nesdev.org

Hello! I'm thinking about overclocking my NES by follow this tutorial: https://nobitleftbehind.wordpress.com/2 ... k-the-nes/

While looking through the tutorial, I came across the part where you are to disable the Master Clock, which is achieved by cutting the trace on the board. Another tutorial (https://ancientelectronics.wordpress.co ... g-the-nes/) encourages you to lift the pins. My question is, why can't you simply desolder the connection? I'm assuming there must be some reason since it seems like an obvious thing to do. Is there a reason not to do this? If so, what is it?

Thanks!

Lifting the pin after it is desoldered ensures that an inadvertent connection is not made.

It is DIP, so you could put a ceramic spacer or any other nonconductive barrier between the CPU pin and the surrounding plated through-hole, but it's mechanically much easier to just lift the pin.

tepples wrote:Lifting the pin after it is desoldered ensures that an inadvertent connection is not made.

Okay. Is cutting the trace a better way of doing it, or lifting the pin, in your opinion?

Lifting pin gives you high probability of breaking it due to metal fatigue.
Cutting trace is always reversible, just by doing small bridge using tin.