Make A Cooler Gamecube with Game-Tech.US Upgrade Fan Kit

In this episode, we show you how to remove and upgrade your aging (and probably filthy) Gamecube Fan with a 50mm fan & 3D Printed mount from Game-Tech-US.

The Nintendo Gamecube is such a great system and marked so many firsts for Nintendo. It was the first system from Nintendo that used optical disks, it has one of the most popular controllers of all time, and you could even play Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games through the Game Boy Player. Celebrating its 21st birthday this year, that means all the parts, pieces, and internals are also 21 years old. For any electronics, keeping things working and functional gets harder and harder as they age. Cooling fans are a definite point of concern as they suck in all sorts of gunk, dust, debris, pet hair, and more. While not as loud as the Sega Dreamcast fan (which is stupid loud) the GameCube's can get loud and annoying over time. You also have parts that wear out and eventually, the fans don't provide as much cooling as they used to. Thankfully, Jason at Game-Tech and Dan Collings from Lazer Bear Industries have tag-teamed to produce an updated fan kit that looks to be an awesome upgrade.

The kit itself includes a new fan mount that appears to be 3D printed using PLA. There were a few ripples in some of the layers, but nothing that should affect the performance. I've had the same thing happen when I've been printing things, generally when my nozzle is too hot or I have my print speed set too high. The fan is a 50mm Noiseblocker XS-1, one of the best out there. The fan only produces 16 dBA of sound, making it super quiet. One of the great things that Jason does is to ship this fan with the correct 2-pin connector; the Noiseblocker XS-1 traditionally ships with a 3-pin connector which is not correct for the Gamecube. This is a great service for the customer to make it plug-and-play.

To install the fan into your Gamecube, you'll need a few basic tools:
Flat blade screwdriver
#1 Phillips screwdriver
4.5mm Game Bit

Disassembly:
- If you have a Game Boy Player, you'll need to remove this to access the 4 security screws on the underside of your Gamecube. - Once you have the security bits removed, open the disk cover and then slide the top off of the system.
- If you are looking at the front of the system, the fan and mount will be on the left side of the system.
- Remove the back cover by sliding it up and back just to make it easier to get at your fan.
- Once you have the outside panels removed, unplug the power supply and fan from the PCB the power switch is mounted
- You'll need to remove the single screw holding the original fan mount to the base of the system.
- Once removed, tilt the top of the fan mount towards the outside of the case, and it should slide out.
- Transfer the PCB with the power switch to the new 3D Printed Mount with the provided screw
- Screw the fan to the new 3D Printed Mount with the 4-supplied screws (DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN THESE SCREWS!)
- Use a can of compressed air to blow and dust out of your system
- Slide the assembled fan and mount it back into place
- Reinstall the 2 retaining screws
- Route the fan power supply wiring into the keeper at the base of the mount & plug the fan into the PCB
- Plug the power supply back into the PCB
- Ensure all the wiring is neatly inside your system & reassemble the back and top case
- Reinstall the 4 security bits
- Reinstall the Game Boy Player (If applicable)

Overall, this is an amazing kit that is not only quieter, but also provides enhanced cooling for your Nintendo Gamecube. Jason and Dan have created an amazing kit here that works so amazingly well. While I only installed this kit in my Indigo Gamecube, I'll be ordering a second kit for my Spice Orange Gamecube too; it simply works that amazingly well.
#Nintendo #Gamecube #VideoGames

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The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.
(Pub. L. 94–553, title I, § 101, Oct. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 2546; Pub. L. 101–650, title VI, § 607, Dec. 1, 1990, 104 Stat. 5132; Pub. L. 102–492, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3145.)