Pseudonymous maker and classic gaming fanatic “RetroModder” has put collectively a package designed to transform the housing of a damaged Nintendo GameCube as a compact and easily-portable desktop PC, whereas retaining the console’s controller ports although custom-designed adapter boards.
“This challenge’s intent was to refine the design of utilizing a GameCube shell because the enclosure for an emulation PC,” RetroModder explains. “Inside is a Home windows 10 based mostly laptop and is, on the minimal, able to operating Wii, GameCube, N64, and extra techniques at their native resolutions and body charges. This nostalgia-fueled PC is simply as sturdy as it’s moveable, and packs lots of utility inside its small case.”
A package of components, together with {custom} circuitry and a 3D-printed plinth, packs a fully-functional desktop PC right into a Nintendo GameCube chassis. (📷: RetroModder)
Laying aside-the-shelf PC {hardware} right into a chassis designed for a custom-built video games console is not precisely simple, although, which is the place the GameCubePC package is available in. A 3D-printed plinth extends the case vertically, offering room for a mini-STX (mSTX) kind issue PC motherboard and front-mounted USB ports; 50mm consumption and exhaust followers maintain every part cool; and a brand new front-panel meeting adapts the GameCube’s controller ports to be used over USB, in addition to permitting the unique energy button, reset button, and energy LED to work with the brand new innards.
“The unique reminiscence card slots at the moment are used to entry to a two-port USB hub (based mostly on the FE1.1s USB controller) and a toggle swap to alter the USB adapter’s controller mode,” RetroModder explains. “Your entire entrance panel meeting solely requires one inside USB 2.0 header (2-port) to perform.”
The package is appropriate with a restricted vary of mSTX motherboards, and with just one CPU cooler validated to be used. (📷: RetroModder)
After just a few rounds of revisions to the design, RetroModder has begun promoting the components as a package — although it is bring-your-own GameCube shell and PC {hardware}. On that entrance, the maker has confirmed compatibility with simply two older fashions of motherboard — the ASRock DeskMini 110 and Gigabyte GA-H110MSTX-HD3 — although affords a choice of newer options which “seem like appropriate.”
The package is now obtainable to buy on RetroModder’s Tindie retailer at $249.95, with meeting directions obtainable on Google Docs. “This challenge is really helpful for hobbyist laptop builders,” RetroModder warns, “which have the data and expertise required to correctly deal with and assemble delicate digital elements.”
