OverClock your N64?
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So they say you can overclock your Nintendo 64... The process involves
lifting two pins on the CPU and attaching them to different points on
the board. If you've ever overclocked a PC, this is has the same
result as changing the clock multiplier. Where the N64 clock runs
at a clock frequency of 62.5MHz, and the multiplier is normally 1.5
you get 93.75MHz - the operating speed of an N64. In theory, you should
be able to use the info presented here to adjust the multiplier to
either 2.0 or 3.0 - speeding up your system from 30 to 100 percent.
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In practice however, nothing happens at 2.0 - at least, nothing that
we could see. And at 3.0x the machine refused to boot - every game
just locked at a brown screen soon after powerup. You may get better
results - it's possible the systems vary a little, with some allowing
the higher clock speed. It's also possible this entire operation is
a silly prank - but no matter, we can safely say that it doesn't fry
your N64 - nor does it cause any unusual operation. Doesn't get hot,
doesn't cause bugs. Give it a shot, if you're bored. Chances are
you're not using your N64 much anyway. =)
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The file was sent to me by
JaYsOn but I'm not sure the original author. I've rewritten it to
correct some errors in the original document.
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This is an overview of the N64 board. The highlighted chip is the
main CPU - the one we're dealing with here. The bottom edge is
labelled, from 91 to 120. Every fifth pin is labelled with a white dot.
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This pic shows a capacitor which is +3.3 volts on one side, and Ground on
the other. I found these to be the most convenient points to attach the
wires to, but your mileage may vary. You can use a voltmeter to find your
own happy place to attach wires if you like - just be sure to keep to 3.3v!
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This is the chip with the wires attached. The legs are a bit tricky to
lift off the board. The real trick is to be gentle with them. They
can break if you bend or stress them too much. Simply heat the
base of the leg with a soldering iron, and gently lift it up by wedging
an exacto knife or a very small jewellers screwdriver under it. Leave
the legs in a horizontal position. Heat the legs and dab a bit of solder
on them. Now attach the wires.
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This table shows where each leg should be attached for each multiplier you wish
to use.
The original document was flawed, and listed the standard multiplier (1.5x)
backwards. I have assumed that the 1.5 and 2.0 multipliers were simply reversed.
Having the machine lock when trying 3.0x seems to confirm this.
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CPU Pin # |
1.0x |
1.5x |
2.0x |
3.0x |
Pin 112 | GND | +3.3v | GND | +3.3v |
Pin 116 | GND | GND | +3.3v | +3.3v |
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