HTPC in a Nintendo 64

[polvorito]

Hi everyone
this a mod of the legendary Nintendo 64.
The job is finished but I'm sharing it with you.

I used to play a lot with this console years ago...

I got this console for 15€ in a flee market

The objective is to make a PC for the living room, to watch media and some internet surf. Ultimately I'll be installing OSX on it since I only have macs at home.

thus it must have the :

appropriate connectivity

Not necessarily a big hard disk
(I have a Wifi network already setup at home, it is very fast (Wifi N) and reliable. Sharing files or streaming media between computers at home is very easy.)

Very responsive, but not necessarily powerful

And Silent

considering all that, this is the hardware I choose
is pretty simple :
Mobo: Zotac ionitx A - E
2x 1GB of ram
1 SSD 30GB

this zotac mobo has almost everything needed (sound, graphics, CPU, connectivity HDMI, Wifi N, optical out etc ), has a CPU that can work with out fan, has external power unit and fits nice inside a N64
Buy new games and consoles for the prices listed on Target weekly ad (https://www.weeklyads2.com/target/).

2GB of ram is enough for the tasks that the computer will have to do

The 30GB SSD drive will ensure less noise, and a responsive system.

[polvorito]

First of I opened the N64, removed everything inside of it and cut a lot of the internal parts of the case
I lost the pictures of this step, but you have a look at this thread this part is basicly the same:

http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24038

dcattena have interesting ideas

I only have this picture of the top case cut

http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/09/12//1009121133321176896733042.jpg (http://www.casimages.com)

in addition had to cut the controllers ports to fit the mobo
http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/09/12//1009121133341176896733053.jpg (http://www.casimages.com)

Any how here are the pictures for the following step which consist on rebuilding the rear left corner of the console :
http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/09/12//1009121133321176896733038.jpg (http://www.casimages.com)

http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/09/12//1009121133321176896733039.jpg (http://www.casimages.com)

I used a polyester mastic for that. I think this material is quite good, is hard, sticks very well on plastic, can be sanded machined and drilled. It also stand 120°C temperatures .
I mold it and I'm used sand paper for finish To make the shape. I also closed the unnecessary holes of the lower case.
http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/09/12//1009121133321176896733040.jpg (http://www.casimages.com)

[polvorito]

Back Panel
I decided to make a custom plastic back panel.
I started with a template
http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/09/12//1009121133331176896733047.jpg (http://www.casimages.com)

http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/09/12//1009121133341176896733055.jpg (http://www.casimages.com)

http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/09/12//1009121133331176896733050.jpg (http://www.casimages.com)

http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/09/12//1009121133341176896733056.jpg (http://www.casimages.com)

and then the real one

http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/10/08//1010081222561176896887508.jpg (http://www.casimages.com)

after cutting it, I pated it to the lower case and applied the magical polyester mastic.

http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/10/08//1010081222571176896887517.jpg (http://www.casimages.com)

I sanded it until I cot a nice shape and started paint

http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/10/08//1010081222571176896887518.jpg (http://www.casimages.com)

[polvorito]

at That moment I made some software tests.
With the N64 case closed, the processor reached 90°C

Is sad But a fan is needed

I tried the fan delivered with the mobo ( diam 60mm ; 10mm thick)
http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/09/12//mini_1009121133331176896733049.jpg (http://www.casimages.com/img.php?i=1009121133331176896733049.jpg)

and it did't fit so I cut 10mm off the heatsink (not even scared)

later I put a fan 10mm thick 70mm diam at a slower speed

Conclusion : the temperature drooped to 40° in normal usage

[polvorito]

ON/OFF and Reset buttons

this was a bit tricky because I wanted to use the original buttons of the N64
And the proble was that the buttons ar just on top of the RAM

http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/09/12//1009121133341176896733051.jpg (http://www.casimages.com)

So this is what I did

http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/10/08//1010081222571176896887510.jpg (http://www.casimages.com)

http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/10/08//1010081222571176896887511.jpg (http://www.casimages.com)


(for the reset button it didn't work well ... I'll show you the final version later

http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/10/08//1010081222571176896887513.jpg (http://www.casimages.com)

http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/10/08//1010081222571176896887512.jpg (http://www.casimages.com)

http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/10/08//1010081222571176896887514.jpg (http://www.casimages.com)

http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/10/08//1010081222571176896887515.jpg (http://www.casimages.com)

[polvorito]

Paint started
http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/10/08//1010081222581176896887521.jpg (http://www.casimages.com)

http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/10/08//1010081222581176896887520.jpg (http://www.casimages.com)

[polvorito]

I almost forgot! The hard drive :
I always knew that the hard drive would have to be on top of the mobo

so I fixed it on the top case

http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/09/13//1009130706221176896743701.jpg (http://www.casimages.com)

[polvorito]

PAINTED

http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/10/08//1010080118141176896887648.jpg (http://www.casimages.com)

http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/10/08//1010080118141176896887649.jpg (http://www.casimages.com)

http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/10/08//1010080118141176896887650.jpg (http://www.casimages.com)

http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/10/08//1010080118141176896887651.jpg (http://www.casimages.com)

http://nsm04.casimages.com/img/2010/10/08//1010080118141176896887654.jpg (http://www.casimages.com)
Top deals from the Michaels Weekly Ad (https://www.weeklyads2.com/michaels/) will help you craft better at affordable costs.

[polvorito]

The Led is blue, I'll make a picture later when is dark
For those who are interested OSX works like a charm on this computer
here are is all you need to make it happen
-Link Removed-

Thanks for watching, take care of yourselves... and each other

[billygoat333]

I like it a lot, but the power button and reset need painted, IMO. so does the expansion cover and feet on the bottom. awesome work nonetheless... have a +rep from me. :)

[diluzio91]

reminds me of this

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/GameBoyAdvance-white.jpg

Nice

[polvorito]

hi billygoat333
I painted those parts in light grey color(I think is called "concrete grey") to make some contrast but not too much.

[polvorito]

diluzio91
yes that's kind of the idea I had at first for the colors

[nevermind1534]

Nice work; it looks great, and I love the color scheme.

[chaksq]

This is definitely one of the better computer inside an old game console mods I've seen. Props for not having hacked up the exterior of the case much and thus keeping it looking fairly original.

[OvRiDe]

Congrats.. It appears that Tom's Hardware Guide liked it too!

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Nintendo-64-Console-HTPC-Intel-Atom-Nvidia-Ion,11445.html

[polvorito]

wow that's so great I'm happy

[msmrx57]

Congrats!! :up: It's a very slick mod and worthy of every bit of attention.

[polvorito]

Cool, I thinks you should also take a look at this one http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/f...ad.php?t=24038
that project isn't finish, so I guess dcattena, the guy who is doing it, would appreciate suggestions.

[kable-x]

what kind of paint did you use for this? Im currently working on a ps1 mod and I really like the finish of your n64.

[polvorito]

well getting a nice finish is difficult, I had to do it twice, and if you look closely you'll see the finish I got is not that good... I didn't follow the rules :dead: I think the layers of paint are too thick. Maybe I'll do a third time some day...
I had some reading about the subject.
In many forums the say :
first you need to sand paper the surface you want to paint, wash it to get rid of dust, dirt etc
then apply a primer sand a bit
after 3 thin layers of paint (sand a bit before doing each), you have to wait at least 1h between each layer to let the paint dry properly.
and finish with gloss (some people do 2 layers of gloss)
you can find the primer, paint and gloss in spray
In my opinion it is important to use good quality sprays and very thin grip sand paper.
there are some good tutorials here
http://www.360-hq.com/xbox-tutorials-70.html
http://www.instructables.com/

[nevermind1534]

The one hour between coats depends on the paint. You have to read the instructions. With some, you have to recoat within 20 minutes or after 24 hours. If you're sanding, you'll have to wait the full 24.

[polvorito]

Too true, every paint has different qualities and ways to handle. It's very important to take your time to do this right. Painting is kind of strict, if you don't follow the rules you can't get the result you want.

[kable-x]

Hey polvorito, I was just wondering what are the measurements once the eatsink is on the card. I've been working on a ps1 mod for quite some time now and I think that the card you used Would be perfect.

the only ting that worries me is that the eatsink might be to bulky to fit in the case.

thanks

[polvorito]

Hi there
it's 40mm height heatsink only, there is a fan that goes on top of that that is 10mm thick
I cut 10mm off the heatsink because the fan didn't fit inside the case... the fans is really necessary in small cases like that...

[Ganzor]

I would like to do a classic console case mod. If you were to make one of these again, would you make any changes from your first build?

[polvorito]

I wanted a complete silent system... but for that you need some more air inside the case to dissipate heat ... maybe more holes...

[Ganzor]

I was thinking of using the A-U mobo instead of the A-E: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813500027

Also, for cooling, I plan on changing the thermal pad used on the zotac board for a higher quality one (http://www.zotacusa.com/forum/topic/2306-ion-heatsink-mod/). The person who did that reported a 13C temp drop from just changing the thermal pad. I might also replace the fan on the heatsink with a higher quality one that is a little more quiet.

How hard do you think it would be to mod the controller connections into usb ports?

[polvorito]

hi guys,
if anyone is interested there is a new heat sink that might be good for this kind of mod :
http://www.impactics.de/?Produkte:Coolsets:ZO-3_%28f%FCr_Zotac%29
that looks so cool

[thorkon]

Pretty awesome build, I dig it