How to wash and dry an old console motherboard

[Troglodyte]

Just concerned how some capacitors take to that drenching, kind of hard to dry them out.

One would think; but I haven't had any i'll effects after doing this for a few years.
Obviously, I don't do this level of cleaning with games that are already working,
and I have electronic experience.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

I want to do this for some of the consoles I buy, but the possibility of rust and corrosion just makes me unwilling to for the most part.

[bacteria]

I was surprised by that article initially in a PC magazine when I read it a while back. I used Fairy Liquid, which after all is quite a strong detergent (nice soapy water), a scrubbing brush (tooth brush) and tap water.

Logically, this should not work - detergent, water, electronics? You would expect shorts, fried board, etc. It does work though (as long as the board is dry) - and my video shows it works. That's why I wanted to share the process with you!

It is also a virtually zero cost solution to the problem too!

BTW - the same article had them putting a computer keyboard in the dishwasher at 30 degrees celcius (higher than that and the plastic would mis-shapen), dried in an airing cupboard for 10 days (upside down) and they ended up with a keyboard looking as good as new. As they said, if they hadn't dried the keyboard out properly, it would have damaged the computer...

Mod_Man_Extreme - as with my SMS console, over time, they can become a bit rusted anyway, it all depends on how well or badly they have been looked after.

A couple of chaps on the Digital Press Forum posted on my thread that they had to use a similar method when they discovered dead roaches in their consoles! Yuck!

[CRTGAMER]

Couple other thoughts, mainly would apply to motherboards and newer consoles. There are motors with brushes in the cooling fans so definitely remove those before that April shower. Thermal Paste can be washed away especially if you give it that solvent bath. I would really just stick with acid brushes and a can of air. Cotton swap wet not dripping with alcohol for any gummy spills on contacts.

[Hobie-wan]

Spray contact cleaner, plus brushes paper towels, and canned air as appropriate.

[bacteria]

There's some interesting comments and feedback on the www.digitpress.com forum on my thread there, unfortunately, that forum doesn't show thread links - it's in the "classical gaming" forum section (at the top), still on page 1 at the moment.

[zerexerez]

There's some interesting comments and feedback on the http://www.digitpress.com forum on my thread there, unfortunately, that forum doesn't show thread links - it's in the "classical gaming" forum section (at the top), still on page 1 at the moment.

The thread
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=141656

[bacteria]

Thanks for the link - for some reason, when using that site the links don't show on the browser title bar like other sites do fine, perhaps that's something to do with Opera?

[Jimmy Yakapucci]

I saw a magazine article a while back about a guy who put 5 systems into a PC case along with the PC. IIRC they were Atari 2600, NES, PS2, XBox and GCN. As far as your cart based one goes, good luck if you are trying to fit it into a PS1 sized case. You will need most of that real estate just for the cart connectors.

JY

After my N64 project, and a project for the GP2x, i'm going to tackle what will probably be a definitive integrated multi-console system.

There will be three sections to this:

1) controller
Games consoles communicate with controllers entirely differently; even the orientation of the joysticks are different, and also requirements for buttons and number of them.

I'm going to make one handheld controller device that will plug into the console systems via a cable; the handheld controller device will include an 8" screen, and swappable controls - yes, you heard correctly - swappable controls.

2) Multi-console system 1 - cartridge systems
Will include the following consoles: SNES, NES, N64, GX4000, GBA, MegaDrive, Jaguar, SMS, ColecoVision, plug’n'plays, Atari 7800, TurboGrafx, maybe Intellivision too. Undecided about NeoGeo as the cartridges are so massive!

3) Multi-console system 2 - CD systems
GameCube, DreamCast, Saturn, PS2 (plays PS1 games too), Xbox
The CD's will pop out using computer CD/DVD drive units.

The two console sections will stack, The system will include various output options like SCART, A/V; will be powered via mains power (maybe batteries for the cartridge system, not sure yet). The systems will be video modded (RGB/composite) and region modded wherever I can.

This will be a major project, very major indeed, and will need lots of planning. It could well be a 2 year project to complete! My aim, if possible, is to try and fit Multi-console system 1 into about the size of a PS1 console casing, although not sure at this stage if possible or not.

This should end up as a pretty "definitive" console system.
The project will be fully documented.

[noiseredux]

I saw a magazine article a while back about a guy who put 5 systems into a PC case along with the PC. IIRC they were Atari 2600, NES, PS2, XBox and GCN.

I'd love to see this if you can find it...?