The emulation scene will pretty much stop with the PS3 era. Since even back then they milked the games (especially Microsoft and Nintendo locking out everything) being online locked, riddled with patches, DLC and microtransactions which years later up through todays became a pathetic norm. So you will not have access to many of game from then especially games from this past decade. With that said we will also have more access to hardware that will emulate everything prior to that and fit on a single USB stick. Things like this already exist but it will be more affordable and common. Basically you will carry libraries of old games on a keychain and stick it into whateever screen you want... As an alternative I have to mention that the only new games I guess that are still complete and accesable many even for free would be indie games, still requiere new OS of sorts etc. But even they dont need a powerhouse to run them. My 1st part of the comment mainly covers mainstream, if you count mainstream media then forget about it you wont have access to those games with casual means or at all.
Tip on soldering small pins: When I use to install mod chips in PS2s, a trick I used to stop bridging pins was to slip a razor blade inbetween the pins and then solder the wire. The razor blade prevented it from bridging the pins.
Christ almighty just find alternatives, he got his free and you can find free laptops too. Use your mind with these projects if you want to replicate them.
Oh man, I'd kill to have a wood cased PC like this. Wish I had the skills and equipment. Also the honeycomb vents and fan both look great aesthetically.
If you want to do it, just learn how to do it. Used basic tools don't cost much and there are tons of tutorial videos on woodworking for beginners on here. With some glue, sandpaper, a Japanese saw, a ruler and some patience, you can make lots of things. Start with small and easy projects and familiarize yourself with your tools until you feel confident, then move up to slightly more advanced projects. Don't be in a rush to become a master, just take your time and enjoy the process.
Stumbled across this in my recommended. Man, you really have fulfilled a childhood dream of mine, to run every game on one console. I'm going to follow in your footsteps I think. very cleanly made and edited so professionally. Looking forward to your next upload, +1 subscriber :D
@@emgee99 just do what he did. It's only an upgraded laptop. I thought it was all the games combined, which I've always wanted to make myself. So I saw the title and was excited to see. It was a cool video, but it's only a laptop in a wood box.
I was expecting a MiSTer console based on the name, and at first was going to click away when I saw it was going to basically be a media center PC. BUT... the way you executed it was so well done I ended up watching the whole thing. Great job, and good on you for turning what would have been electronic scrap into a nice gaming center.
Love the project. Retro gaming is close to my heart and you did it with practicality (love the re-use of the thrown out hardware) and style. Great work!
Having an old XPS15 with basically the same specs and a broken screen hinge i guess that is what it will be used for soon. Glad to get you recommended! Awesome Project !
This came out looking amazing, and the noctua joke got me. If you kept the screen it could end up being another project, whether you turn it into a small portable screen, maybe some wall art with a pi, a tabletop arcade, or you could even try to peel the lcd from the backlight and make a "see-through" side panel like the ibuypower "Snowblind" project.
Good suggestions but the problem is that 99% times the screen panel itself can be salvaged but the tech parts become e-waste. It's cheaper to buy a replacement monitor then to try and salvage one... Also the fact that even the ones that work often get damaged during the salvage process. So it's not worth it nowadays unless you have money to burn and time to waste... Life is short.
Made myself a "everything console" lately with an old optiplex 7060 on which I added a RX550, running on linux with proton and all. And it's an amazing experience so far ! I even use it as a smart TV by navigating on the internet like on Netflix and Disney+, or youtube. Yours looks stunning, amazing work
BoTW needs some tweaks to get it running at 60FPS or more, but it will run it on that hardware. Either way, the ideal FPS for BoTW is 30 due to some game mechanics tied to the framerate. Running it at 60 will look and feel awesome, but there will be some stuff in the game that you won't be able to either do or get because of the FPS being over 30.
@@skins4thewin There are a couple of quests that won't complete when on 60 FPS. The one I figured it out with was the "Message in a bottle" quest from Lanayru. The message would disappear by the first or second waterfall, even when being right alongside it. There are also a few buried chests that when pulled with magnesis get so high that get lost when coming down if you're not near them. I'm at 99.91% completion and have had to lock it to 30FPS at times to be able to get this far. The last thing remaining is a location which I'm combing the map for to reach 100%.
Never saw your channel before, just got recommended this video. This looks very impressive! I liked how you described the whole process with so much detail.
very informative and well put together video. I've been getting into learning how to do this kind of stuff recently and figuring out which of my children will get interested in it early on to build on for the future. 10/10 would recommend this video to anyone interested in diving into the world of fabricating a retro game console!
@@danieloctavio2111Emulators are NOT piracy, nintendo claims it is, but its NOT, you CAN emulate any nintendo system IF you obtained the rom legally. For example, you can use a Hacked Switch to dump your games, and play it on PC with Ryujinx
2 things come to mind with this that I wanted to add. I don't know the size specs, but a micro atx motherboard build might be easier and more off the shelf to do for the internals. Definitely more expensive though. Second 8bitdo just released the ultimate pro controller that has motion controls built in. Comes in 2.4ghz and 2.4ghz+ Bluetooth for about 50-70$ depending on which model you get.
I've desperately been trying to get an all-in-one emulator but then I thought to myself isn't that just the PC I'm completely not good with games so I'm so happy to see this stuff I'm again not good with tech or anything but I'm trying to get into it starting from absolute negative 5 in terms of knowledge with tech so this is so refreshing to see and slowly start to understand Great work.
so, for the superfluous divot you carved in the bottom, you could put some legs in the corners and make a label that fills the inside detailing your build information, specs, date of completion, etc. Also, for your power button solution, you can just BUY a Flat Flex Ribbon with the right pin pitch and number of contacts, and then trim it and strip the plastic from one side to solder it directly to your button. If you wanted to get REALLY fancy, that Flat Flex connector probably also has other status LED symbols and you could have designed a small PCB with another flat flex holder and some SMD LEDs to have power/HDD activity, and probably a reset button wired it like a control panel.
Just a tip about the power switch, I did a similar build with another Asus laptop as well. Once the battery and keyboard are disconnected, you can simply use the AC adaptor to power on the motherboard and it will use the HDMI signal by default once the monitor flex cable is disconnected. Basically, avoiding all that pesky soldering. I ended up using a wifi smart switch to power on and off the PC, works pretty well.
I gotta say, next to being extremely lucky by ending up with such a powerful laptop, the motherboard itself appeared to be really easy to work with, I mean, a ribbon cable for the extra USB ports opposed to them being soldered directly on the board making the whole layout really flexible, and the power button having it's own 2 pins right there. Kinda shame you didn't mention the temperatures and noise of it's current configuration!
That ribbon cable setup is actually common for big laptops, they tend to reuse motherboards except for some parts where they hack it off and use ribbon cables to put it on the other side. IIRC he said this was a 17.3" laptop, so that sounds right.
The temps and noise ended up getting cut due to pacing. But they are stupid low. Both the GPU and CPU never get above 50 degrees. Even during stress tests. Mostly mid 40s while gaming. Noise is slightly higher than I'd like. I dont have a DB meter, but it's audible if you're standing within 2-3 feet and dies pretty quickly after that. I never know its running while playing games.
I love the project, and how it came out however I would like to add a few criticisms. one one, you should definitely have some kind of mesh in between all those ventilation holes to prevent a bunch of dust getting caught up in them. two why would you not make the console able to split apart again, why not just put a screw to screw them together so you can take it apart again and clean it in the future or as you said add to the console now you have no way to get back in it. three kind of the same thing as the mesh but you need some kind of like I/O shield for the back of the console to protect anybody or anything from getting inside there and shorting any of the circuitry.
Whoa, that is amazing, subscribed just from watching this video, now if we can maybe see a part 2 on how you did all the software stuff that would be cool.
Zac very nice upgrade. We always learning from are 1st project. That's really cool. Being able to see the inside of it. Beautiful how everything matches. Can't wait to see more videos soon Zac. Hopefully you get great use out of it for many years to come. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend. Keep making. God bless.
Thank you Jared! Revisting past projects is always one of my favorite things to do because there are so many lessons that you learn on the first attempt. It's nice to go back and put all of those things into action. Trying to outdo yourself is good fun haha. Thank as always for the support!
I knew that main board design looked familiar. I had this exact same idea a few months ago after dealing with constant high temps. Decided I might as well make a console out of it. My laptop is an old Asus ROG from 2014. The heatpipe and heat sink design is just about the same. Just like you did, I added a heatsink right to the pipes and now it idles at 30°c.
You're like my spirit animal man. This is so dope! I've been thinking about modding an actual N64 into my computer case for years now, but I think this might be the route I go instead!
Dud laptops are honestly a gold mine for DIY computer related builds. You will often find them with broken screens or laptop specific peripheral issues nothing that prevents it from functioning as a computer really especially once you break it out of the laptop shell it's housed in.
What emulators are you using? Do you have a font end to launch everything from? Have you heard of Kodi? or Plex? Maybe a video on setting up the emulators and bringing it all together seamlessly?
there are definitely other channels covering that, but I do like the presentation in this channel more. hoping for a follow-up video on this focusing on the software side of things! :D
@@kouhaiii3182 I've setup and used Kodi, Plex, Steam in Big Picture Mode, Launch Box, and others, just curious how this creator chose to set things up. It often irritates me to watch videos like this where they skip everything being done in software and only show the hardware aspect of a build like this. It's like watching a tutorial that ends halfway through. I get that you wouldn't want to show how you obtained roms & bios, but other than that, there is a lot to cover between putting together the hardware and actually having an "everything" console
@@opinionateddrone 100% agree with you. I wasn't expecting a tutorial here, but at least acknowledging some of the software used would help. It's definitely not a plug and play situation, and anyone who has spent 5 minutes emulating knows you really need to take the time to fine tune things. really cool project, but kind of like DIYPerks, seems to be more of a "watch me play, not actually try to replicate."
Absolutely beautiful. Not only did you give that laptop a new chance at life and stopped it from becoming e-waste, but you also made a spectacular case for it. I love your wood working.🤩❤
The project came out pretty well! I just wish you found a way to keep the disc drive in the build. Because it came native to the laptop, you didn't need any third party software to get it to work. So blu-ray movies, but the more important thing, several of the emulators allow you to run the games off of the original disc. I do it all the with PCSX2.
Bluray movies on PC are a pain though. I tried watching one once, but it turned out you need a special codec which costs money, so VLC and the windows media player dont include it from the factory. might have changed by now, but that was the case around 5 years ago when i tried. i still use my playstation for bluray movies.
@@SpiderMax95 yeah. There are ways around that. VLC can be modded to play blu-rays now. But I have never done it. I normally rip my movie off the disc and watch it that way since I have to go to so many places regularly (college, hospital, work, etc). But yeah, if you don't want to tinker then you have to buy the special software. Which is fucking annoying. That's one of the reasons why I said I wish he kept it. Since the computer came with the Blu-ray player factory that means it had the software already on it. So no needing to buy or do anything. Just pop it in and it plays. I purposely built my desktop with a Blu-ray drive so I had versatility. Use it with pcsx2 all the time.
great project. You could also use solder mask to prevent bridging after solder and helps to keep the wires in place (works like a glue) in such a fragile solder
I had that laptop....she finally passed away about the time this video came out. Let me tell you something, it was still running games such as Elden Ring and Modern Warfare 2; really not bad for an 8 year old laptop. Perfect starting point for what is sure to bring you hours of happiness.
Made me one about a year ago. It will play switch, ps3 pretty well. I highly recommend launchbox and bigbox. Make all you games look like netflix or something like that. I love it. You just pick the game on whatever console and its already linked up with the emulator. Just a browse and click to play.
I'm absolutely blown away by this video I mean that sincerely. The quality 👌 is fantastic and well worth a sub. I'm looking forward to watching more of your excellent content. Greetings from the UK.
i just upgraded to a more modern desktop build coming from a 4 year old gaming laptop. this instantly helped me find a use for the old thing! hoping i can get around to building my own everything console soon. awesome vid bro.
We have those exact CNC routers at my school!!! They are absolutely amazing and a breeze to use compared to the old ones that you had to use a really clunky proprietary software on. We have them in enclosures with built-in vacuums. Our school district has a really good tech ed program that they fund really well.
The next thing you need to do is add modern consoles like the PS5, Xbox One, a good gaming PC, and the Nintendo Switch, to the Everything Console, and then you have everything.
That’s awesome Zac! That’s so cool! Yeah, my favorite video games are the older ones, so this is pretty cool! The fact that it can run GTA games makes it even cooler, as those are my favorite video games! Amazing build Zac!!
@@ZacBuilds I’d love to, but I don’t really have any experience with playing around with computers and stuff! But it is something I’d love to do eventually
The Dolphin emulator can use actual Wii remotes via Bluetooth. No work around needed. Just get a Wii remote and connect it, set up any adjustments you might need and enjoy. 👍👍
The nice thing about how technological innovation has slowed down in the last decade is that computers from years ago are still perfectly viable. I was actually surprised at what this machine was capable of doing
This is sick, would look amazing if you made an IO for the back too, but otherwise great stuff. Also, the 8bitdo Pro controller may be my favourite controller of all time.
This turned out awesome Zac! I really want to build something like this on my own now, like maybe a portable Wii console. I hope through practice and learning I can do stuff like you do someday :)
You know there's affordable handhelds like the RG35xx you can that come loaded with a bunch of emulators like NES up through PS1, N64, maybe even PS2. $60. tons of options. The best thing you can do is get a cheap mini PC or old laptop like in this video and install all the emulators. It's really easy and there's tons of info out there on everything.
Nice build! Absolutely love your living room theme with all the wood. I did a similar thing back in college with a laptop I broke and a fat ps3 that had been reflowed a few times and just completely died. Transplanted the laptop guts into the fat ps3 shell and put xbmc on it. Things have come SO far since then though (2010~). I'd love to revisit the idea with the current state of emulation and LaunchBox.
I'm new to the channel, and am just in Awe! Love that your restoring the classics, and bringing them forward to the future even!! Crossing my fingers now, as I leave comments to see if you done anything with the old Atarti computer itself!! Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks Kyle, I did consider it but I ended up just running windows so it would be more functional as a home theater pc. Maybe ill set it up to dual boot in the future tho
I do wish I had your skill. I would love to tackle a project like this. This is incredible. I especially would have had massive problems with the soldering. Not to mention not having a large device to carve wood with. But anyway, great video.
man, I was watching this to see what it can due, but I forgot that this video was about a retro pc and was thinking I was watching a case making tutorial. I learned some woodworking good video.
This is really cool, I absolutely love this, the only change I'd make if is use a lighter weight OS for more games but other than that it looks perfect
This is a super cool project and a really good way to repurpose an old laptop! If this is a project you want to take on from scratch, you could use parts from a Framework laptop!
your design language is godlike! really like your builds! if you got such a fragile soder connection in the future you could stabilize it a bit with super glue.
Have you ever considered making a controller specifically for these projects? Almost like a replica of the early controllers? Watching this video inspired me to (hopefully) one day make an all-in-one retro gaming console along with matching controllers. It's not the most cost-effective way to enjoy a project like this, but having just one controller go along with the theme (be it an N64, NES, or Xbox original, etc) would be a nice addition towards the retro feel.
Kind of, I'm actually working on a mobile version of this project right now, so it'll be controller + system in one. No idea when it'll be done but I'm hard at work.
@@ZacBuilds Can't wait to see the video! I'm surprised you're not getting more views, I've been binging your videos and each one has top tier quality camera-work, content, and entertainment value. I'm sure soon you'll catch the algorithm again though, this project was awesome to see come to life
That is really awesome and everything, but you can literally do all that off of you're stronger pc so to say that everything you're doing is superfluous is a understatement.
saw this vid onto my recommendation, worth the watch especially teaching us views how to upcycle hardware 😄 You can actually use a better thermal putty like the TG-PP10 for the vrams, then use carbonaut and stack I think around 2-3 layers of it for both the cpu and gpu die. You wouldn't need to perform maintenance onto it ever again since it's a film/cloth that's semi-conductive and will just transfer heat all throughout and without drying out like the traditional thermal compounds that are in a form of a paste.
This mans really used his WOBBLIEST drill bit THROUGH the holes on the mobo. Absolute Chad. I can hear the commenters screaming now, "JUST USE A MARKER"
For the TV you should find a way to attach a wall mount to a thick piece of wood or metal pipe and have it come down the middle which will hide the cables too.
I heard all about this one a few months ago on the Off the Cut Podcast and it surpassed my expectations! Killer work, zac!
The emulation scene will pretty much stop with the PS3 era. Since even back then they milked the games (especially Microsoft and Nintendo locking out everything) being online locked, riddled with patches, DLC and microtransactions which years later up through todays became a pathetic norm. So you will not have access to many of game from then especially games from this past decade. With that said we will also have more access to hardware that will emulate everything prior to that and fit on a single USB stick. Things like this already exist but it will be more affordable and common. Basically you will carry libraries of old games on a keychain and stick it into whateever screen you want...
As an alternative I have to mention that the only new games I guess that are still complete and accesable many even for free would be indie games, still requiere new OS of sorts etc. But even they dont need a powerhouse to run them.
My 1st part of the comment mainly covers mainstream, if you count mainstream media then forget about it you wont have access to those games with casual means or at all.
@@minmogrovingstrongandhealthy😢😢😢😢
Tip on soldering small pins: When I use to install mod chips in PS2s, a trick I used to stop bridging pins was to slip a razor blade inbetween the pins and then solder the wire. The razor blade prevented it from bridging the pins.
I am going to try that trick!! Thanks
the trick is to use a soldering iron with a small tip, a steady hand, flux and solder wick to pick up excess solder with
@@DecibelAlex or just put a razor between the pins that works just fine. No need to be a professional solderer
I used this method you mentioned and it worked for me. Thank you!
this is amazing, YES
As a physical meda enthusiast I probably would've kept the blu ray drive in some way but I really like this build!
Same.
I agree but you could easily just plug in an external blu ray drive for the times you want to use it, put it up when you're not using it.
@@dylanflaig3748 true, but it leaves me wanting for aesthetics tbh
Me: ''oh a nice little project I can maybe do on my own....I have a few laptops laying ar...''
Zac: ''lets go check out the CNC''
Christ almighty just find alternatives, he got his free and you can find free laptops too. Use your mind with these projects if you want to replicate them.
@@kerooseta bruuuh, just build a pc at that price and use that as a emulation device atp
Why so serious?
3d printing…
You could also buy a Mini-ITX case and install your components on a mini-itx mainboard.
Oh man, I'd kill to have a wood cased PC like this. Wish I had the skills and equipment. Also the honeycomb vents and fan both look great aesthetically.
Amen, legendary build
If you want to do it, just learn how to do it. Used basic tools don't cost much and there are tons of tutorial videos on woodworking for beginners on here. With some glue, sandpaper, a Japanese saw, a ruler and some patience, you can make lots of things. Start with small and easy projects and familiarize yourself with your tools until you feel confident, then move up to slightly more advanced projects. Don't be in a rush to become a master, just take your time and enjoy the process.
@@321findus Learn by doing, the only way that really works.
hi Rover
this man literally treats his subscribers like his friends, truly something awesome.
If we have the same interests, why can't we all be friends?
@ZacBuilds this is so right man, really love the way you think, keep up the good vibes dude.
Stumbled across this in my recommended. Man, you really have fulfilled a childhood dream of mine, to run every game on one console. I'm going to follow in your footsteps I think. very cleanly made and edited so professionally. Looking forward to your next upload, +1 subscriber :D
Thanks man!
your PC can likely do it man. ;)
@@kanedNunable I'm sure it could, just nervous dumping a lot of emulation software on my pc, I'm not super confident with it all 😂
@@emgee99 just do what he did. It's only an upgraded laptop. I thought it was all the games combined, which I've always wanted to make myself. So I saw the title and was excited to see. It was a cool video, but it's only a laptop in a wood box.
@@frankierzucekjr it is all the games combined tho?
I was expecting a MiSTer console based on the name, and at first was going to click away when I saw it was going to basically be a media center PC. BUT... the way you executed it was so well done I ended up watching the whole thing. Great job, and good on you for turning what would have been electronic scrap into a nice gaming center.
Love the project. Retro gaming is close to my heart and you did it with practicality (love the re-use of the thrown out hardware) and style. Great work!
I'm so glad the algorithm suggested your channel. Awesome stuff. Subscribed.
The wobbling drill bit was the perfect touch 😂
Hehe glad you liked it 😀
Having an old XPS15 with basically the same specs and a broken screen hinge i guess that is what it will be used for soon. Glad to get you recommended! Awesome Project !
This came out looking amazing, and the noctua joke got me. If you kept the screen it could end up being another project, whether you turn it into a small portable screen, maybe some wall art with a pi, a tabletop arcade, or you could even try to peel the lcd from the backlight and make a "see-through" side panel like the ibuypower "Snowblind" project.
Oh man that's a great idea! Definitely got the old gears turning, thanks Andre!
Battery pack and put the screen on the side for a portable system
@@jigglypug9239 Or take a notebook and use it like one... I know, boring
Would be a great screen for a litle mini arcade setup.
Good suggestions but the problem is that 99% times the screen panel itself can be salvaged but the tech parts become e-waste. It's cheaper to buy a replacement monitor then to try and salvage one... Also the fact that even the ones that work often get damaged during the salvage process. So it's not worth it nowadays unless you have money to burn and time to waste... Life is short.
Made myself a "everything console" lately with an old optiplex 7060 on which I added a RX550, running on linux with proton and all. And it's an amazing experience so far ! I even use it as a smart TV by navigating on the internet like on Netflix and Disney+, or youtube. Yours looks stunning, amazing work
BoTW needs some tweaks to get it running at 60FPS or more, but it will run it on that hardware. Either way, the ideal FPS for BoTW is 30 due to some game mechanics tied to the framerate. Running it at 60 will look and feel awesome, but there will be some stuff in the game that you won't be able to either do or get because of the FPS being over 30.
Really? Like what things can't you do at 60FPS?
@@skins4thewin There are a couple of quests that won't complete when on 60 FPS. The one I figured it out with was the "Message in a bottle" quest from Lanayru. The message would disappear by the first or second waterfall, even when being right alongside it. There are also a few buried chests that when pulled with magnesis get so high that get lost when coming down if you're not near them. I'm at 99.91% completion and have had to lock it to 30FPS at times to be able to get this far. The last thing remaining is a location which I'm combing the map for to reach 100%.
@@skins4thewin Thunderblight Ganon breaks for me at 60FPS. He flies super far away and the fight softlocks.
@@Donut117 LOL he's like nope, I'm out. Too much FPS for me.
The pure ingenuity is gold 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾. this is the type of stuff I’d like to see ppl awarded for.
It's walnut. It's tech. It's Zac. 3 ingredients for a great video! 🙌
Hahaha I aim to please, thanks buddy!
brilliant "everything" console. Makes me want to tackle this project with an old laptop!
Dude I'd love to see your version of something like this. Let me know if I can help in anyway!
Never saw your channel before, just got recommended this video. This looks very impressive! I liked how you described the whole process with so much detail.
Thanks for watching! I try to go as in-depth as possible while still maintaining good pacing. It's a tough line to walk at times haha
very informative and well put together video. I've been getting into learning how to do this kind of stuff recently and figuring out which of my children will get interested in it early on to build on for the future. 10/10 would recommend this video to anyone interested in diving into the world of fabricating a retro game console!
Dude... why did you skip the software setup? That's the reason why I am here.
?
It seems like it’s just retroarch. You could see at the beginning when he first booted that it was the one of the only programs installed.
Piracy not allowed on monetized channels.
@@danieloctavio2111Yeah getting The software isnt illegal.
@@danieloctavio2111Emulators are NOT piracy, nintendo claims it is, but its NOT, you CAN emulate any nintendo system IF you obtained the rom legally. For example, you can use a Hacked Switch to dump your games, and play it on PC with Ryujinx
2 things come to mind with this that I wanted to add.
I don't know the size specs, but a micro atx motherboard build might be easier and more off the shelf to do for the internals. Definitely more expensive though.
Second 8bitdo just released the ultimate pro controller that has motion controls built in. Comes in 2.4ghz and 2.4ghz+ Bluetooth for about 50-70$ depending on which model you get.
I always love these videos, as soon as I see it in my subbox I know it's gonna be an interesting watch.
I've desperately been trying to get an all-in-one emulator but then I thought to myself isn't that just the PC I'm completely not good with games so I'm so happy to see this stuff I'm again not good with tech or anything but I'm trying to get into it starting from absolute negative 5 in terms of knowledge with tech so this is so refreshing to see and slowly start to understand Great work.
So absolutely beautiful. I love the look of wood and metal, this is actually really nicely done.
so, for the superfluous divot you carved in the bottom, you could put some legs in the corners and make a label that fills the inside detailing your build information, specs, date of completion, etc.
Also, for your power button solution, you can just BUY a Flat Flex Ribbon with the right pin pitch and number of contacts, and then trim it and strip the plastic from one side to solder it directly to your button. If you wanted to get REALLY fancy, that Flat Flex connector probably also has other status LED symbols and you could have designed a small PCB with another flat flex holder and some SMD LEDs to have power/HDD activity, and probably a reset button wired it like a control panel.
Linear actuator for the media console build. A TV lift or some other cool moving features a must.
I would LOVE to do that. But with a 16 inch high media console and a 75 inch TV I'm not sure there's enough room in there for it to hide 😂
laptop to console conversion - love it! I wanna go the opposite way and take an uber powerful desktop and make it portable
That would definitrly make for a fun project and is something I'd love to do in the future!
SFFPC is the way to do this
Just a tip about the power switch, I did a similar build with another Asus laptop as well. Once the battery and keyboard are disconnected, you can simply use the AC adaptor to power on the motherboard and it will use the HDMI signal by default once the monitor flex cable is disconnected. Basically, avoiding all that pesky soldering. I ended up using a wifi smart switch to power on and off the PC, works pretty well.
I gotta say, next to being extremely lucky by ending up with such a powerful laptop, the motherboard itself appeared to be really easy to work with, I mean, a ribbon cable for the extra USB ports opposed to them being soldered directly on the board making the whole layout really flexible, and the power button having it's own 2 pins right there.
Kinda shame you didn't mention the temperatures and noise of it's current configuration!
That ribbon cable setup is actually common for big laptops, they tend to reuse motherboards except for some parts where they hack it off and use ribbon cables to put it on the other side. IIRC he said this was a 17.3" laptop, so that sounds right.
The temps and noise ended up getting cut due to pacing. But they are stupid low. Both the GPU and CPU never get above 50 degrees. Even during stress tests. Mostly mid 40s while gaming. Noise is slightly higher than I'd like. I dont have a DB meter, but it's audible if you're standing within 2-3 feet and dies pretty quickly after that. I never know its running while playing games.
In the video you used two of my favorite hobbies, woodworking and video games, I really liked it, thanks
Glad to hear it!
Dude, nice work! Super fun video and always interested in seeing woodworkers integrate other skills into their building 💯👍🏽
Thanks Donny! Much appreciated man!
Absolutely beautiful case and build man! Cheers!
I love the project, and how it came out however I would like to add a few criticisms.
one one, you should definitely have some kind of mesh in between all those ventilation holes to prevent a bunch of dust getting caught up in them. two why would you not make the console able to split apart again, why not just put a screw to screw them together so you can take it apart again and clean it in the future or as you said add to the console now you have no way to get back in it. three kind of the same thing as the mesh but you need some kind of like I/O shield for the back of the console to protect anybody or anything from getting inside there and shorting any of the circuitry.
Given the decent fan blowing into it, that grill would unlikely have any dust being sucked in and more likely act as a path for air to escape.
Whoa, that is amazing, subscribed just from watching this video, now if we can maybe see a part 2 on how you did all the software stuff that would be cool.
Zac very nice upgrade. We always learning from are 1st project. That's really cool. Being able to see the inside of it. Beautiful how everything matches. Can't wait to see more videos soon Zac. Hopefully you get great use out of it for many years to come. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend. Keep making. God bless.
Thank you Jared! Revisting past projects is always one of my favorite things to do because there are so many lessons that you learn on the first attempt. It's nice to go back and put all of those things into action. Trying to outdo yourself is good fun haha. Thank as always for the support!
@@ZacBuilds yeah your very welcome. I absolutely agree.
I knew that main board design looked familiar. I had this exact same idea a few months ago after dealing with constant high temps. Decided I might as well make a console out of it.
My laptop is an old Asus ROG from 2014. The heatpipe and heat sink design is just about the same. Just like you did, I added a heatsink right to the pipes and now it idles at 30°c.
You're like my spirit animal man. This is so dope! I've been thinking about modding an actual N64 into my computer case for years now, but I think this might be the route I go instead!
That sounds like a sweet project but this one is a bit more flexible and offers you more game choices haha
@@ZacBuilds may I ask what type of emulator you use to play OG XBox Games ?
@@philipprauh1596 It's probably Xenia, that seems to be the best original Xbox emulator.
@@philipprauh1596 xemu is the best one as of now, because Xenia now only runs Xbox360 games.
Stumbled upon your channel and you've just combined two of my favorite hobbies, woodworking and tinkering with PCs. I subscribed instantly.
Another solid build Zac. Got my gears turning! Keep up the great work!
Will do! Cheers Brian, thanks for watching!
Dud laptops are honestly a gold mine for DIY computer related builds. You will often find them with broken screens or laptop specific peripheral issues nothing that prevents it from functioning as a computer really especially once you break it out of the laptop shell it's housed in.
You could honestly start your own business because of how amazing you are
Thank you! Honestly I do consider my youtube channel to be a business
You have a great eye for woodworking, everything you build looks just great
What emulators are you using? Do you have a font end to launch everything from? Have you heard of Kodi? or Plex?
Maybe a video on setting up the emulators and bringing it all together seamlessly?
That is the point, appreciated all the hard hardware work but definitely need to explain the software part...
there are definitely other channels covering that, but I do like the presentation in this channel more.
hoping for a follow-up video on this focusing on the software side of things! :D
@@kouhaiii3182 I've setup and used Kodi, Plex, Steam in Big Picture Mode, Launch Box, and others, just curious how this creator chose to set things up.
It often irritates me to watch videos like this where they skip everything being done in software and only show the hardware aspect of a build like this. It's like watching a tutorial that ends halfway through.
I get that you wouldn't want to show how you obtained roms & bios, but other than that, there is a lot to cover between putting together the hardware and actually having an "everything" console
@@opinionateddrone 100% agree with you. I wasn't expecting a tutorial here, but at least acknowledging some of the software used would help. It's definitely not a plug and play situation, and anyone who has spent 5 minutes emulating knows you really need to take the time to fine tune things.
really cool project, but kind of like DIYPerks, seems to be more of a "watch me play, not actually try to replicate."
@soporo7 epsxe can play real ps1 disks
Absolutely beautiful. Not only did you give that laptop a new chance at life and stopped it from becoming e-waste, but you also made a spectacular case for it. I love your wood working.🤩❤
The project came out pretty well! I just wish you found a way to keep the disc drive in the build. Because it came native to the laptop, you didn't need any third party software to get it to work. So blu-ray movies, but the more important thing, several of the emulators allow you to run the games off of the original disc. I do it all the with PCSX2.
You can make it an external drive with just a quick SATA to USB wire. No problem! :)
Bluray movies on PC are a pain though. I tried watching one once, but it turned out you need a special codec which costs money, so VLC and the windows media player dont include it from the factory. might have changed by now, but that was the case around 5 years ago when i tried. i still use my playstation for bluray movies.
@@SpiderMax95 yeah. There are ways around that. VLC can be modded to play blu-rays now. But I have never done it. I normally rip my movie off the disc and watch it that way since I have to go to so many places regularly (college, hospital, work, etc).
But yeah, if you don't want to tinker then you have to buy the special software. Which is fucking annoying. That's one of the reasons why I said I wish he kept it. Since the computer came with the Blu-ray player factory that means it had the software already on it. So no needing to buy or do anything. Just pop it in and it plays.
I purposely built my desktop with a Blu-ray drive so I had versatility. Use it with pcsx2 all the time.
@@SpiderMax95 I don't think HEVC or AVC are paid-only codecs at all though?
great project. You could also use solder mask to prevent bridging after solder and helps to keep the wires in place (works like a glue) in such a fragile solder
Awesome build man!!! The fact you had Eric’s channel playing on the TV was a perfect Easter egg. Keep killing it!!
Thanks Craig! I figured all the off the cut listeners out there would appreciate that one 😀
I had that laptop....she finally passed away about the time this video came out. Let me tell you something, it was still running games such as Elden Ring and Modern Warfare 2; really not bad for an 8 year old laptop. Perfect starting point for what is sure to bring you hours of happiness.
It's a decent laptop just needs a bit better of gpu and you can run basically any modern game not on high but at least low-mid
It's a decent laptop just needs a bit better of gpu and you can run basically any modern game not on high but at least low-mid
Fantastic build, this is perfect content for me a mix of woodwork and electronics!
Made me one about a year ago. It will play switch, ps3 pretty well. I highly recommend launchbox and bigbox. Make all you games look like netflix or something like that. I love it. You just pick the game on whatever console and its already linked up with the emulator. Just a browse and click to play.
I love the case. Nice retro look to it. I find it interesting that you didn't make it as slim as possible.
I'm absolutely blown away by this video I mean that sincerely. The quality 👌 is fantastic and well worth a sub. I'm looking forward to watching more of your excellent content. Greetings from the UK.
Superb build, very nice and clean. That CNC machine is dope. Subscribed.
i just upgraded to a more modern desktop build coming from a 4 year old gaming laptop. this instantly helped me find a use for the old thing! hoping i can get around to building my own everything console soon. awesome vid bro.
I thought an everything console would be one that has the actual circuit boards of multiple consoles in there 😋
We have those exact CNC routers at my school!!! They are absolutely amazing and a breeze to use compared to the old ones that you had to use a really clunky proprietary software on. We have them in enclosures with built-in vacuums. Our school district has a really good tech ed program that they fund really well.
I really like that honeycomb pattern for the vents.
Really like the case. Beyond that I love the way you have your bar clamps hung and am totally going to do mine that way in my new garage.
The next thing you need to do is add modern consoles like the PS5, Xbox One, a good gaming PC, and the Nintendo Switch, to the Everything Console, and then you have everything.
Besides ps5 that is possible just gonna need to take a mod able series x or good pc and easy
Besides ps5 that is possible just gonna need to take a mod able series x or good pc and easy
Can’t believe I JUST found you and your content!
That’s awesome Zac! That’s so cool! Yeah, my favorite video games are the older ones, so this is pretty cool! The fact that it can run GTA games makes it even cooler, as those are my favorite video games! Amazing build Zac!!
Well if you like old videos games I think it might be time for you to build an everything console of your own haha. I'd love to see your take on it!
@@ZacBuilds I’d love to, but I don’t really have any experience with playing around with computers and stuff! But it is something I’d love to do eventually
The Dolphin emulator can use actual Wii remotes via Bluetooth. No work around needed. Just get a Wii remote and connect it, set up any adjustments you might need and enjoy. 👍👍
Excellent work! That laptop is better than my gaming tower lol.
The nice thing about how technological innovation has slowed down in the last decade is that computers from years ago are still perfectly viable. I was actually surprised at what this machine was capable of doing
This is sick, would look amazing if you made an IO for the back too, but otherwise great stuff. Also, the 8bitdo Pro controller may be my favourite controller of all time.
This turned out awesome Zac! I really want to build something like this on my own now, like maybe a portable Wii console. I hope through practice and learning I can do stuff like you do someday :)
This makes me excited to just repurpose my old gaming computer into a living room PC capable of multi-console emulation. Awesome video!
This is literally a dream come true. The setup, all the games from my childhood. Like what the heck!!! How did you learn to do all these things!!!
Haha thanks man, just kept pursuing my interests and not being too afraid to screw up haha. Lots of mistakes were made but I got there eventually
@@ZacBuilds good mindset
You know there's affordable handhelds like the RG35xx you can that come loaded with a bunch of emulators like NES up through PS1, N64, maybe even PS2. $60. tons of options. The best thing you can do is get a cheap mini PC or old laptop like in this video and install all the emulators. It's really easy and there's tons of info out there on everything.
Love your videos, it would be nice to see more done with tools most people have at home. You’re home entertainment setup is so nice.
This is so cool! Love this! :)
Thanks Mike!
Man ur creativity on another level.. I have 2 ROG laptop broken monitor and now looking step.by step... u got me subscribe..
Just found you, great content you're nailing it
Heck ya man thanks for stopping by!
Nice build! Absolutely love your living room theme with all the wood. I did a similar thing back in college with a laptop I broke and a fat ps3 that had been reflowed a few times and just completely died. Transplanted the laptop guts into the fat ps3 shell and put xbmc on it. Things have come SO far since then though (2010~). I'd love to revisit the idea with the current state of emulation and LaunchBox.
Epic build! So sleek and a great little repurposing project 🥰
I'm new to the channel, and am just in Awe!
Love that your restoring the classics, and bringing them forward to the future even!! Crossing my fingers now, as I leave comments to see if you done anything with the old Atarti computer itself!!
Thanks for sharing!!
Nicely done! Once I get my new system up and running (and purchased, I suppose) I know what my current laptop's not so unfortunate fate will be, haha!
Haha looking forward to seeing that John! Thanks for the kind words man
You have seamlessly combined all of my favorite hobbies. Bravo sir!
That’s a pretty awesome project! Did you use a retro pi - like OS, or just used different emulators on the windows machine?
Thanks Kyle, I did consider it but I ended up just running windows so it would be more functional as a home theater pc. Maybe ill set it up to dual boot in the future tho
What are you running for the emulator.
I do wish I had your skill. I would love to tackle a project like this. This is incredible. I especially would have had massive problems with the soldering. Not to mention not having a large device to carve wood with. But anyway, great video.
this is so basic it is sad,.. you don't need skill for this.
Soooo you made a pc?
The man said so
Dawg you are laaaaaaate@@kortezcorral1602
jet set radio being the game you picked for the xbox is so unadulteratedly cool
Soooo, a computer? My computer can emulate everything from NES/Dos to Nintendo Switch/PS5
man, I was watching this to see what it can due, but I forgot that this video was about a retro pc and was thinking I was watching a case making tutorial. I learned some woodworking good video.
This is really cool, I absolutely love this, the only change I'd make if is use a lighter weight OS for more games but other than that it looks perfect
This and the everything consel v 1 were videos I never knew I needed to see untill I seen them great job
God I loved watching him use that wobbly drill pit, to mark out the holes. Had me laughing out loud for a solid 2 mins.
This is truly an amazing console. It combines my love for retro gaming and woodworking. I gotta say im a bit envious of that CNC 😂
This is a super cool project and a really good way to repurpose an old laptop!
If this is a project you want to take on from scratch, you could use parts from a Framework laptop!
your design language is godlike! really like your builds!
if you got such a fragile soder connection in the future you could stabilize it a bit with super glue.
Have you ever considered making a controller specifically for these projects? Almost like a replica of the early controllers? Watching this video inspired me to (hopefully) one day make an all-in-one retro gaming console along with matching controllers.
It's not the most cost-effective way to enjoy a project like this, but having just one controller go along with the theme (be it an N64, NES, or Xbox original, etc) would be a nice addition towards the retro feel.
Kind of, I'm actually working on a mobile version of this project right now, so it'll be controller + system in one. No idea when it'll be done but I'm hard at work.
@@ZacBuilds Can't wait to see the video! I'm surprised you're not getting more views, I've been binging your videos and each one has top tier quality camera-work, content, and entertainment value.
I'm sure soon you'll catch the algorithm again though, this project was awesome to see come to life
Congrats......you built a PC!
The first time I’ve seen a noctua fan BLEND in with the pc aesthetic!
I'm thinking I need to scrap all my old retro consoles and just do an Ultimate console like this. Awesome video btw.
Thanks dude! But don't scrap them, at least sell them to fund the project haha
So basically, you took a laptop that has a great design, no damage, and only needed maintenance to put it in a wooden case.....Great job!!
This is so freaking beautiful. Your console would make for a great production line!! 💯
That is really awesome and everything, but you can literally do all that off of you're stronger pc so to say that everything you're doing is superfluous is a understatement.
saw this vid onto my recommendation, worth the watch especially teaching us views how to upcycle hardware 😄
You can actually use a better thermal putty like the TG-PP10 for the vrams, then use carbonaut and stack I think around 2-3 layers of it for both the cpu and gpu die. You wouldn't need to perform maintenance onto it ever again since it's a film/cloth that's semi-conductive and will just transfer heat all throughout and without drying out like the traditional thermal compounds that are in a form of a paste.
This mans really used his WOBBLIEST drill bit THROUGH the holes on the mobo.
Absolute Chad. I can hear the commenters screaming now, "JUST USE A MARKER"
this guy has the best organized shop on youtube
For the TV you should find a way to attach a wall mount to a thick piece of wood or metal pipe and have it come down the middle which will hide the cables too.