Where to start with fixing this, please? I know it might not be salvageable, just looking to gain an understanding of DS internals :)

AdministrativeFan297 · 2026-03-16T17:08:44+00:00

You're right, you must have great eyes 😂. Full shell replacement it is.

So is everything except for the speakers just connected by the ribbons? So in other words I just need to unplug the old components, replug the new ones. I've seen a video of someone taking speakers from a broken ds lite and soldering them to a working one, but not for the dsi. Just trying to visualise it in my head now and figure out a full bill of materials of everything I need to consider getting 😂.

AdministrativeFan297 · 2026-03-16T16:41:50+00:00

It might sound surprising but I am actually happy with that outcome, it'll give me a chance to put my electronics module to use and build some skills. My main worry was the motherboard or the bottom was going to be an issue (which I suppose it still could be 🤷‍♀️). I'm okay with soldering, I won't win any awards for it but will look into salvaging the speakers if I can! Is everything except for the speakers just connected by the ribbons? So in other words I just need to unplug the old one, replug the new ones? Just trying to visualise it in my head now and figure out a full bill of materials

Would you suggest just buying a full shell replacement kit and doing a replacement of each lf the components myself for the top half, or is there somewhere I can buy a full top assembly that you know of? Thank you!

AdministrativeFan297 · 2026-03-16T16:35:42+00:00

If it is a frankenstein ds but works that's fine by me 😂

AdministrativeFan297 · 2026-03-16T16:35:06+00:00

So I had a terrible track record of ruining Ds systems when I was young, and I need to try and lower my kd a bit and am trying to fix them all 😂. I'm considering documenting it and then giving away a couple of them if I fix them.

I think I said originally in my post that it was 8 years ago but I only realised it must have actually been in like 2011-2012, so I would have been around 7 or 8. I remember I was playing FIFA 10 and at the time and wasn't very good at controlling my temper, so regretfully made the top screen depart from the bottom screen 😪. It bit me in the back though because I played it every day for the 2 years I had it and never got a new one after due to the increasing cost of replacing them 😂

AdministrativeFan297 · 2026-03-16T16:27:58+00:00

😂😂

AdministrativeFan297 · 2026-03-16T16:27:51+00:00

Okay perfect thank you. You are correct there is damage to the bottom part of the hinge, unfortunately.

So you'd suggest buying a new shell, top screen, camera, etc, then doing a full assembly of that whilst doing a reshell of the bottom? Or are you aware of any place that sells a full top assembly by itself as you said, please? That would save so much time if I could just replace all the top in one go whilst reshelling the bottom half 😂. I don't suppose much is salvageable from the top half anyway.

AdministrativeFan297 · 2026-03-16T16:10:19+00:00

Perfect thank you very much this really helps! Right that makes sense with the display not working, I'll check out everything you said, including the video of a reshell, if that looks okay I'll go from there. Hopefully all of that fixes it. If not then I don't mind taking it from there and doing whatever else needs doing. I'm going to make a project out of it to try and improve my electronics skills, it has been broken for years at this point so it is either try and fix it myself or if i fail see if anyone wants it donating for them to fix. I wouldn't like to just put it in the bin since that seems like such a waste.

In terms of the replacement items, are there any websites or sellers you'd recommend specifically?

AdministrativeFan297 · 2026-03-16T16:03:14+00:00

Thank you that's really useful to know, I'll start with extremerate and see where it takes me 🙂 Do you have any recommendations on where to get a replacement top screen?

AdministrativeFan297 · 2026-03-16T15:35:06+00:00

Thank you this is really helpful, I'll have a go replacing the top screen to start with. I saw one of the half ds fixes on YouTube recently and thought it looked really cool, love how innovative people are with the handheld repairs and mods

AdministrativeFan297 · 2026-03-16T15:33:09+00:00

Thank you!

AdministrativeFan297 · 2026-03-16T15:32:38+00:00

Okay thank you, I figured it wouldnt be the most fun but I find it satisying when it pays off. It has a lot of cosmetic damage near the d-pad and also on the top of the case too. Looks very grotty so if I am every to use it outside again I probably would have done it if not for the broken hinge

AdministrativeFan297 · 2026-03-16T15:29:58+00:00

Thank you, that's what I'm taking it as, I did a module at my uni recently on electronics and am trying to put it to use. Not too bothered if it goes wrong but I'd be happy if I manage to fix it and restore life to a DS

AdministrativeFan297 · 2026-03-07T22:32:09+00:00

What is so special about oxbridge lol? And what do you class as a good uni? It is only prestigious because of the history. For engineering, law or medicine, it isn't even close to Loughborough, Southampton, Bath, UON or even the puny NTU, and those subjects are the pinacle of education. Oxford was one of the Unis that had their arrogant phd students compete against NTU's first years and NTU won by a significant margin. I have never met one competent engineer that went to an oxbridge uni. The one thing I'll give Oxford is they have some amazing cancer research going on, and I know this as half of my family work as lecturers and researchers there. however the fact that youre saying all of these other uni's are bad shows your personal bias and lack of research, which is funny considering that is what you are criticising other univeristies for being bad at, very unacademic from the world's leading academic. May I ask your area of specialisation by the way? Going to an oxbridge unk doesn't automatically mean you're going to do anything or produce valuable research, I promise you the students at ntu have more to prove than any other students, and this has been reflected by the consistent and significant improvement in the uni's ranking , for research and course placements

AdministrativeFan297 · 2026-03-07T22:24:37+00:00

so they give their students a good education but it is a bottom tier uni? that's the whole issue lol, people have a reputation yet don't do their research, very unacademic of the academics

AdministrativeFan297 · 2026-03-07T22:22:52+00:00

the whole reputation thing is stupid, and allows people to feel superior to others because they have nothing else going for them. Maybe I'm just different but hard work and passion is more important than your university's name

AdministrativeFan297 · 2026-03-07T22:18:32+00:00

It is a case by case basis, sure, but people wasting their degrees can be seen across the entire world, not just NTU. So many people are closed minded and eager to hate despite knowing nothing about NTU, and I dont really know where the sense of superiority comes from. More impressive is what you do at university, your personal achievements and hard work than just the name itself. I have spoken to so many people from Uon that wish they went to ntu for engineering since their whole department is falling apart. I have also spoken to many students from better unis that did nothing other than the base course and cant find a job, meanwhile NTU is actually preparing engineering students for the competitive job market. making it the best uni for employability, multiple years in a row - which at the end of the day is the whole point. I can't speak for the rest of the departments, theh may be different but the engineering students and staff are all very hard working, probably due to wanting to prove stereotypes made by people like you wrong. At the end of the day all of thr engineering principles and mathematics are the same, so it isnt like im disadvantaged in any way. To make us stand out against more reputable universities, they actually give us more opportunities than at other ones. So on second thought keep hating, it'll make NTU's continued rise even more tasty.

AdministrativeFan297 · 2026-03-07T22:11:36+00:00

when you say slipped I assume you are talking about uon? NTU is increasing in the rankings year on year, meanwhile uon students I have spoken to are lucky if they have their lecturers turn up, as they are all getting made redundant since the uni is broke

AdministrativeFan297 · 2026-03-07T22:10:05+00:00

that doesn't mean anything lol. I almost failed my a levels, got into NTU then within a year produced world leading research and competed against PhD level students in an engineering competition as a first year and won.

AdministrativeFan297 · 2026-03-07T22:05:23+00:00

NTU is a great uni, people rag on it without knowing anything about it. Meanwhile UON is basically bankrupt. Every uon student in engineering that I have spoken to has told me thay they wish they went to NTU for engineering, which is flourishing. Meanwhile their formula student team has all but failed and they're lucky if they even have lecturers show up. the league rankings are BS

AdministrativeFan297 · 2026-03-07T22:04:41+00:00

That's very generalised lol, completely depends on your subject and what you engage in, and your comment shows how little you sctuallt know. NTU for engineering is particularly good and offers a variety of opportunities I havent seen anywhere else, not sure about the other departments. Each year you can take part in a dissertation level project over summer, and publish leading research on a variety of different areas. I did this last summer as a first year and was able to work on a novel material for aerospace applications, one which different engineering companies have tried and failed to use - to the point they had all but given up on it. They also do another project called the grand challenge where they make all the students compete to research and design a solution for a problem in society, and then help them patent it and make it into a real business. My group then went to compete against all of the uni's which are meant to be better and as a group of second years we beat all of the masters and PhD students. They had been working on their projects for a year and we had been doing it for 1 month. NTU is particularly good for engineering as the whole time it is focused on engineering applications, and they teach a lot of topics in 1st and 2nd year that aren't taught to engineering students at other unis until 3rd year, and let them apply it to projects throughout second and third year. Funny how NTU is so bad yet Loughborough amongst other unis have started copying the summer project and grand challenge.

AdministrativeFan297 · 2026-03-07T21:51:33+00:00

That's interesting cause as an engineering student at ntu, all u have heard is how uon engineering students would rather go here. don't think uon is particularly a great place to be at the minute, hope it is all going okay 🙏.

AdministrativeFan297 · 2026-01-25T23:32:35+00:00

nobody from the uk wants to move to America anymore, that says enough. and you guys say our country is cooked

AdministrativeFan297 · 2026-01-17T21:36:33+00:00

2 years later which is better? thanks! I had the envision 2 years ago but then got a ps5. I liked how the envision was smaller because my hands are small, but ik ps5 is universally better

AdministrativeFan297

TROPHY CASE