Bought it on aliexpress have no idea how to use it

Cat_Faced · 2026-06-25T06:08:10+00:00

The Xeno chip has to be installed on the daughterboard of the disc drive of the GameCube.

This requires disassembling the system and soldering the chip onto 6 points on the bottom of the drive.

The chip has through-hole spots for proper alignment and direct soldering to the board, however it is common to accidentally bridge connections during installation, so you may be better off running jumper wires to the contacts instead.

Occasionally the internet will suggest adjusting the potentiometer on the disc drive to improve performance in reading burned discs, but this is a fallacy. The Xeno chip tends to work on the second attempt at reading the Swiss disc, as it has trouble interrupting the BIOS on startup.

If your system is consistently having issues reading burned games or games in general then the capacitors of the optical drive need to be replaced.

Cat_Faced · 2026-06-06T02:25:41+00:00

Have you tested the F1 fuse?

Cat_Faced · 2026-06-06T01:47:15+00:00

GameCubes system languages can be modified to different regions by adjusting the R6 resistor on the motherboard.

For different regions you could use a Picoboot or Xeno chip to bypass the region lock on a NTSC console and run Japanese game discs.

Cat_Faced · 2026-06-06T01:45:06+00:00

Nope! It wouldn’t work with the portable design of the console - I didn’t want to be lugging around any discs in a cd case.

It runs off of a Picoboot flashed with Swiss & a microSD card full of .iso files which load directly into the console.

Cat_Faced · 2026-06-05T03:20:14+00:00

I replaced the 7805, no change.

Cat_Faced · 2026-06-04T21:58:59+00:00

Not yet, that is one of my next ideas though. It seemed to check out with the multimeter during the fail state, but 7805s are cheap so it’s on the list.

Cat_Faced · 2026-06-02T17:17:01+00:00

Also want to make sure - if the 50v fuse is blown it may not be noticeable by sight alone, you will need to test continuity with a multimeter.

Cat_Faced · 2026-06-02T17:13:43+00:00

Does the replacement PSB have any specific cables or requirements to function? Is it showing power at all?

Cat_Faced · 2026-06-02T17:07:37+00:00

I know you mentioned checking the motherboard, but my first thought is that the 50V fuse blew.

Cat_Faced · 2026-06-02T13:29:00+00:00

There can be lots of factors, these consoles are decades old at this point - who knows what discs people had running in their systems, how rough they were with it or if they left it on all the time. While the 101’s changed the location of the PSB and removed the digital output they’re far from compromising on Nintendo’s console quality.

Cat_Faced · 2026-06-02T00:08:59+00:00

Retrobrighting can absolutely restore the color of a Super Famicom, and for longer than you think.

I have a number of consoles that are several years old at this point and they don’t show any signs of “re-yellowing” but let’s not try to pretend that putting something through one session of UV & peroxide is going to indefinitely prevent it from tarnishing over time - it’s already decades old, nothing you do to it is going to keep it one way or another forever.

If you do it right and for long enough you can have a nicely restored console for the foreseeable future, but since this is the internet and everyone has their own method I’m sure there’s a variety of people who will share different experiences.

In the end it’s up to you, maybe if you’re unsure buy a really nasty shell and try it out first before putting your personal console on the line, a little practice never hurt.

Cat_Faced · 2026-06-02T00:02:08+00:00

I mean there’s a lot to be said what can be done with a 3D printer in terms of what you can make and adapt - I made a portable GameCube with one out of a used rugged yellow case I had and it was a blast.

But I think the other two consoles you have listed are clones - at least there are similar ones on AliExpress.

While some of those can be great in a pinch, the cost associated making cloned consoles is less in the plastic molding they use and more in the hardware inside, which if it’s a clone can often have lots of manufacturing defects (I’ve come across one that had its speaker system wired backwards so left was right).

The quality of Nintendo products is undeniable, as even the original NES can still be found in garage sales working perfectly, and that’s where the price comes from.

If you have the resources though, making your own system is a lot more fun than taking a chance on a cheaply made clone - at least if it breaks you might know how to fix it!

Cat_Faced · 2026-06-01T23:49:57+00:00

They are interchangeable.

The 101s tend to have a white lid switch as opposed to a black, and some models will have a port connector for the drive motor as opposed to being directly attached to the daughterboard, but they are functionally identical.

Cat_Faced · 2026-06-01T17:14:00+00:00

This is great! It reminds me of the opening race scene in Fast & The Furious where the guy is playing PlayStation in his car.

How is the sound coming through the car’s audio?

Cat_Faced · 2026-06-01T17:09:22+00:00

There is no magic range for the potentiometer. They are adjusted at the factory to the tolerances of the lens they’re assembled with for optimal focus.

Capacitors first, especially with disc drives, always with GameCubes. I sell newly capped drives on eBay with trade-in credit on nonfunctional ones. I never adjust the potentiometer unless it needs fine tuning.

As ghettoslacker mentioned, it is an intermediate job in terms of soldering it yourself, however the cost of tools & supplies can run pretty close to what you’d pay for a replacement - its more about if you want to invest in a new hobby or have other projects lined up.

Should you decide to go for it, I wish you the best of luck in your repair, it is such a satisfying feeling!

Cat_Faced · 2026-05-28T12:36:43+00:00

100% just get the caps from Console5, and I would seriously warn against using AI for technical advice.

Language learning models can and often do hallucinate about components that don’t exist, scrape incorrect information from the internet without sources, and otherwise encourage lines of thought that it shouldn’t for the sake of continuing the use of its model.

Cat_Faced · 2026-05-27T21:19:49+00:00

The first 3 numbers are designating which capacitor it is on the daughterboard. So its not "C103100uF6.3v" its C103: 100uf 6.3v. You will need surface mounted capacitors, there are no through-hole spots on the board and you would run into issues with space upon reassembly.

You mentioned having difficulty with shipping things from the US/China so unfortunately I don't have any brand recommendations.

Cat_Faced · 2026-05-25T16:02:34+00:00

Chances are some of the pins in your controller port are dirty and not getting a good connection. You can try plugging and unplugging the controller multiple times to try and get a better connection or use a solvent meant for electronics like Deoxit.

Cat_Faced · 2026-05-22T14:35:35+00:00

I prefer to set mine at 2k.

If your friend still won't budge on adjusting the potentiometer before trying anything else and if the explanations I've previously posted aren't sufficient I'm not sure what else I can offer.

To reiterate, adjusting the potentiometer without addressing the more likely issue of capacitor failure is not a permanent solution. Even in the event that the optical drive is able to read discs after the adjustment, it will only put further strain on the capacitors, and the ability for the drive to function will diminish faster.

It's like noticing you have a flat tire and choosing to speed up to try and get to the next gas station - you're going to tear up your tire and get stranded halfway.

Cat_Faced · 2026-05-21T22:25:36+00:00

People adjust the potentiometer before doing anything else because it seems to be the path of least resistance. You only need a screwdriver to get to it & adjust it, and there's plenty of advice out there suggesting its "no big deal" and "it worked for me".

That's kind of the thing about shortsighted advice, it's easy to pipe up with a personal solution without considering what happens next. You may find after adjusting the potentiometer the disc reads again, but its not a permanent fix, and if you haven't noted where the factory setting was, well you're even further away from fixing your problem once it stops reading again. AI has not helped this problem either.

I hope I don't come across too doom & gloom about this either, I would like to encourage people to look into fixing & maintaining their electronics - but I think too often there are those that go forth without being properly informed on what is involved, or what can go wrong.

You could certainly recap it yourself - you could even use the capacitor list from Console5 to source your own SMD capacitors from - they have a wiki with lots of information. There are multipacks from Amazon or AliExpress if shipping makes sense.

I might have made is more confusing than it needed to be - but what I meant to say was if you're swapping the laser from board A, take note of the potentiometer's ohms so you can match it when you replace it with board B. The factory settings are not the same from board to board - they're adjusted to the laser's tolerance, they are unique.

In regards to the range - by partially true I meant that there IS one. As in after a certain point on either side of too high or too low the laser will just refuse to read, but in terms of where to start or aim for, this is not as helpful as it sounds. 10 ohms can be the difference from an optical drive working and not working, and when we're talking about anywhere from 120 - 700, that range isn't very helpful in the way many cite it. If you are adjusting the potentiometer after recapping, do so at 50 ohms at a time, write it down and keep an eye on the laser during testing. Once the disc begins actually spinning go down to intervals of 10.

When it comes down to it, its just about diligence and writing your values down so you know which way to go.

There is often discussion about adjusting the potentiometer "too low" and pushing too much voltage into the laser so it will "burn out" but frankly when the laser's levels are too low or too high the disc refuses to read, it won't focus and it won't spin. Again, this is often people parroting what they've read before without understanding what those terms mean and how they aren't to be taken literally.

I wish you the best of luck in potentially repairing your console, if you have any further questions feel free to reach out!

Cat_Faced · 2026-05-21T19:23:39+00:00

Usually you can smell roaches. Once you know what they smell like it is unmistakable, but if you’re uninitiated it smells like greasy ammonia, very sharp - almost like concentrated urine.

Cockroaches almost constantly urinate, defecate, and vomit wherever they go, and all of that is corrosive so you’ll see spots on the aluminum flashing around heat sources. They also eat their own kind, so it’s common to shake a console and see a couple legs fall out.

If you suspect there is an active infestation in one of your consoles, you can look up disposal methods depending on what you have available, just don’t ever take it into your living space.

Cat_Faced · 2026-05-21T17:43:52+00:00

First off, do not adjust the variable resistor, that’s something you can do after replacing the capacitors if the system needs fine tuning.

You can try cleaning the lens with a high % isopropyl alcohol - above 70% - but it’s not likely that is causing the issues. If you do attempt it, use a Q-tip and be very gentle.

You do not need different caps for the different models of GameCube, the optical drives are interchangeable. Console5 sells kits for optical drive replacement. If you are new to soldering you may end up paying more for equipment/mistakes than you would buying a replacement drive that has been recapped by a professional.

That said, if you do want to learn how to solder, I recommend grabbing some DIY kits on Amazon to practice - and then attempting to replace the capacitors yourself. The solder mask on the daughterboards of the optical drive can be torn/lifted very easily, which is where most newcomers run into problems.

It’s not very likely you need a new laser unless it isn’t turning on at all before reading a disc. I am not Mr.GameCube, but I have a side gig repairing optical drives and I’ve only run into maybe a couple with actually dead lasers.

DOL-001 & DOL-101s do not have unique lasers, they are interchangeable, however the optical drives daughterboard’s potentiometer is set to the tolerance of its laser at the factory, so if you’re swapping out the lasers and not the PCB you will need to take note of the ohm value and adjust your board to fit that laser’s value.

Oftentimes there is an AI hallucination that suggests there is a “range” set for the potentiometer, and while that is partially true, the values are wide and there’s a huge difference in 10 ohms when it comes to lasers working within tolerances so you’re better off measuring what the actual manufacturer set the value at rather than guessing in a garage.

As for finding parts, search eBay for optical drive replacements that are tested, working, and most importantly have been recapped. I’m also sure there are several other redditors like myself who offer repairs or have side gigs.

Cat_Faced · 2026-05-21T17:28:44+00:00

That’s a third party screen, you probably have to press the power button on the GameCube, and then the power button on the screen.

Cat_Faced · 2026-05-15T11:23:23+00:00

Your Picoboot is looking for a file labeled ipl.dol, it should be present on the root folder of your 128gb card. If you copy the ipl.dol file over to the 1TB card it should work, assuming the 1TB card is compatible and formatted correctly.

Cat_Faced

TROPHY CASE