Xeno GC, this bad boy had been sitting around for a long time! The installation isn’t actually that bad. I’ll eventually do a video of the install as I have another GameCube to chip. It allows the drive firmware to boot compatible recordable media, including full-size and mini DVDs. Full-size discs need a replacement top shell because they physically do not fit through the stock lid. I’m just using mini DVDs.

DVD-R media can expose marginal drive behaviour, but a potentiometer adjustment is not automatically the first or only fix. Disc quality, a dirty lens and a worn optical assembly can all produce read errors. On this GameCube I adjusted the drive-board potentiometer while testing the media I actually had, and the drive became readable enough for those discs. There is no universal “magic” resistance value, and going lower than necessary is not a repair strategy I would recommend.

At least a GameCube-compatible Wii would give me another way to play the games. Note to self: Get a Wii! ;)

While I had this one open I took some snaps of the electrolytic capacitors. These are the caps on the mainboard. They’re getting old enough to keep an eye on, but age alone does not prove they are about to fail or leak all over the things. How some of my Mega Drives haven’t leaked yet, I do not know!

And these are the capacitors on the power board (DC-in area). Looking forward to replacing all those blighters one day!

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