For people familiar with the Gamecube...

[geist]

Here's my situation:

When my original Cube's drive stopped working (I'm assuming that was the problem, it stopped recognizing game disks), I bought a new one.

Now that I've got an HDTV, I'd like to get some progressive scan cables to get a better picture. Thing is, my new Cube doesn't have the connection in the back, but my OLD one does.

So my question is for anyone familiar with the inner workings of the Cube:

How difficult would it be to swap drives? I don't have much experience with this kind of stuff, so it would need to be fairly simple before I ran out and bought the cables and probably a switcher box (since all of my component inputs on the TV are taken).

Any help would be appreciated.

[skate323k137]

the cube is one of the only consoles i've never fixed or torn apart; it would most likely be far easier and cheaper to find a pawn shop/used game store and throw them $10 or something to trade you for one with the digital output. I have the advantage of having shopped at the same used game store for about 10 years, they traded my cube out for free since the good majority of people really don't care about the other video output.

who knows, maybe with the right tools it could be pretty easy, but personally I'd just get a different cube.

[Whatever]

Its pretty simple as long as you have the gamebit tool or can do the bic pen trick. (to open the case itself)
Once you open a cube, 2 screws to loosin the fan, and like 12 screws holding down a metal plate thats attached to the dvd drive.
There is also 4 small screws on the front side that hold down 2 brackets. (2 screws per bracket)

After you take the screws out, the metal plate should pop up with a little pressure. (The dvd rom is attached to the plate from underneath the plate itself)

Basically if you have the tools go for it.

regular phillips
a small tip phillips
and the gamebit case tool


---edit--- I was just looking at a cube-------------------------- slide forward the controller port board, and remove the rear plastic cover.
2 screws to loosin the fan and slide it over. (wires still connected)
3 screws underneath the fan holding the left side of the dvd rom metal bracket.
4 screws at the rear holding the rear side of the dvd rom bracket. (around the av ports etc)
5 screws on the right side holding the dvd rom bracket.
--4 screws on the front side. 2 screws per bracket. (these brackets are above the memory card slots/they ground the controller port circuit board)

with all the screws out the dvd rom should pop up pretty easy with a little pressure. (just remember its the bracket the screws were holding down!) it has small holes in the side for ventilation.

[Ziggy]

Well, I was reading about how the newer Gamecubes took some things out (like the progressive scan) so maybe the drive mounting spots or wire harness won't be the same in both of your Gamecube systems. I wouldn't think so though, I don't think they'd change something like that.

When I went to replace a busted joystick on a Dual Shock PSX controller I found out that not only do the joysticks have different contact points, the PCB looks a little different and had different mounting spots as well.

I would open both systems and look to see if every things the same. If it is, it should be very easy to swap them out. 20 minute job.

Also, did you try simply cleaning the lens on your busted Gamecube? Or does the drive not physically work (disc wont spin, lens wont move)?

A used Gamecube is only $30 at Gamstop...

http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/Product ... t_id=36647

If you have one near by, I would go in with your newer console and ask to trade it in if only they have the version Gamecube you want. It would only cost you $15 then (I think).

[Ramatut4001]

I would just get a different one. They can be had for $30 used.

[Niode]

To be honest, the hardest thing about repairing/modding GCs is opening the bastards first.

Gamebits can be bought from ebay for less than £3. I paid £2 including delivery for mine. You just have to ship around and know not to get ripped off by a lot of con-artists who know these particular screwdriver bits are in demand to enthusiasts.

The bic-trick if you haven't heard of it involves heating a bic pen up (without the actualy pen and ink part of it inside) and then placing it around the screw and letting it set. (I used a cooker hob as it was nice and flat and allowed me to get a better mould). When it has set is should make a cracking sound when it comes away, if it doesn't it hasn't set properly. If it did make a little cracking sound (it sounds like something brittle getting stuck to something rather than a breaking sound) then run it under a cold tap to make sure the plastic is set hard. You know have a working game bit. At least until it wears down, if this happens just repeat the process. It takes ages but it doesn't cost you anything so quit complaining!

Also something curious to note, I have a gamebit and I find after a while it starts to shred the screws and then I have to use the bic trick anyway.


Anyways, replacing the optical drive is a piece of cake, they literally just drop onto a connector. They aren't soldered in or anything. There's not even any ribbon cables. It literally just connects like lego. So swapping the drives shouldn't be a problem as long as the plug/socket lines up correctly

Good luck. Please let us know if it works for you.

[nickfil]

The bic-trick if you haven't heard of it involves heating a bic pen up (without the actualy pen and ink part of it inside) and then placing it around the screw and letting it set. (I used a cooker hob as it was nice and flat and allowed me to get a better mould). When it has set is should make a cracking sound when it comes away, if it doesn't it hasn't set properly. If it did make a little cracking sound (it sounds like something brittle getting stuck to something rather than a breaking sound) then run it under a cold tap to make sure the plastic is set hard. You know have a working game bit. At least until it wears down, if this happens just repeat the process. It takes ages but it doesn't cost you anything so quit complaining!

I haven't heard of that trick before. I love it. So macgyver.

[NotBlaine]

I kinda 'eeeeee'd to myself when I read that.

Before today I might have said "probably, easy" but today I opened two Sega Saturns. One was made July 1995 one was September 1995 and a whole lot was different. Just the way the interior was put together, totally different heat sinks, completely different mounting for the CD drive (granted, the CD drives looked really similar... they might be interchangable) but it was kind of a shock.

I'd just hope that they didn't "tweak" things here and there. Like, using a flat ribbon cable instead of a molex connector or whatever.

I'm kinda on the "just buy another one" bandwagon. It might be pessimistic, but why not just trade that one plus a little cash and save the hassle. Besides, you never know what else could be wrong with that Gamecube... DVD drive went, maybe something else is next? Maybe your power supply is crapping out. Who knows.

[Niode]

Yes but you could do this in 10 minutes. Unless you live next to a game shop I'm pretty sure that taking it apart with an old bic is a lot quicker.

Comparing a Saturn to a Gamecube is, pardon the cliché like comparing apples to oranges. They are completely different architecturally and i've opened a few GCs and they have been on different mobo revisions and the the optical assembly is always the same.

It literally connects to the motherboard with a plug. There's no ribbon cable or anything. It literally sits onto it's connector. That's all there is to it.