Installed one of these myself. I also decided to go all out on cooling the mobo by cutting a hole in the top metal shroud and installing a laptop fan. It blows the air right out the back vents and works great. I put in a DCHDMI mod, a GDEMU mod, and customized the GDMenu GUI to instantly load the game list instead of polling the SD card. Here's a quick video of all the stuff installed (with pictures links in the description of the hole I cut for the laptop fan): th-cam.com/video/xLgh0BbFEok/w-d-xo.html
I love working inside the Dreamcast, it’s so easy to dismantle and do various mods to. I’ve replaced the blue LED in mine with an RGB one for a bit of extra colour while I’m playing. The transparent yellow case helps to show off the LED too. I really need to get one of these DreamPSUs as I’ve got a USB-GDROM and the old PSU gets very hot without the GD-ROM drive. I know some people recommend putting a resistor across some pins or something but I’ve seen just as many saying that isn’t a good solution either.
I just had the unused 12 volt rail disabled on the existing stock PSU. But this mod will allow you to use Dreamcast consoles from other regions without a Set Up or Step Down converter. And it works if you ever need a actual replacement
Hell ya man good to see you uploading again. missed your repair vids! Also i see other restoration channels restore old consoles and get tons of views. it's odd how your videos never get as much views when you actually do professional work.
its really nice how it moves the power supply externally! Could use this approach on a lot of aging internal psus, maybe a generic board with various common +/- rails?
I have heard so many unqualified opinions about the Dreamcast PSU that I really don't know what to believe. I'm using a GDEMU. I have heard that the 12V rail "runs hot" without the GD-ROM. From the perspective of someone who knows a thing or two about circuit design, but admittedly not a SMPS expert, at first this sounds ridiculous to me. For one, why would LESS load on a rail cause a regulator to run hot? I know there are *some* DC-DC designs that need a minimum load to remain stable, and so there's just enough credibility to this claim that I can't toss it out entirely, but still... from a (admittedly brief) glance at the DC side of the PSU, it doesn't really look like the kind of topology that would require a load. Second, what kind of load is the GD-ROM putting on the 12V rail? I'm sure it powers the spindle motor, but the logic is probably powered from the lower voltage rails. If so, well.... It's entirely possible that the drive would be idle for hours at a time. If the supply absolutely required a significant-enough load on that rail, wouldn't that make it potentially disastrous to spin down the disc? Remember, you could use this thing as a web browsing appliance. I haven't really used it that way, but I would assume there's not much disc activity. At the very least, the designers ought to have considered the possibility that someone would leave it powered on at the menu with no disc in it -- indefinitely. So then you get suggestions to remove the 12V regulator entirely. Except PAL guys might need it for the SCART connector. VGA guys might need it too. (Or maybe they don't. Who knows?) And the modem / LAN adapter? That too. So it's NOT safe to remove then, uh? I've been kicking this can down the road, and have yet to see anyone speaking with authority on this. Lots of regurgitated opinions, cargo cult wisdom, and blatantly misguided advice, but not much fact. Anyone ever put a scope on this thing, or a thermal camera? Or at least verify what all DOES connect to that 12V rail?
So I'm in a similar boat as you. I'm running a GD-EMU (new install, under 2 weeks) and wondering if I need to swap the factory default PSU for a Pico PSU. Just like you said, many people are saying without the GD-ROM to spend the load of the factory PSU, it will burn out. But I agree that doesn't make much sense, however I am not an Electronics Engineer so I don't entirely follow the logic. I've decided to run my Dreamcast with the factory PSU, and if it burns out over time, then I'll go ahead and install a Pico PSU. Hopefully it doesn't burn out any of my Dreamcast components as well. Hit me up in a few months and I'll let you know how it goes.
Nice post. Ben running mine for a year pretty much every day and it seems fine. Replacement psus are cheap so no sense in spending 50 bucks on this. Unless you want to run one in your car or off a battery. Older console designs were made to be rugged.
Original was a transformer based, this is a switching converter, especially bad for capacitors. This is more energy effective but lifespan will be shorter.
Original DC PSU was 220V(PAL)/110V(NTSC) to 12V and 5V. This is 12V to 5V. Nothing has evolved it's exactly if you would make PC PSU external and then pull wires to motherboard through the case. I do not understand how this is an improvement.
Correct. Unless you already have a 12v source available its probably not any more efficient. However you could run it from a 12 battery if you have a portable screen such as in a vehicle.
There's this page: www.reddit.com/r/originalxbox/comments/c3h63n/picopsus_will_they_work/ by the looks of it, it may need some custom board to make it feasible or something.
Could you please do a video with the popular Dreamcast mods? I have already done the battery mod. Solder in a CR2032 battery holder and pop in a ML/RL RECHARGEABLE 2032 battery. The other mods I am not sure what to do. ALL the fuse replace videos I see neglect to mention the actual part needed so even though the mod is a piece of cake without knowing the correct part to use make things a bit trickier. As for fan mods there are a lot of different things out there and even though it is a simple mod I want to make sure I do it correctly..
Amazing all the mods for Dreamcast. This is awesome. Would you still need active cooling though ? I'm not sure how much heat the system puts out from the gpu and other circuitry.
I need to get one to compare, but this one doesn't have any electrolytic caps... could be a good or bad thing depending on how noisy the output is, another thing i want to test! And I think I can keep costs low enough to compete, but most pico's i've seen are more than i'll sell this one for as long as my numbers hold up!
Will this work with a UK 240vpsu dreamcast. I like how you work with the soldering iron and crocodile clips. Great video How can I get one, can't find them on you're website shop.
It's ideal if one has a NTSC Dreamcast in a PAL region and is looking for a replacement PSU and generates less heat when using a GDEMU. Of course one could disable the 12v rail on a stock PSU.
Would have it been so difficult to keep the power in the same design as the original? Barrel plug looks so unprofessional and having to find some generic power cable for it is a big meh.
Its actually a god send of a mod if you ever deal with import DC consoles from other regions, Japan runs at a lower 100v while Europe runs at 240v. With a external 12 volt adapter, you don't have to worry about weird Set up or step down AC to AC converters.
I'm still bitter that I backed the SaturnPSU from the same guy who made this DreamPSU and he completely bumbled his dealings with the Chinese manufacturers and lost all our money with nothing to show for it.
They are for sale here: www.game-tech.us/product/dreampsu/
Wish there was videos weekly, I like videos like this.
Installed one of these myself. I also decided to go all out on cooling the mobo by cutting a hole in the top metal shroud and installing a laptop fan. It blows the air right out the back vents and works great. I put in a DCHDMI mod, a GDEMU mod, and customized the GDMenu GUI to instantly load the game list instead of polling the SD card. Here's a quick video of all the stuff installed (with pictures links in the description of the hole I cut for the laptop fan): th-cam.com/video/xLgh0BbFEok/w-d-xo.html
Happy to see you back
I love working inside the Dreamcast, it’s so easy to dismantle and do various mods to. I’ve replaced the blue LED in mine with an RGB one for a bit of extra colour while I’m playing. The transparent yellow case helps to show off the LED too.
I really need to get one of these DreamPSUs as I’ve got a USB-GDROM and the old PSU gets very hot without the GD-ROM drive. I know some people recommend putting a resistor across some pins or something but I’ve seen just as many saying that isn’t a good solution either.
I just had the unused 12 volt rail disabled on the existing stock PSU. But this mod will allow you to use Dreamcast consoles from other regions without a Set Up or Step Down converter. And it works if you ever need a actual replacement
Hell ya man good to see you uploading again. missed your repair vids! Also i see other restoration channels restore old consoles and get tons of views. it's odd how your videos never get as much views when you actually do professional work.
its really nice how it moves the power supply externally! Could use this approach on a lot of aging internal psus, maybe a generic board with various common +/- rails?
My klipsch subs love that intro.
I have heard so many unqualified opinions about the Dreamcast PSU that I really don't know what to believe. I'm using a GDEMU. I have heard that the 12V rail "runs hot" without the GD-ROM. From the perspective of someone who knows a thing or two about circuit design, but admittedly not a SMPS expert, at first this sounds ridiculous to me.
For one, why would LESS load on a rail cause a regulator to run hot? I know there are *some* DC-DC designs that need a minimum load to remain stable, and so there's just enough credibility to this claim that I can't toss it out entirely, but still... from a (admittedly brief) glance at the DC side of the PSU, it doesn't really look like the kind of topology that would require a load.
Second, what kind of load is the GD-ROM putting on the 12V rail? I'm sure it powers the spindle motor, but the logic is probably powered from the lower voltage rails. If so, well.... It's entirely possible that the drive would be idle for hours at a time. If the supply absolutely required a significant-enough load on that rail, wouldn't that make it potentially disastrous to spin down the disc? Remember, you could use this thing as a web browsing appliance. I haven't really used it that way, but I would assume there's not much disc activity. At the very least, the designers ought to have considered the possibility that someone would leave it powered on at the menu with no disc in it -- indefinitely.
So then you get suggestions to remove the 12V regulator entirely. Except PAL guys might need it for the SCART connector. VGA guys might need it too. (Or maybe they don't. Who knows?) And the modem / LAN adapter? That too. So it's NOT safe to remove then, uh?
I've been kicking this can down the road, and have yet to see anyone speaking with authority on this. Lots of regurgitated opinions, cargo cult wisdom, and blatantly misguided advice, but not much fact. Anyone ever put a scope on this thing, or a thermal camera? Or at least verify what all DOES connect to that 12V rail?
So I'm in a similar boat as you. I'm running a GD-EMU (new install, under 2 weeks) and wondering if I need to swap the factory default PSU for a Pico PSU. Just like you said, many people are saying without the GD-ROM to spend the load of the factory PSU, it will burn out. But I agree that doesn't make much sense, however I am not an Electronics Engineer so I don't entirely follow the logic. I've decided to run my Dreamcast with the factory PSU, and if it burns out over time, then I'll go ahead and install a Pico PSU. Hopefully it doesn't burn out any of my Dreamcast components as well. Hit me up in a few months and I'll let you know how it goes.
Nice post. Ben running mine for a year pretty much every day and it seems fine. Replacement psus are cheap so no sense in spending 50 bucks on this. Unless you want to run one in your car or off a battery. Older console designs were made to be rugged.
thats awesome! def will make it last much longer than having that old psu in it
Original was a transformer based, this is a switching converter, especially bad for capacitors. This is more energy effective but lifespan will be shorter.
Center negative is the work of the devil
That is a thing of beauty, wow!
Congrats on the engagement or marriage btw
Amazing how electronics have evolved over the last 20+ years. How much heat does it put out compared to the original psu?
Original DC PSU was 220V(PAL)/110V(NTSC) to 12V and 5V. This is 12V to 5V. Nothing has evolved it's exactly if you would make PC PSU external and then pull wires to motherboard through the case. I do not understand how this is an improvement.
Correct. Unless you already have a 12v source available its probably not any more efficient. However you could run it from a 12 battery if you have a portable screen such as in a vehicle.
Love your chnl. Excellent work. Can you recommend a good dc power supply for this dreamPSU. ?
Wow great job on the subs. I remember triple digits
Great! :D Can't wait for a PSX version. ^^
Jason, will you be restocking these soon?
will you be stocking these? original seller seems to be permanently out of stock
i have a romoss powerbank the charger has 5v 2.1a i wonder if i can use my 5.5x2.5m jack to usb to power the dreamcast
Are you going to have these on your store soon? I missed the preorder for the dream and saturn psus.
Nice! On the thought of external PSU mods, it would be great if someone could make an external PSU mod for the original Xbox.
I've been looking , my PSU is shot , I get get no schematics on it
You might want to look into pico-psu's for extra small computer builds. Know a few modders back in the day used them as they made slim og-xboxes.
There's this page:
www.reddit.com/r/originalxbox/comments/c3h63n/picopsus_will_they_work/
by the looks of it, it may need some custom board to make it feasible or something.
@@gcecbg You technically don't need a custom board, but it would not look as clean as this.
That is even easier than repurposing a PC Pico PSU for Dreamcast use.
Hey dude if you dont mind me asking what soldering iron are you using here please?
Could you please do a video with the popular Dreamcast mods? I have already done the battery mod. Solder in a CR2032 battery holder and pop in a ML/RL RECHARGEABLE 2032 battery. The other mods I am not sure what to do. ALL the fuse replace videos I see neglect to mention the actual part needed so even though the mod is a piece of cake without knowing the correct part to use make things a bit trickier. As for fan mods there are a lot of different things out there and even though it is a simple mod I want to make sure I do it correctly..
RetroRGB is a great place to start when getting into modding
Amazing all the mods for Dreamcast. This is awesome. Would you still need active cooling though ? I'm not sure how much heat the system puts out from the gpu and other circuitry.
i'm not sure but it's def something i want to test!
I think that most of the heat is generated by the GPU/CPU, at least that is how it is in computers.
I always believed you should leave the plastic in so as to not change the airflow and thermals.
any benefit to this over simply using a PicoPSU?
I need to get one to compare, but this one doesn't have any electrolytic caps... could be a good or bad thing depending on how noisy the output is, another thing i want to test! And I think I can keep costs low enough to compete, but most pico's i've seen are more than i'll sell this one for as long as my numbers hold up!
Will this work with a UK 240vpsu dreamcast. I like how you work with the soldering iron and crocodile clips.
Great video
How can I get one, can't find them on you're website shop.
Yes it does. People used to repurpose and rewire a PC Pico PSU before, the board Jason has here make it alot simpler to mod.
Nice tutorial like always by the way, any plans for a Dreamcast hdmi mod video?
is this power supply good for the mode and gdemu then de-soldiering the power regulator
I didn’t think these kits were available anymore? Is there any option besides eBay hell?
They aren't. The creator was screwed over by the manufacturer. The creator has released all files online so anyone can build one.
Is there one of these for original play station .
Any update on a restock for these?
Dreampsu suport scart cable rgb?
Holy shacamoly what happen to this dreamcast? It looks like it survive the war
Does it work för Saturn?
There is one specifically for the saturn
cant wait for you start selling 56k to wifi mod kits :)
But if there isnt much wrong with the psu... why change it?
It's ideal if one has a NTSC Dreamcast in a PAL region and is looking for a replacement PSU and generates less heat when using a GDEMU. Of course one could disable the 12v rail on a stock PSU.
Also it could free up a bit of space for some other kind of mod/extra cooling fans etc of you are in to that sort of thing.
@@OfficiallySanctionedKATG That too!
Would have it been so difficult to keep the power in the same design as the original? Barrel plug looks so unprofessional and having to find some generic power cable for it is a big meh.
Its actually a god send of a mod if you ever deal with import DC consoles from other regions, Japan runs at a lower 100v while Europe runs at 240v.
With a external 12 volt adapter, you don't have to worry about weird Set up or step down AC to AC converters.
I'm still bitter that I backed the SaturnPSU from the same guy who made this DreamPSU and he completely bumbled his dealings with the Chinese manufacturers and lost all our money with nothing to show for it.
Wasn't his fault. His manufacture screwed him over. Not much you can do about these China manufacturers unless you have lots of money and lawyers.
Yeah, that guy walked with my money too.