Anyone here knowledgable about Nintendo 64 repair?

[SkittlesTheLucario]

Hey, everyone, I've been a member here for a month or two despite not posting that much, but recently I came in to possession of a clear green Nintendo 64 for about $10 since the previous owner knew that it wasn't working. After purchasing it and taking it home with the intention of repairing it, I found a most unsettling problem with the motherboard. On one of the main chips, there appears to be corrosion from what looks like battery acid (I'll include pictures). Not only that, but these silver squares that I had never seen upon any Nintendo 64 I had previously worked on that lied upon the three main black chips fell off. I was just wondering if any of you have any ideas what said silver chips are and/or any advice about the odd corrosion.

[lobdale]

Squares look like heatsinks.

[b1aCkDeA7h]

N64's are cheap and hard to break.  How the one you got broke in the first place astonishes me given how armor lined those things are.  My suggestion is to just get a working normal one and swap all the parts.  Around where I live, you can pick up an N64 for about ten bucks.

[SkittlesTheLucario]

So do either of you happen to know anything about re-applying the heat sync chips? All that connects the chip to the motherboard appears to be a little strip of rubber.

[2A03]

So do either of you happen to know anything about re-applying the heat sync chips? All that connects the chip to the motherboard appears to be a little strip of rubber.

I would ditch the heat sinks and heat spreader and instead replace them with appropriately-sized finned heat sinks.

[SkittlesTheLucario]

Uh...thanks, but first thing's first. The console itself powers on, but there is no display whatsoever going to the television. Any thoughts on possibilities other than the odd corrosion on the motherboard?

[Pikkon]

Just try and clean off the corrosion,hopefully it didn't eat through any traces,also about the heat sinks,this pic should help.

http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/889/img0275jd.jpg

[SkittlesTheLucario]

Okay, well, after soaking a cotton ball and using fine ateel wool, the corrosion has been removed, but sadly, the Nintendo still does not operate. I can't find any obvious problem with thee motherboard that would interfere with the display.

[80sFREAK]

Might be damaged trace or vias under the chip.

[SkittlesTheLucario]

What exactly are these "trace" or "vias?" I'm rather unfamiliar with the actual names for chips and such.

[80sFREAK]

N64's are cheap and hard to break.  How the one you got broke in the first place astonishes me given how armor lined those things are.  My suggestion is to just get a working normal one and swap all the parts.  Around where I live, you can pick up an N64 for about ten bucks.

SkittlesTheLucario, choose this way.

[SkittlesTheLucario]

Sorry, but I don't want to abandon it. I enjoy refurbishing Nintendo systems, and I have a good track record so far. I would very much like to repair the motherboard if possible.

[P]

What exactly are these "trace" or "vias?" I'm rather unfamiliar with the actual names for chips and such.

They are the "roads" that carry the connections. These are very common terms that you can google. I guess you have to desolder the chip to check ugh.

[SkittlesTheLucario]

Okay, well, this has become far too complicated, and thus, I shall be simply purchasing a shitty console with a working motherboard and swapping the insides after all.