The Blog

Amstrad Sega Mega PC Upgrades

Nix McRetro // 21st March 2012 // IBM PC, Repairs, Sega

Browsing the internet I came across an Amstrad PC7486SLC motherboard. I couldn’t help but notice the striking similarity with the Amstrad Mega PC motherboard. And with all my issues with hard drive controllers on the Mega PC, I figured it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have another motherboard for... Continue reading

Amstrad Sega Mega PC 386SX Overview

Nix McRetro // 20th March 2012 // IBM PC, Sega, YouTube

Just a quick demo to show the Mega Drive and 386SX PC sections are functioning as well as can be expected for their age. Above is a video of the Amstrad Mega PC with the original monitor connected. Continue reading

Amstrad Sega Mega PC Repair

Nix McRetro // 18th March 2012 // IBM PC, Repairs, Sega

Such a wonderful shade of blue. Unfortunate that it has eaten the tracks on the motherboard. That’s the power of NiCad battery acid though. Cleaned it up as best as it could be cleaned with some isopropyl alcohol then mapped out the damage. Multimeter time. From the above maps it... Continue reading

Amstrad Sega Mega PC 386SX Arrival

Nix McRetro // 16th March 2012 // IBM PC, Repairs, Sega

It has arrived. My Amstrad Mega PC. A 386SX combined with a Sega Mega Drive. Amazing! Sadly after having a look inside it, I discovered the date / time backup battery has leaked delicious NiCad goodness all over the motherboard. And the core is an AMD, my favourite underdog! I’ll... Continue reading

Fuse Replacement on the Sega Mega-CD 1

Nix McRetro // 2nd March 2012 // Repairs, Sega

Ohhhoooo so very [shiny](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefly_(TV_series)! I discovered one of my Sega Mega-CDs has a blown fuse that was replaced with a big blob of solder. Probably works fine, but I want the little guy to be protected from power surges. So a little bit of research and I came across this:... Continue reading