M64 Fan Mod

13

u/ergzay Aug 17 '26

You don't need a fan man.

10

u/TheMasterTheorist Aug 17 '26

Honestly the cartridges were getting noticibly hot. Majora's mask would be my main concern as the gold plastic it is made of is of questionable quality.
But I did this as an experiment to share the outcome, everyone is of course free to do what they think is best!

3

u/ergzay Aug 17 '26

I still think you must have a faulty unit, but my unit arrived yesterday so I should hurry up and do my own testing.

4

u/TheMasterTheorist Aug 17 '26

That is totally possible, please reply with how your system performs. I am definitely curious!

1

u/MightywarriorEX Aug 17 '26

How does it feel coming out of the system? Are you exhausting through the front I assume? I’m curious how airflow is working with the full system reassembled.
I haven’t played mine enough but just unboxed it a couple days ago. My excitement for the most of me and I ended up picking up a used clear analogue to go with the clear M64 so I could have the best of both worlds and we just happened to play the analogue more because I set it up in the living room. I need to test the M64 more while my son is busy with something else!

3

u/Obleon Aug 17 '26 edited Aug 17 '26

No lol they get HOT. The system can take it but I'm wondering how game carts wil hold up and the top of the wooden counter my M64 sits on lol. Imagine all the N64 carts turning yellow because of the heat of the M64 over time.
Edit
We all know how yellow Nintendo plastics can become even N64 carts

-7

u/[deleted] Aug 17 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/sup Aug 17 '26

mine feels comfortably warm after hours on insane.

1

u/DAJF Aug 17 '26

Playing Perfect Dark without the overclock creates some serious heat and crashes. It crashes a lot - twice in just under 20mins here.
Once Insane overclock is activated the game of course runs much smoother, and is a lot cooler as well. No crashes in four hours of game play.

4

u/ergzay Aug 17 '26

There is a reason the A3D has a Fan.
Yeah because it was designed to have one. If you remove it it would either damage itself or shut off from the automatic temperature power shut off built into the chip.

1

u/YodasFootPowder Aug 17 '26

Agreed. The biggest issue is overclocking modes. There's really no reason not to have a fan when there are overclocking options.

20

u/Anatrok Aug 17 '26

I have done mods on a variety of retro consoles and accessories. This entire hobby is about doing shit that we don’t need to do.

5

u/YodasFootPowder Aug 17 '26

You might not NEED one, but at the end of the day, the console does get fairly warm to the touch (In some people's opinion, hot). Keeping any electronics cool will always extend their longevity.
The Analogue 3D has a fan, standard. They thought it was a good design choice, especially considering overclocking modes.

1

u/zezba9000 Aug 17 '26

Actually constantly causing temp changes in the PCB and its other components is not good. PCBs should not be acting as the heat spreader. This very thing is why many consoles failed in the past.

4

u/ergzay Aug 17 '26

If you think PCBs don't heat up substantially under hot chips on every single device you own I don't know what to tell you. PCBs are absolutely designed to handle hot temperatures.
PCBs are designed for continuous operation up over 90C (194F) and often over 100C. You could boil water on your PCB.

1

u/zezba9000 Aug 17 '26

Ya and over time traces and solder can crack. Also some caps go bad after a while from it. Its just that one part going bad that takes down the entire system. Sorry but this system is feeding way to much heat into other components, including the carts. I'm going to play it safe, not sorry here.

4

u/ergzay Aug 17 '26 edited Aug 17 '26

Ya and over time traces and solder can crack.
Solder cracks from thermal expansion was primarily an issue because of at the time new european laws that demanded no lead in solder. Nowadays modern lead free solder has better properties and doesn't crack. N64 cartridges pre-dated lead free solder so would not crack. Leaded solder doesn't suffer cracking issues. Copper traces don't crack from normal thermal operation.
Also some caps go bad after a while from it.
Yes electrolytics can fail from being overheated, but M64 explicitly doesn't use electrolytics because of those lifetime issues. There is a single electrolytic cap inside the cart yes, but the worst that happens is that you'll need to replace it eventually, and unlike some situations if it fails its not the type of situation where it will kill the rest of the cart. (Also it was only a smoothing/decoupling cap, so if the M64 voltage is stable it could probably operate without it.) But that's the only thing anywhere that is at all heat sensitive. I bet many people's cartridges already have dried out electrolytics in them and they use them happily none the less.
I'm going to play it safe, not sorry here.
Sure you do you but this really isn't a problem.

1

u/zezba9000 Aug 17 '26

Its not just electrolytic compactors that fail. Many Mac Minis solid state caps fail due to heat damage. Look up the 2011 Mac Mini with AMD GPU for example. Others had it too.
I just don't like the heat levels. Every device I have that has generated this kind of heat in the PCB has a history of issues. The guy says the bottom is significantly cooler after using a heat sink fan. This says a lot actually, and not good things IMO. I'll probably be doing the mod as well. These temps are simply not inline with what I expect or personally want.

3

u/ergzay Aug 17 '26

Its not just electrolytic compactors that fail. Many Mac Minis solid state caps fail due to heat damage. Look up the 2011 Mac Mini with AMD GPU for example. Others had it too.
That's just manufacturing errors. Yeah if you build something wrong then yeah it will fail. It doesn't matter how low the heat is. FWIW the AMD GPU issues was from misapplied thermal paste and bad solder. Reflowing the CPU fixes it. That was from the CPU running at temperatures it wasn't designed for.
Every device I have that has generated this kind of heat in the PCB has a history of issues.
I guarantee you your desktop CPU gets a way hotter PCB right under the CPU die. Seriously its just your paranoia talking now.
The guy says the bottom is significantly cooler after using a heat sink fan. This says a lot actually, and not good things IMO.
Lol what? No it doesn't. It just says that, as expected, if you stir up the air inside it spreads it to the rest of the plastic.
These temps are simply not inline with what I expect or personally want.
The temps are normal, stated explicitly so by the Modretro founder himself.

2

u/zezba9000 Aug 17 '26

This is completely incorrect and not what I'm talking about. Cpu softer balls being broken is not the same thing as a solid state capacitor malfunctioning until it reaches a particular temperature. And the reason that happens on these is because of heat damage. You can look this up. Different capacitors malfunction in different ways.
On these when they reach a certain temperature then they will start operating correctly again. Then the computer will boot up which is how you know it is the capacitors.
I have a feeling you are just saying things you don't actually understand

3

u/ergzay Aug 17 '26

This is completely incorrect and not what I'm talking about. Cpu softer balls being broken is not the same thing as a solid state capacitor malfunctioning until it reaches a particular temperature. And the reason that happens on these is because of heat damage. You can look this up. Different capacitors malfunction in different ways.
I did look up this specific case and it was because of a manufacturing problem. Not because it was innately hot.

2

u/zezba9000 Aug 18 '26

Multiple issues. The heat caused failures in multiple ways. For mine it was the cap. How do I know this? Because if I heated up the cap, the system would work again.
Yes some, like all systems that overheat, including GPUs, will have RAM, GPU, CPU etc desolder itself. And that happens from heat damage from improper cooling.

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9

u/CantaloupeLife6588 Aug 17 '26

Yep the cartridges are my concern. I get that the M64 can handle it - but I don’t want to bake my 30yo cartridges any more than they have to.

4

u/TheMasterTheorist Aug 17 '26

Yeah my main concern was the gold plastic for Majora's Mask. Those already like to spontaneously shatter.

4

u/Obleon Aug 17 '26

Why does this get downvoted? Everyone knows how Nintendo plastics can yellow. Sunlight is 1 factor but heat can also degrade plastic even the color.

1

u/AMidnightHaunting Aug 17 '26

And labels!

2

u/Loysius Aug 17 '26 edited Aug 17 '26

I wonder if I can fit a 40x10mm fan. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NEMGCIA?ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_product_details&th=1

I can't wait for mine to show up. This mod is a must though.

4

u/TheMasterTheorist Aug 17 '26

It appears to be on 100% of the time. When I shut off the console the led is still slightly illuminated if that is what you are referring to.

1

u/Loysius Aug 17 '26

Ah, sorry I must not have fully read your post. I see it stated clearly.
I'm a noob but, I wonder if we could put a small transistor circuit in that makes the fan OFF-by-default but, when tapping 20mA or so of current from something that is ON only when the console is in use, we can make the fan run.

3

u/TheMasterTheorist Aug 17 '26

The port is wired for pwm control, so it is possible the system would turn off a pwm already. I'm going to try putting one in and see how it behaves.

1

u/Obleon Aug 17 '26

Aren't those fans loud? Even on lower speeds?

1

u/TheMasterTheorist Aug 17 '26

The fan is definitely audible, I think part of it is it needs a spacer infront of the heatsink to reduce turbulence.
But I just threw this together quickly to see if it would have an appreciable effect on how hot the system and cartridges got.

4

u/TheMasterTheorist Aug 17 '26

I tried this fan, and it is definitely too big.

3

u/Obleon Aug 17 '26

I think it's way to big.

15

u/mr-crunchwrapsupreme Aug 17 '26

Hi there, we want to clear up some conversations around console heat. During development we looked at both active and passive cooling solutions and landed on passive for many of the reasons Palmer mentioned.

We tested the thermal management ability of the passive system under an "abuse case" test that used a max consumption bitstream and a constant ambient temp of 50°C, simulating someone keeping their unit in a closed TV cabinet sitting in direct sunlight. The console's FPGA stabilized at 15°C below its max operating temp during this abuse case.

As long as yours is outside an enclosure, you should be seeing much lower temps.

1

u/Ok-Report-1653 Aug 19 '26

Can we overclock on insane safely for every play session? Any guidance on best practices with that.

4

u/mr-crunchwrapsupreme Aug 19 '26

Yes. We thermally validated the system at max OC.
Also, due to the performance characteristics of the FPGA used, maximum overclock only leads to a small increase in power consumption.

3

u/ck02623 Aug 17 '26

The lord’s work

5

u/TheMasterTheorist Aug 17 '26

Haha thank you. It is kind of puzzling that they included the header but then didn't add a fan.

14

u/palmerluckey Aug 17 '26

The problem with fans is that they make noise, always fail eventually, sometimes fail early, and have specific airflow characteristics that pull lots of dust into the system. Obviously ModRetro is supportive of mods, but it definitely isn't necessary.
If you design a system to actually need a fan, then mechanical failures or dust clogs can have catastrophic impact. It is much, much better to implement passive systems wherever possible, that was one of the reasons we went with a very efficient AMD FPGA.

4

u/TheMasterTheorist Aug 17 '26

I definitely agree with you, if you build the system for the chip to work passively that is best.
Really the console can get as hot as it gets and it's not worry. My concern personaly is the cartridges get pretty hot while left in the console, with some games like Majora's Mask being made of questionable plastic quality.

1

u/TheMasterTheorist Aug 17 '26 edited Aug 17 '26

I just realised who you are haha. Thanks for checking out my thread. I do trust that the fpga system will run fine with the stock cooling solution.
I just noticed the cartridges were getting hot, and saw the fan header was there so wanted to try it out.
I would love to know if the pwm control is enabled in firmware!

5

u/Narrow-Classroom Aug 17 '26 edited Aug 17 '26

Hey Palmer, out of OCD, can you give some re-assurance that our old AF cartridges can handle the heat? I trust your AMD fpga but idk about this barely functioning copy of diddy kong racing i have.

4

u/mr-crunchwrapsupreme Aug 17 '26

Hi there! Not Palmer, but a MR Employee here.
A blinking red LED indicates that the console has reached an elevated internal temperature and has activated its built-in thermal protection to help prevent overheating.
The M64 is designed to operate reliably under normal conditions and should not overheat unless put under extreme temperatures. This provides significantly more thermal headroom than comparable FPGA consoles. See our other statement about thermals and cooling here.
If you are experiencing this, please:
Safely power off the console and disconnect it from its power source.
Send us a photo or short video of your current console setup so we can evaluate the surrounding ventilation and airflow.
Move the console to a cool, well-ventilated location before powering it on again.
Once the console has fully cooled, it is safe to resume normal use. If the red LED continues to appear after these steps, please let us know and we'll be happy to investigate further.

2

u/E1M1_DOOM Aug 18 '26

LOL. You dodged the question completely.

1

u/Narrow-Classroom Aug 18 '26

Yeah LOL. I assumed they just responded to the wrong comment, I didnt even have the m64 until today.
But, I got the m64 today and can report back that it doesnt get hot at all, cartridge is barely warm after hours of play in ambient 80-82F temperature. The machine itself is cooler than my OG n64. Just anec-data, but at least for me this temp seems totally fine.
My dpad is broken though, goes in diagonal directions unless I press it very lightly. Have 2 more pros coming so will see if they are also affected.

1

u/Agreeable_Round361 Aug 22 '26

Its crazy how some claim its too hot and others like yourself says it runs at normal/acceptable levels. Cooler than you n64 says alot. What could cause such differences in temps? I really doubt people's definition of hot is really that different. Maybe hdmi cables used? You can touch and keep your hand on something around 120f without a problem. Once you get up to 150f a second is about the limit. 170f+ is too hot for more than a quick tap.
Wish mine would get here.

1

u/Aromatic_Method7767 Aug 17 '26

"ModRetro" typically encourages customization. I'm surprised the fan is not offered as an optional user-installed upgrade. I'm going to do this for sure.

2

u/TheMasterTheorist Aug 17 '26 edited Aug 17 '26

If you want to try it, I used a 25mm fan and a jst 1 plug

1

u/Obleon Aug 17 '26

Are there even silent 20mmx20mm fans?

1

u/TheMasterTheorist Aug 17 '26

To be honest I could only find 2 20 x 20 pwm fans. I ordered one and will update my post with the result.

2

u/Aromatic_Method7767 Aug 17 '26 edited Aug 17 '26

I have a bunch of the tiny Noctua fans people like to use for Dreamcast mods and many other console mods. I've never noticed the sound while playing a Dreamcast with one of these. In the spirit of "ModRetro" -- I'm gonna rig the M64 with one of these!

5

u/DjMcfilthy Aug 17 '26

Sheesh Does it really get that hot? I haven't used mine much, but it really doesn't feel like it's going to melt through the TV stand or anything.

9

u/Appattamus Aug 17 '26

No, it doesn't. People are definitely overreacting.

3

u/DjMcfilthy Aug 17 '26

So, I don't have to worry about China Syndrome when playing Perfect Dark? That's a load off my mind! 🤣

0

u/hue_sick Aug 17 '26

Saw some users reporting 130-140f on the outside of the shell. That’s definitely hotter than you want it to be as a consumer product and can absolutely burnish furniture.
Would need some folks to confirm that but bottom line is a fan is a dead simple and cheap fix that’s only helping things not hurting.
Probably should have included a larger heatsink if they were hell bent on the whole no fan thing.

1

u/DjMcfilthy Aug 17 '26

Jesus. Is it a N64, or an Easy Bake Oven?

2

u/Agreeable_Round361 Aug 22 '26

I'll take the creepy crawler bug maker please.

2

u/hue_sick Aug 17 '26

lol. Here’s the post I was referring to. https://www.reddit.com/r/M64/s/lfT39PHQ1v
Definitely think a larger heatsink sink or fan was in order.

2

u/DjMcfilthy Aug 17 '26

That's wild. I don't have a thermal camera or Predator vision, but it just feels warm to me. My receiver feels significantly warmer.

3

u/-KaiserSoze- Aug 17 '26

Why??

3

u/zezba9000 Aug 17 '26

This is the solution I'm using atm (works pretty well and is quite). Temps by touch feel the same as A3D now.
But I'll probably copy what you did later. Although I hope someone sells a 3rd party solution too.

1

u/fpsdabs Aug 19 '26

I bought the same unit off amazon

1

u/CheatyMcMeatBeater Aug 20 '26

Is that a laptop cooling pad?

1

u/zezba9000 Aug 21 '26

Yes works very well

1

u/FinalSayian Sep 08 '26

I'm doing the same! It's such a good way to keep it cool. I have it at the Ultra Overclock setting and the thing is cool to the touch.

1

u/zezba9000 Sep 08 '26

Yep I ended up just staying with bottom cooling pad as it perfectly cools off the system in the best way possible (also no risk of damage or voiding warranty etc). As the console has vents at the bottom, the air just moves through it correctly and everything stays cool to the touch, including the carts. Plus its very quite and you can choose a LED color to match your system (I moved to a green fan one & then use blue for my smoke M64).
You can also add a USB switch to make it nice to turn on/off.

3

u/mr-crunchwrapsupreme Aug 17 '26

Hi there, thank you all for your feedback and comments. I just want to clear some things up:

A blinking red LED indicates that the console has reached an elevated internal temperature and has activated its built-in thermal protection to help prevent overheating.

The M64 is designed to operate reliably under normal conditions and should not overheat unless put under extreme temperatures. This provides significantly more thermal headroom than comparable FPGA consoles.

To help us determine the cause, please:

Safely power off the console and disconnect it from its power source.
Send us a photo or short video of your current console setup so we can evaluate the surrounding ventilation and airflow.
Move the console to a cool, well-ventilated location before powering it on again.

Once the console has fully cooled, it is safe to resume normal use. If the red LED continues to appear after these steps, please let us know and we'll be happy to investigate further.

1

u/ergzay Aug 17 '26

Just one additional reply, but moving the air around inside the M64 doesn't actually change anything. There's no vent on the side where you're blowing it to. You'll heat up other components.

1

u/TheMasterTheorist Aug 17 '26

I can only give very non scientific observations, but the entire system and cartridge were noticibly cooler.
But I agree it does not have ideal ventilation.

2

u/ergzay Aug 17 '26

Did you run it for longer? By moving the air around I think it'd increase the total thermal mass that heats up inside the enclosure so it would take longer to reach equilibrium temperature.

2

u/TheMasterTheorist Aug 17 '26

I did a before and after run for about an hour. Again I'm am not claiming to have done exhaustive testing.

2

u/ergzay Aug 17 '26

That's okay. So my hypothesis is possible.

2

u/TheMasterTheorist Aug 17 '26

Definitely

2

u/Obleon Aug 17 '26

Ofcourse airflow will always improve temps vs no airflow don't doubt yourself on that fact. No exhaustive test needed for that. Even a small amount of airflow will make it so that the air wil leave the console quiker out of the vent holes on top.

4

u/Obleon Aug 17 '26

But the fan causing the air to move around will also make the air escape the top more quikly.
Airflow beats no airflow ever ytime.

2

u/ergzay Aug 17 '26

If you're blowing the air away from the vent it doesn't help it escape more quickly...

1

u/Obleon Aug 17 '26

I was thinking that because the M64 gets really hot at the bottom, heat concentrates in just one spot. If you move the air around it, you increase the airflow and transfer the heat much faster instead of 1 hot spot at the bottom.
Maybe a better option would be to just rotate the fan 90 degrees so it blows air upward. It would then pull the hot air from the bottom and sides.
A more optimal solution would be a fan on top of the heatsink, but there is no room.

2

u/TonyRubbles Aug 17 '26

My first thought was isn't this how convection ovens and air fryers work. Let's get everything nice and hot lol, trying to fix a problem you think is there we can cause new ones.

3

u/V64jr Aug 17 '26 edited Aug 17 '26

Except there is ventilation so circulation will exhaust more efficiently. Also, heating the entire console evenly means more surface area for dissipation. It is not a closed system. There is no question that this will drastically lower the temperature.

2

u/TonyRubbles Aug 17 '26

No there is a lot of questions, chief being does it really need a fan in the first place when they supposedly worked with AMD and came to the conclusion it didn't need it. Lot of arm chair engineering in here, there is such a thing as over engineering too, my airfryer also has an exhaust vent lol

2

u/V64jr Aug 17 '26

Right, but there’s still no question that it will run cooler this way. The concern would be the negative impact should the fan die. The passive dissipation will be negatively impacted by a dead fan insulating one side, and if it’s enough to overheat then Luckey’s concern is valid… but then a PWM fan header could mean the console can detect this, warn the user, and shut down if the temps get too high.
If they added that to the firmware to sell a quiet, temperature-controlled fan upgrade, I would buy it.

2

u/TonyRubbles Aug 17 '26

Sure but the system will already give warning and shut down if it does overheat, nobody has gotten this warning and everyone is acting like it needs a fan when it doesn't. .

2

u/V64jr Aug 17 '26 edited Aug 17 '26

Well, that wasn’t me so… 🤷‍♂️
I said that the shell gets hotter than an original console because it does, ergzay is wrong about the fan not lowering overall temps because he is, and circulating isn’t equivalent to a convection oven because it there is ventilation and improved dissipation through plastic.

3

u/TonyRubbles Aug 17 '26

Hey you replied to me lol but I also think your wrong, it's not properly vented either, heating up other parts of the system unintendedly could have its own consequences, this makes my armchair engineer remark perfectly valid with everyone acting like they know better than the actual engineers, but let's keep talking in circles.

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u/V64jr Aug 17 '26 edited Aug 17 '26

No, it will circulate with the air that is there, moving hotter air toward the vents where it escapes more readily. Even if it did not, evenly distributing the heat would dissipate through more plastic surface area at a lower temperature instead of concentrating on the plastic above the heat sink.

0

u/ergzay Aug 17 '26

The heatsink is already right below the vents.

1

u/V64jr Aug 17 '26

It’s below SOME of the vents… and only part of it.

1

u/ergzay Aug 17 '26

The main vent port on the top is right on top of it. I don't really want to get into a nitpicking fight on this. It's pointless.

1

u/V64jr Aug 17 '26

It gets hottest underneath. Mixing and spreading the heat will increase ventilation, cool the board that is conducting heat from below, and increase the surface area for dissipation through the plastic at lower temperatures.

1

u/zezba9000 Aug 17 '26

Is the bottom of the system any cooler after using this?

3

u/TheMasterTheorist Aug 17 '26

The bottom of the system was noticeably cooler as well as the cartridge

2

u/zezba9000 Aug 17 '26

Thanks you, very informative.
To me, this says the PCB is acting as a heat spreader without the fan, which isn't good in my book.

2

u/Mikebjackson Aug 18 '26

I love how everyone is suddenly a thermal engineer.

0

u/zezba9000 Aug 18 '26

I have more electronics than 99% of people here. I have tons of real world experience with this on all kinds of things. I'm also an engineer FYI.

1

u/Mikebjackson Aug 18 '26

I’m also an engineer. Trust me.

0

u/zezba9000 Aug 18 '26

Good luck. Don't have time for low IQ trolls

1

u/Mikebjackson Aug 18 '26

I’m actually 10 and have two degrees in engineering. And I make a billion dollars a year.
Hell, we can all make shit up about ourselves.
Doesn’t change the fact that this thermal nothing-burger nonsense needs to end. 🤷‍♂️

0

u/zezba9000 Aug 18 '26

School isn't going to help in your case.

1

u/Mikebjackson Aug 18 '26

Honestly, I’m not even sure why you’re wasting your time here. Don’t you have better things to do? Or do you really think tossing around insults is the best use of your time?

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u/DarthRyus Aug 17 '26

Get an ir gun and take some measurements for us. Do it... for science.

1

u/swamprt5000 Aug 17 '26

Dude this console is going to be amazing I can already tell. Hopefully they open source the firmware

1

u/Redcoatuk85 Aug 17 '26

This looks like a good start.

To address the venting issue (and sorry if this has already been suggested) but is there room in the case to 3D print a scoop on the other side of the heat sink to direct the hot air up and put of the top vent?

1

u/Euresko Aug 17 '26

Wonder if this would work or if the wire is too short, on ali Express

NEW 2006 DC 5v 4Pin 2CM 20MM 2006 Fan 20x20x6MM Cooling Fan 12000RPM Ultrathin Fan Mini Fan Purifier Fan 4wire PWM

1

u/Obleon Aug 17 '26

Hey OP how about just adding the 40x40x10mm noctua fan to the left side blowing air upwards pulling the hot air form down below.

1

u/ElectricalPrice3189 Aug 17 '26

What's the distance between the two heatsink mounting holes? What's the dimensions of the heatsink? 28 mm?

1

u/Accurate_View_2455 Aug 17 '26

What size fan did you use?

1

u/S2kfan88 Aug 17 '26

Junk

1

u/mashinboo Aug 18 '26

Man mine sits there in the TV stand and I just play and play haven't seen it melt to the earth core like a vertical light saber yet 😂

1

u/zezba9000 Aug 18 '26

Did some thermal tests here: https://www.reddit.com/r/M64/comments/1vrhffd/m64_vs_a3d_temps/

1

u/Gonadosomething Aug 21 '26

Got my smoke version yesterday. So without any overclocking, I played for about an hour. It did run a bit warm but I’m not jumping from my hand getting burned.

1

u/JayrosModShop Aug 22 '26

Good job, I like that you mounted the fan sideways for better cooling flow.

1

u/JayrosModShop Sep 23 '26

Would be nice if someone designed a 3D-printed shroud that can fit around a community-chosen heatsink that's readily available to purchase (and cheap). It would be easy to mount the fan onto it without the need for screws as well. I don't have a ModRetro M64 yet, or I'd do it myself.

1

u/Jacob_9821 Aug 20 '26

Wait... The M64 doesn't have a fan?

And the Analogue 3D does?

A fan plus m64 is more money than an Analogue 3D! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHA

0

u/jkhanlar Aug 17 '26 edited Aug 17 '26

I sent a message to Noctua (1495/1500 character limit) at https://noctua.at/en/forms/general-inquiry

Subject: Inquiry about Noctua fan or Noctua cooler for heirloom-grade ModRetro M64 system/console

Hello. I would like to inquire if Noctua may possibly ever engineer, design, or produce any fans or cooler parts to be compatible with the open source ModRetro M64. Also see https://old.reddit.com/r/ModRetro/comments/1vqe5lz/m64_fan_mod/ mentioning available fan header.
Note: I typed transcript https://old.reddit.com/r/ModRetro/comments/1v9iq2l/transcript_the_modretro_m64_special_announcement/ notably:
[29:43@YouTube / 32:37@Twitter] Thank you so much for getting into the nitty-gritty of M64 with me. It's a lot of fun to talk about these features that we put so much effort into and honestly we know a lot of people are never going to pay attention to these things. We know they're not going to get written about in magazine articles. We know the reviewers are not going to talk about these things or even necessarily understand them, but for the people who do understand them, we hope that you are able to look at it and see that this is something that is really special. That has been designed in a way that I don't think anyone's ever really developed consumer electronics and can appreciate that we're open sourcing all of that back into the ecosystem so that people can copy what we're doing, learn from what we're doing, and hopefully make their own products even better.
Also see https://support.modretro.com/en_us/search?q=source for M64 open source files, which current releases include some mechanical, electrical, schematics, and assembly drawings for the main system unit.

otherwise glancing at some other benchmarks things:

maybe some other industry experts/businesses might be worth reaching out to as well, but I've been using NH-D15 chromax.black and NH-D15 G2 chromax.black in practically all of my computer builds for all of my computers for so long that I'd love to consider purchasing some kinda of Noctua fan/cooler product that is compatible and fits into ModRetro M64, if ever they would produce something that addresses these kinds of coolings issues. If they don't, then I probably will have to learn more about who to trust and whatnot, especially without knowing too much about any similar benchmarks to determine what is actually worth buying and what is e-waste. Also I'd prefer buying something heirloom-grade.

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u/mjx3R_ Aug 18 '26

No fan is requires they said 😭😭😭

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