Restoring the Original Xbox - Retro Console Restoration & Repair

Restoring the original Xbox. In this episode I will restore this old Xbox. The console is very dusty and it has some problems, but nothing beyond restoration. The disc drive is stuck and it won't save the time and date if it's unplugged. Both are common problems with the Xbox and pretty easy to repair. This unit has been unused for along time and it also needs to be cleaned from all the dust on the inside and outside. I wanted to publish this episode right before Christmas have got this gaming console for Christmas almost 20 years ago.

I wanted to keep the stickers at the bottom intact so I used isopropyl alcohol to soften the glue. This allowed me to lift the sticker with a sharp blade without ruining it. Fun fact: the bottom says opening the console will void the warranty. Of course the warranty is over but eve if the console was new it wouldn't. The FTC has deemed warranty stickers illegal in the US with some exceptions. Nevertheless, it was fun to try to get in unnoticed.

The disassembly was pretty straightforward. A few screws here and there and a ton of cables to wiggle free. After everything was out of the body I opened the disc drive. I didn't see any tutorials for this type of drive. so I had to figure that out myself. Microsoft used different drives in different versions of the original Xbox. The disc drive is stuck for one of two reasons. Either the rubber band is too stretched and it slips of there is too much dust. I shrunk the band by boiling it for a minute or two. I blew all the dust off and whatever was left was cleaned off with isopropyl alcohol.

I also wanted to replace the condensator which is used to keep the time and date if the xbox is unplugged. Condensator is basically a small battery.. Microsoft used cheap condensator for this and they start leaking eventually. Condensator contains acid which causes corrosion and might ruin the motherboard so I had to remove the condensator anyways. I replaced it with similar but different looking condensator. Only in v1.6 xbox the condensator won't start leaking. The corrosion was removed by washing the board with isopropyl alcohol.

On the board there was also heat sink to cool the CPU and GPU. Between heat sink and the board there is always thermal past or thermal pad that is used to transfer heat. If there is air gaps the heat wont transfer efficiently enough. Also if the thermal paste dries, that can cause overheating so I replaced the paste. It's important to clean the old paste. A small drop of paste in the middle of the CPU is the best way to apply it. Some people draw X or something else silly but that might cause air bubbles. A simple drop is the best based on my research.

Thanks for watching! Please follow the bellow links to support my channel. The Amazon links to products are affiliate links. I will get a small fee whenever you enter the pages through those links, even if you buy something else, but it won't cost you any extra!

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Видео Restoring the Original Xbox - Retro Console Restoration & Repair канала Odd Tinkering