[Build log] Dreamdeck (Dreamcast X Steam Deck console build)

[cityle]

Here’s me again with a new crazy build! lol

Here’s about a new project that I want to do, and then try to sell it like the last console build I made, Re; Gamecube. But this time I want to define it as a console build, not as a PC build.

For those who have been following my build logs for quite some time, maybe you remember a minor build I did once, うずめ, a Dreamcast PC.
This is when I wanted to build my PC in Dreamcast shell, but ended building my first and acclaimed Gamecube PC, コンパ.

However, after having finished that Gamecube build, I did also ended up building something with the Dreamcast shell and a Deskmini. However, at the end, I didn’t had any use for that PC, and I could not justify keeping it. So I just disassembled it, reassembled the Deskmini, and sold it. At the end I was left with the Dreamcast shell.

Having that Dreamcast shell in storage did made me want to do something again with it. In part to get rid of it, in part because I like those console builds. However, I cannot spent that much on a mini PC too put inside. I am building with my own money. If I go with an expensive mini PC, it might be difficult be to sell the build after. However, cheap mini PCs, in the 200-300$ range, often are not that good in performance, having 4-5 years old processors.

Enter the Steamdeck. Its gaming performance to price ratio is great. And the motherboard is small, so I can fit it easily in the Dreamcast shell (also I could almost put it inside a PS1…). But I would have felt bad to buy a brand new Steamdeck to disassemble it for the project. Well I just got a broken one, with the screen displaying nothing (but touchscreen working though weirdly). But it works beautifully when plugged to a monitor via the USB C. All that I needed to go forward with this project. So follow me as I build this “console”

One interesting aspect of the project is the paint job I want to do. I will not do white because it looks too much like it’s yellowed. Plus the unpainted pieces of the Dreamcast shell are yellowed too. So I will paint over everything.

In some LTT videos, including the cutest gaming setup, there’s that wallpaper that is visible. I really dig the colour of that wallpaper, so I’m thinking doing this colour scheme with the project. But also I might be looking to other retro looking paint job, like the PlayStation 5 – 30th Anniversary colour scheme. If you have good ones to recommend to me, let me know.

[Dratatoo]

Is there a high-res version of this wallpaper or is it a wallpaper engine thing?

Edit: Cool, looking forward for the Dreamcast mod and especially for the custom paint-job. Your Gamecube mod inspired to make my own.(although I used a 3D printed modding kit and sourced own PWM fans - the SilverStone Technology FTF 5010 work really fine for this without sounding like a jet engine)

[cityle]

I don’t know if there’s an higher version. It’s kind of hard to find any information on it. I think it’s from Tumblr, but to see the version on the original creator page you need to have an account as I think its account is flagged adult content. Without having to go there, this link was where I was able to get the highest resolution

[cityle]

So I disassembled the Steamdeck yesterday. I thought at first I could remove the midframe pretty quickly, but no you need to remove everything, including the screen, to be able to finally remove the midframe. Quite a long process with lots of screws to keep track of

Plugged it in and pressed the power button, and after a worrying long moment, the Steamdeck mobo booted as if nothing happenned.

But then I need to think about what I want to do. I initially considered of just putting the midframe as-is inside the Dreamcast shell. I would need to cut the overhanhing parts for it to sit flush, but the problem is that I discovered that midframe of the Steamdeck is made of magnesium. I’m warry to cut magnesium. Anybody has experience cutting magnesium? I just don’t want it to catch of fire lol

Also annoyingly Valve didn’t put any pull-tabs for the battery, and iFixit warn again reusing it when it has been removed. But I want to include it in the build as it would provide some portability and act as a UPS for the console. Should I just go foward, remove the battery, and reuse it anyway? (I’m even less cutting the midframe with battery still attached to it lol)

[KleerKut]

The magnesium casting likely has a marking to say which alloy it is. For instance, many cars have the bracket that attaches the steering column to the firewall/dash made with AM10 (9.5-10.5% Aluminum, small amount of impurity allowance, remainder magnesium). I couldn’t get a small chip of it to ignite with a torch while sitting on a preheated fire brick.

I would recommend just using a hacksaw since it cut’s easily enough and you wouldn’t have to worry about fire even if it were pure magnesium. For castability purposes I’d bet a penny it’s an alloy. If you don’t have a hacksaw, you can get just a blade and use a heavy glove or tape up one end for a makeshift handle. I can definitely relate to not wanting a project to get out of control with unexpected expenses. I’m personally not a fan of Dremel and similar high speed/negligible torque rotary tools, and definitely wouldn’t use those style of cutoff wheels next to a pouch cell.

I’m so confused by iFixit, they hit the cell with a heat gun from the top? I’d bet another penny it took longer to do it that way than to just take it all the way apart and heat the metal that it’s adhered to. Not to mention safer, although if the cell is drained down then the odds of serious failure is mostly mitigated. Not enough to forego safety measures like working in a noncombustible environment (I built a 52V battery pack on a charcoal grill last week), but given my past experience I would fully expect to be able to do this successfully.

If the cell was in good condition and doesn’t get massively damaged during removal then it is likely perfectly fine, but I wouldn’t tell anyone to expect that. I’d imagine most people replacing the cell are doing so because of degradation or other damage where you wouldn’t want to reuse it anyway. Most cells don’t have problems, and most of the ones that do will have it happen while charging. Again, you can make use of a noncombustible area and run it through a few charge and drain cycles, but for the majority of people I can’t recommend that because people have a habit of neglecting one or more critical safety measures with the potential for catastrophic damage.

Much of this is overblown hype and misunderstandings of the details, but I am not a trusting person so this type of stuff is very much at your own risk. In other words, I am both confident it would work fine yet would never directly instruct another person to do it. That risk assessment is up to the individual. a phrase I once heard was something to the effect of, “Don’t use your best judgement, use the judgement of someone you trust more than yourself.”

Either way, I would set it in a sunny window for a while, metal side up, in a steel pan or something fireproof away from combustibles, and maybe add a bit more heat with a hair dryer or heat gun. I’m thoroughly confident it can be removed without raising the temperature of the cell as much as iFixit did. You already have it out so it isn’t any extra effort.

Your projects are always awesome, so I wish you great luck and can’t wait to see more!

[cityle]

Thanks a lot for your valuable insight.

I did not notice the grade on magnesium would be indicated, I just saw the Mg and I was fearful. But ya it’a AZ91D so 8-9% of aluminium in the alloy, so that’s good to know. I have less apprehension now knowing it’s not pure magnesium, and that with that amount of aluminium I should bot have any problem with cutting it. But I should have guessed it would have some sort of alloy in the first place

I wil try cutting off those parts with an hacksaw then. If succesful, I don’t think I will need to remove the battery to remove the protusions near the battery. I will still make sure to not puncture it though lol. But good I will try that, thanks.

[cityle]

So I cut the magnesium with the hacksaw. It worked well, but a bit long at time because I didn’t a good grasp on the midframe (didn’t wanted to put too much pressure on the battery)

However, after that, the mideframe still didn’t fit. There was like maybe a mm or 2 too much.

So I cutted down the small protusions on the battery side at the corners. I filed at angle the bottom of the sides so it would sit better on the front slope inside the Dreamcast. And I removed more material inside the shell. After all that, the midframe fits, and is really thight lol. I would almost not need to secure it down lol.

I don’t intend to put controller ports this time around. For a console to sell, it’s strange to have Gamecube ports with a Dreamcast lol. And Dreamcast controller adapter, there’s only one that exists, and it’s a 1 port adapter. Instead I will just use those opening to include the Steamdeck’s speakers and to have an intake for air

[cityle]

So, I bought a Thermaltake low profile cooler with the expectation of using it to cool the Steam Deck, but now test fitting, no matter how I twist it, it would be hard to fit and too big. Also it doesn’t really allows flow through one side to the other as I want to ceeate a directionnal flow out of the case.

So I will return it and instead buy one of those aluminium heatsink. https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07CWLZ4MV/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A28ZWXW3ZSVNZU&psc=1
The fin density is not great, but I’m cooling only a 15W TDP cooler. So I guess with two Noctua NF-A4x20 5V and a duct, it would provide enough airflow to cool it down. I will be able to cover all the components on the board. Also, I will be able to easily drill holes to mount it.

As for the ports, the dock I got as a huge PCB. But using the aluminium heatsink make it less of an issue. The only thing is I don’t want the USB C cable to atick out from the back and to keep it inside the case. After disassembly of the MoKin dock, I’m unsure if I can bend the connection without breaking anything… I don’t want to solder those small wires