used a drill bit to drill out the 6 proprietary screws holding it together. one bad thing, I didn't realize that one of them passed through the motherboard... I drilled right through it but it still works so i think i'm all right. it doesn't look to me like any leads used to exist there but i know those boards are usually layered too so who knows. Pics are below.





#5: I just ordered 2 4" blue CCFLs, 2 4" UV CCFLs, 3 blue LED fans, 3 fan grills with a radioactive design, 20 blue ramsinks, a 3-lazer LED light kit, and the little power supply I posted about earlier. I'm expecting to get it monday or tuesday. I'll be building the case starting tonight if i can find the plexiglass at home depot.

#6: I just got home and finally have a few hours to work on this thing. I picked up 2 sheets of 12 X 24" Lexan but it's only .093" think. It's going to be a challenge making a sturdy case but that's why i started this project in the first place - for a challenge, that is. I also picked up some Dremel cutting discs and buffing discs and a tube of epoxy. It says it has up to 4000 lbs. of holding power for steel on steel, i hope that's enough for this project. I've got the case panels cut out and the base and left and right sides are glued together. here are some pics of the mobo without the case bottom:



And a detail of the nice little hole I put in the mobo:



#7: Yes the whole thing is going in a .093" thick clear Lexan case. So far I've got all the parts cut out and holes for the controller ports and power and video/audio holes cut. I would post pics but i'm too lazy to take them and upload them right now. I glued 2 sides onto the base. That's about all the construction I can do until the lights and fans get here. A word of caution to those who have never used epoxy: DO NOT use it indoors... Yes I have a headache right now. After experimenting with Dremel cutting discs, and finding that the ones i just bought will burn Lexan to a black seething lump of melted plastic in a matter of seconds, I have had my share of smells for the week.

The case will be about 9" by 11" by 3.5". The mobo will be suspended (how is yet to be determined) about 1.5-2" above the base of the case and most of the CCFL inverters and whatever ugly stuff is necessary will be under it so at least it won't be obvious. The hardest part to figure out right now is covering the area around the controller ports. I cut 2 rectangle holes, one for each set of ports. Now i'm thinking that wasn't such a brilliant idea because it left a lot of room around the ports. I might cut a new front panel and drill round holes that fit the ports exactly.

The epoxy is drying fast. the bonds will be at least as strong as the Lexan itself I think.

#8: First pics of the case. This is after a total of 4 hours of Dremeling and hole sawing. the left front panel was redone 6 times.



The switch i'm gonna put on for the lights and fans:



Semi-assembled:



almost assembled but not glued:

 
The next update will probably be on the 7th or the 8th, when my lights and fans get here. I've done all I can until then.
 
brionbastian said:
The next update will probably be on the 7th or the 8th, when my lights and fans get here. I've done all I can until then.
Click to expand...
Boy, the mobo for the N64 is much smaller than I expected! And those aluminum blocks on the chips... whoa. It'd be cool to mount some heatsinks on top of those blocks, you'll see them from the top. Nice work, and good luck!
 
zeusenergy said:
Boy, the mobo for the N64 is much smaller than I expected! And those aluminum blocks on the chips... whoa. It'd be cool to mount some heatsinks on top of those blocks, you'll see them from the top. Nice work, and good luck!
Click to expand...

Great idea, one i already had. I think I forgot to mention that I also ordered 20 of those little blue ramsinks. about 12 of them are going on those 3 cpu's and and the rest are going in my gaming rig's hard drive chipsets.

As of right now, I've totally finished the front and sides of the case. I'm waiting for the supplies to come to finish the top, because at least one fan is going in there, maybe 2 of they fit. I need to figure out how to hinge the top or make it easily removable, preferrably with little or no visible parts. Any ideas are welcome. I also cut 2 pieces of Lexan to put under the motherboard to support it under the memory pack slot and the game cartridge slot, where it will be getting the most pressure.
 
I want to see someone watercool an N64, that would be cool (literally, lololol).
 
if anyone can find a way to install linux or something on this thing, or a way to o/c it, i'd be willing to try...
 
I did a little work over last night and this morning, mostly on the power and reset button holes in the top and perfecting the holes for the power and A/V jacks in the back. I also removed the front plates because I had used epoxy to attach them to the controller ports, and it looked ugly since you can see the glue. I painted the controller ports silver, and reglued them using hot glue. It looks a little better, but not a whole lot. It's not noticeable from a distance, and it will be even less noticeable once i get the lights in there.

Almost completely assembled, the top isn't attached, and neither is the front or back:



Proof that it still works!!

 
You can get dual 4" coldcathodes in any color HERE just send them an email same price as the UV 6.50
 
Thanks for that link, and I would buy them there, but I've already ordered them.

I got my micro power supply yesterday, and it seems to work just fine, so now i'm just waiting on the lights and fans and heatsinks. I should get them tomorrow. Yesterday I worked a little on the power and reset buttons' holes in the top panel. They're a little weird because in the original case, the top was kind of curved, and the buttons are curved, but I think i've gotten around it. Next is the wiring, which is what I'm the best at, so it won't take long.
 
Parts are coming in today, and I plan to have some pics of wiring up by tonight.This project should be completed by the end of the weekend.
 
It's DONE!! I finished the wiring and assembly this morning, and it WORKS!! Check out the pics and let me know what you think.







 
compslckr said:
looks a little ghetto, but old school modding is always cool :)
Click to expand...

All right, so its not perfect, but the day i see someone else do better with a mod like this i'll be impressed.

No, there weren't any fans on the original N64. I added them partly for airflow because the original heatsink was so huge compared to what's on the chips now, and for the LEDs in the fans.
 
compslckr said:
looks a little ghetto, but old school modding is always cool :)
Click to expand...
Yeah, the whole "hand made" look can be done so that it fits the look better than machine-cut parts. This guy has done a decent job and you can tell it's not made in some factory... But it's all good IMO.
 
cv643d said:
I think it looks ugly and I think the mod is pointless.. sorry.
Click to expand...

I think you're an ass and I think your thread-crapping is pointless.

There's some good stuff to be learned in EVERY project. That's why I love this forum. It's like a giant library for tinkerers.

brionbastian- keep up the progress. And I think you need a cool frosted decal for that bad boy right between the cartridge slot and the upgrade memory card thingy slot (can't think of what it's called right now :p) Let me know what you want, and I'll make and mail you one for free ;)
 
sarbz said:
I think you're an ass and I think your thread-crapping is pointless.

There's some good stuff to be learned in EVERY project. That's why I love this forum. It's like a giant library for tinkerers.

brionbastian- keep up the progress. And I think you need a cool frosted decal for that bad boy right between the cartridge slot and the upgrade memory card thingy slot (can't think of what it's called right now :p) Let me know what you want, and I'll make and mail you one for free ;)
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot for all the positive comments. I know it's not the best-looking mod out there but I never claimed to be a pro. As a matter of fact, this is my first real full mod.

I was going to order some biohazard fan grills for it, so a decal with that on it would be great. I'll pM you with an address. Thanks again.
 
LOL, I thought you were going to try stuffing a computer in there and I was thinking NFW will he fit one in there. :D

Nice mod. I think it's cool and semi-original. I haven't seen a N64 modded before. It looks sweet. I love the military toggle switch.
 
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