Dreamer of the year (Arcade Edition)

Retr0gamer · 20-09-2012 4:52pm

TBH the DS lite is probably the best way to play GBA games and it's also hard to find ones in good condition since the screens are usually scratched and practically every DS Lite on ebay is a chinese knock off. I'd rather a DS Lite than the region locked DSi that doesn't allow you to play GBA games. Price is still way too high!

Myrddin · 20-09-2012 4:53pm

Mr.Saturn wrote: »

Someone's watching, it's been taken down.

The A&R forum: Singlehandedly shaming Adverts into decency.

Surely Retr0 has an alt account

Retr0gamer wrote: »

TBH the DS lite is probably the best way to play GBA games and it's also hard to find ones in good condition since the screens are usually scratched and practically every DS Lite on ebay is a chinese knock off. I'd rather a DS Lite than the region locked DSi that doesn't allow you to play GBA games. Price is still way too high!

OwaynOTT · 20-09-2012 4:56pm

See what the 3DS XL has started, now it's seen as acceptable by people to not include a means of powering the device.

'Ah the new iFridge XL, wait the motor doesn't come pre-installed and my old motor won't fit the new iFridge XL!'

Myrddin · 20-09-2012 5:03pm

Its back, game & charger now included. Seems a much better price given its in good nick as Retr0 says

CathalDublin · 20-09-2012 7:59pm

That was a crazy price as it €145 new here

CiDeRmAn · 20-09-2012 10:03pm

A good quality DS lite is an essential, NSMB belongs in the cart slot like Tetris lives in my GB Pocket.
The DSi and now 3DS clutters up the place with extended functionality, cameras, media players, sound recorders, note pads etc.
Also, aside from the vulnerable hinges, the DS lite is a lovely design.

Retr0gamer · 20-09-2012 10:59pm

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

A good quality DS lite is an essential, NSMB belongs in the cart slot

Ah come on. There's much better platformers let alone games on the DS than that boring old guff.

CiDeRmAn · 21-09-2012 7:20pm

Nope, it's a lovely lovely game and the first one to really show off that screen.
Problem is not with the game but the shameless reproduction of the game, again and again, for every other format Nintendo has currently, and one that's not even out yet.

There may be better games, but NSMB is a perfect jewel, imho.
Like SMB or SMW, you will have finished it but there is some comfort playing those levels again and enjoying the craft that went into making it.

Of course, you should probably have Soul Bubbles and Space Invaders Extreme 2, maybe even Bangai-O, in reserve!

Retr0gamer · 21-09-2012 8:29pm

Found the DS game to be horribly bland with really uninteresting levels. The Wii game was a big improvement. NSMB DS was pretty much the worst mario platformer since... Hotel Mario. Where I expect mario games to be head and shoulders above all other platform games at the time, a lofty and unrealistic expectation but one that has been proven mostly true, NSMB surprised me with how bored it made me when I played it.

CosmicSmash · 25-09-2012 7:37pm

xbox360 & 53 games a snip a 900 euro:pac:
http://www.adverts.ie/2129924

Retr0gamer · 25-09-2012 7:39pm

What a collection of classics. :rolleyes:

CosmicSmash · 25-09-2012 7:43pm

Retr0gamer wrote: »

What a collection of classics. :rolleyes:

Yeah, Kung Fu Panda is top of my want list:pac:

Jack burton · 25-09-2012 7:52pm

well the hard drive is full of demos of games

Thats where the real value is, that would cost hundreds in bandwidth to get yourself!

CosmicSmash · 25-09-2012 8:12pm

Bought few years ago brand new, Console never been opened or modified.

But will be quite soon :pac:

CiDeRmAn · 25-09-2012 8:45pm

Usually, I find, if you ask one of these original spec 360 owners/potential sellers about the history of their machine and ask straight out about if it's been repaired due to rrod they will get all evasive, unless they just lie.
360's and PS3's, risky things to buy preowned on Adverts or anywhere else without a warranty of some kind.

CosmicSmash · 25-09-2012 8:58pm

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

Usually, I find, if you ask one of these original spec 360 owners/potential sellers about the history of their machine and ask straight out about if it's been repaired due to rrod they will get all evasive, unless they just lie.
360's and PS3's, risky things to buy preowned on Adverts or anywhere else without a warranty of some kind.

I'm on my third now, this is a slim and I don't know what the failure rate on them is compared to the older ones. It certainly runs a lot cooler. I would add laptops to that pair you have mentioned as things to avoid on Adverts. I repaired my last 360 that died myself and got about two months out of it, it's just more of a temporary fix than anything else and once it red rings it's curtains for it sooner or later.

Retr0gamer · 25-09-2012 10:11pm

If all you are doing is the heat gun fix them of course it will break again. To fix it properly you need some one with reballing equipment to replace the solder. The solder that MS and Sony uses is lead free muck that's environmentally friendly but useless. Getting it reballing could potentially make the console a lot more durable.

CathalDublin · 25-09-2012 11:45pm

Retr0gamer wrote: »

If all you are doing is the heat gun fix them of course it will break again. To fix it properly you need some one with reballing equipment to replace the solder. The solder that MS and Sony uses is lead free muck that's environmentally friendly but useless. Getting it reballing could potentially make the console a lot more durable.

I wonder how many of the repairers advertising in the country actually have rework/reball equipment, I seriously doubt very many as its very pricey.

I'm still on an original xbox360 from the launch and never had the RROD:eek:
Touch wood

CosmicSmash · 25-09-2012 11:58pm

Retr0gamer wrote: »

If all you are doing is the heat gun fix them of course it will break again. To fix it properly you need some one with reballing equipment to replace the solder. The solder that MS and Sony uses is lead free muck that's environmentally friendly but useless. Getting it reballing could potentially make the console a lot more durable.

The first box let go after about a year and a half and I brought it back to Harvey Norman and they exchanged it for a brand new one without any hassle after I told them that I would not accept a repair. That failed after about three and a half years, that's the one that was repaired. I went without one for nearly a year because of the failure rate. I ended up buying a slim with a bigger hard drive and some generic fps that was on offer for 200 euro. Sold them game for 40 and had an extra controller from buying the new box sold that for 25 so it stood me 135 in the end. So when it's all broken down 135 for a new box with a warranty versus say even 50 euro for a reball as I'm not sure of the exact price that you may not even get a warranty with I still think it was the better option. The new box runs a lot quieter and cooler as well so that's the story of the slim.

Steve X2 · 26-09-2012 12:15am

I think my brother must hold some sort of record for replacement 360's. He's on number 11 or 12 at the moment and he once had 3 replacements in 3 months.
Pretty sure he's not making sure they have decent ventilation.

CiDeRmAn · 26-09-2012 8:04am

I've said it here and elsewhere, unless 360 and PS3 emulators become really good really fast within a decade it'll be a challenge to find a system to play your collections on.
Your Megadrive, PC Engine and DS will live on but anything with moving parts or poor solder choices, never mind poor design from the outset, those consoles will be history.

Myrddin · 26-09-2012 9:03am

My Jtag, which was a repaired RROD I bought from ebay years ago, hasn't had a thing go wrong. The secret? Turning up the fan speed. Sure it becomes noisier, a fair bit noisier, but if it prolongs the life I can live with that.

The problem with the 360 & PS3 is bargain bin quality thermal paste & solder are used in their construction. Couple that with cooling systems that are barely adequate and you get what we have here today...consoles failing all over the place.

I'm going to do the mod on the PS3 that lets you adjust the internal fan speed manually, should ensure its cooled much better.

Casey120 · 26-09-2012 9:13am

I have put a PC fan controller on my launch 360, changed the chewing gum for arctic silver and put a passive heatsink on the scaler chip to prevent E47 .

It still RROD last year :pac:

Andrew76 · 26-09-2012 9:18am

EnterNow wrote: »

My Jtag, which was a repaired RROD I bought from ebay years ago, hasn't had a thing go wrong. The secret? Turning up the fan speed. Sure it becomes noisier, a fair bit noisier, but if it prolongs the life I can live with that.

The problem with the 360 & PS3 is bargain bin quality thermal paste & solder are used in their construction. Couple that with cooling systems that are barely adequate and you get what we have here today...consoles failing all over the place.

I'm going to do the mod on the PS3 that lets you adjust the internal fan speed manually, should ensure its cooled much better.

Reminded me of..."which is the way he wants it. Well, he gets it...." :cool:

Myrddin · 26-09-2012 9:18am

Casey120 wrote: »

I have put a PC fan controller on my launch 360, changed the chewing gum for arctic silver and put a passive heatsink on the scaler chip to prevent E47 .

It still RROD last year :pac:

Ouch, though I suspect the pc fan controller still wasn't putting enough juice through it. If it doesn't sound like a vacuum cleaner then its not set high enough

For anyone with a jtag & FSD, set your fans to at least 70% & watch the displayed temps for ram, cpu, gfx & case...you'll see them all drop

Myrddin · 26-09-2012 9:18am

Andrew76 wrote: »

Reminded me of..."which is the way he wants it. Well, he gets it...." :cool:

Some men you just can't reach

Casey120 · 26-09-2012 9:42am

EnterNow wrote: »

Ouch, though I suspect the pc fan controller still wasn't putting enough juice through it. If it doesn't sound like a vacuum cleaner then its not set high enough

For anyone with a jtag & FSD, set your fans to at least 70% & watch the displayed temps for ram, cpu, gfx & case...you'll see them all drop

I always had it about 75% and it sounded like a jet .
Even build better airflow with cardboard and duck tape making a nice air tunnel for the chip set .
I did the same on my Jasper Jtag but now with the new Freestyle dash you can monitor temps and control fan speed anyway .
A friend has a Jtag Falcon but to get the temps under 60 C he has to put the fans on full speed , my Jasper with extra mods CPU is well under 50 C at 75% then , I can imagine that old Zephyr with fans full speed still be hitting 75 to 80 C so six years wasn't that bad .

We also tested a Nyko ad on fan he always had on there and it did actually work , one full degree was lowered .

Myrddin · 26-09-2012 9:48am

Casey120 wrote: »

I always had it about 75% and it sounded like a jet .
Even build better airflow with cardboard and duck tape making a nice air tunnel for the chip set .
I did the same on my Jasper Jtag but now with the new Freestyle dash you can monitor temps and control fan speed anyway .
A friend has a Jtag Falcon but to get the temps under 60 C he has to put the fans on full speed , my Jasper with extra mods CPU is well under 50 C at 75% then , I can imagine that old Zephyr with fans full speed still be hitting 75 to 80 C so six years wasn't that bad .

We also tested a Nyko ad on fan he always had on there and it did actually work , one full degree was lowered .

True re the older chipsets, they were far more inefficient & ran too hot. My main jtag is a Falcon, fans up high, cradboard & duct tape mod done, dvd drive removed, 1TB 3.5" SATA drive in its place, three small ram coolers on the gpu...runs fine.

I've a Jasper here too but its very rarely used so thats stock apart from being jtagged

26-09-2012 11:13am

EnterNow wrote: »

Couple that with cooling systems that are barely adequate and you get what we have here today...

A failure to communicate..??..;)

docentore · 26-09-2012 12:45pm

CathalDublin wrote: »

I wonder how many of the repairers advertising in the country actually have rework/reball equipment, I seriously doubt very many as its very pricey.

I'm still on an original xbox360 from the launch and never had the RROD:eek:
Touch wood

not so pricey, whole setup (basic) can be obtain for ~€300 or even less if you shop around. The problem is that you need a lot experience to perform reballing, make sure that you have every of 900 balls of solder is in right place.

If the repairer gives you 6 months or more of warranty on the service - there is a big chance he knows what he's doing.

Look at console modding forum, few of folks does reballing, or did (I tried few times and failed, missed one or two balls probably :P)

Dreamer of the year (Arcade Edition)

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