Nes-101 with CPU in socket?

game-tech.us · Post by **game-tech.us** » Tue Dec 21, 2010 11:43 am

I opened up a nes101 to find out why it wasn't powering up, the power switch had one leg burned off. Anyway, also noticed the cpu had been socketed and just wondered if anyone could imagine why?

Post by **Memblers** » Tue Dec 21, 2010 5:09 pm

I would guess either someone tried to repair it (and it's still broken), or less likely that someone was using it to test CPUs for whatever reason (repairing other NES's, or Nintendo arcade games that used it).

I dunno, I kinda doubt the repair thing because the CPU isn't really expected to fail. Nintendo service center could have done it, there were a lot of those around.

One of the fried NES's that I got had wires on it, like a repair attempt was made at some time (long ago because it was all very dusty). The RF modulator box on it was burned to a crisp inside, blackened on the outside. The wires bypassed it.

game-tech.us · Post by **game-tech.us** » Tue Dec 21, 2010 5:15 pm

A few of the traces going between pins on the the bottom side were scratched up enough to see copper, same with the big cap. So i'm not sure it was a shop repair unless the tech was really bad at it. Anyway, it does work now with the switch repaired. Maybe that wasn't the original problem as it was really easy to diagnose and repair.

Xious · Post by **Xious** » Sat Dec 25, 2010 10:22 am

akaviolence wrote:A few of the traces going between pins on the the bottom side were scratched up enough to see copper, same with the big cap. So i'm not sure it was a shop repair unless the tech was really bad at it. Anyway, it does work now with the switch repaired. Maybe that wasn't the original problem as it was really easy to diagnose and repair.

Somebody may have been attempting to isolate interference between the CPU and PPU to clean up the video signal, went part of the way and then gave up. Maybe somebody wanted to use a CopyNES in it.

Perhaps somebody tried using a CPU from an earlier NES or aq Famicom to see if it would make a difference doing operation-X, or just for kicks; I recall reading somewhere that somebody wanted to put a FC CPU and PPU in a toploader NES for no good reason other than to do it. Heck, the original CPU could have been shorted by accident, and when replaced, the tech socketed it (common practice).

There are a myriad of potential reasons: Just smile and accept it. I'd rather have a socketed PPU, but a socketed CPU allows for you to quickly add a CopyNES with no de-soldering required.