$350 Gamble on "Untested" TurboGrafx-16s. Would you do it?
41,169
Published 2022-03-19
www.BorderlineOCD.com/
There are a handful of systems I would often think about with curiosity and wonder. Surely I would never own these "rare" or exotic systems. Well, fixing video game consoles as a hobby changed all that and all of a sudden they were in reach. I love my Neo Geo and game on it often. I'm glad to own an Atari Jaguar despite the system's shortcomings, and today I've made another dream come true with my first pair of TurboGrafx-16s.
I purchased two of these consoles "for parts or not working" from eBay. Both listings said the consoles were "untested". I spent about $350 on this bundle ($210 + $120 for the systems from eBay and $20 for the AV adapter from Amazon). In this episode I handle these beauties for the first time and get a peek inside.
As an adult with a disposable income, fixing broken retro tech has become quite the passion of mine. I don't know if I would have appreciated these systems as a young kid, but it's even more special to own them as an adult. Hope you enjoy this journey of discovery and (for some of you) a trip down memory lane.
🛒 Specialty products specific to this project
Hyperkin AV Adapter for Turbografx-16: amzn.to/3L2fMFH
My philosophy on buying tools is to start small and to "outgrow" your gear over time. Expensive gear won't improve your repair and fault finding skills, only practice will do that. For instance, I'm proud to have repaired dozens and dozens of consoles with a $15 multimeter (and I'm still using it). With that in mind below is what's in my current toolkit.
🔧 Toolkit
Screwdriver Set: amzn.to/2X7s0Gj
Automatic Wire Stripper: amzn.to/30F5TJm
Pocket Multimeter: amzn.to/3IdvzQz
Component Tester: amzn.to/3l5rHG8
🖌 Soldering Essentials
TS100 Soldering Iron: amzn.to/2YIJZUR
No Clean Flux Syringe: amzn.to/2NFUZvQ
No Clean Solder: amzn.to/2NHEAqQ
Desoldering Braid: amzn.to/312Grws
Tip Tinner: amzn.to/31w2EF4
Contact Cleaner: amzn.to/3dI93ly
🔍 Soldering Add-ons
Fume Extractor with Hose: amzn.to/3hspLZi
Desoldering Vacuum Pump: amzn.to/3JdWex9
Circuit Board Holder: amzn.to/3k35Pzm
Helping Hands Soldering Aid: amzn.to/3ihgksP
🔥 Thermal Compounds
Arctic MX-4 Thermal Paste: amzn.to/2Ak2y8w
1.5MM Arctic Thermal Pads: amzn.to/2Vv1RQU
🧴 Lubes and Epoxies
White Lithium Grease: amzn.to/2UApx5M
Plastic Epoxy: amzn.to/3up0LIm
All Comments (21)
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Got really good luck on that buy, was looking forward for a repair but in all honesty it's still a good video. I love seeing consoles I never seen or heard about. Keep it up.
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My aunt worked for NEC of America back in the early 90’s. I remember one summer when she brought over 3 TG16’s new in boxes and a bagful of games for me and my cousins. We played the CRAP out of these. Splatterhouse blew my mind. Neutopia was also a hit. I still remember the soundtrack. We had the TurboTap and had an AWESOME time playing MotoRoader with my cousins. Still one of my all time favorite games. Great job on the video. Brings back great memories.
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Holy shit, when did they become so expensive? I bought a mint condition boxed turbo grafx 16 three years ago, for £115.
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Perhaps I'm just particularly unlucky, but for me, "untested" on Ebay usually means... "It's f***ed. I spilled coffee on it, it stopped working, so I opened it up, stripped a bunch of screws because I didn't have the right screwdriver, and snapped some of the plastic standoffs. Then I proceeded to poke around the motherboard with a $15 soldering iron from Target, melting components, lifting traces, and leaving big globs of solder in random spots. To my surprise, this failed to coax the console back into life, so now I present it here for you to buy."
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That sticky circle you peeled off the inner tray is supposed to be there, it helps hold the game card in place
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I personally have found that the majority of the “Broken” items I buy on eBay are actually functional and if not it’s generally something really simple. I bought a bunch of Sega genesis consoles that the seller said didn’t power on. A few minutes into testing I realized that all of them simply had damaged LEDs and everything else worked fine. You just never know though. I have had working SegaCDs that became major projects. Was hoping to see you do some repairs on this one as it’s one of the few consoles I don’t have. Great video as always! #gamegear
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Wow...does this ever take me back. I used to work at toys r us way back when these first came out. I worked in the "security booth" where you'd go to pick up game cartridges and consoles and stuff like that. I also had the "job" of demonstrating the systems to customers. This meant I had the key to the case and I would open it up, pop in whatever game they wanted to try out and then we'd play a little 2 on 2. Suffice it to say this was part of my job I REALLY liked. I vividly recall "Keith Courage" and how everyone was just blown away with it.
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I love your organization skills and your shelves. What a comfortable space!!!!
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This is a pretty nice score! I've been holding back on getting a TG16, but videos like this always bring out the itch again.
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This guy is my brother from another timeline. His cleanliness and desire to refurbish everything is after my own heart. So satisfying.
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would I pay 350$ for all of that.. HELL YEAH I WOULD. The controllers, adapters etc alone go for small fortune. Also I've always wanted a turbo16 in my collection but given how poorly they sold in the west, ever increasing prices for games and most "if not all" needing repairs.. well let's just say it's never going to happen now lmao. That aside I'm looking forward to seeing you tear one down & fix one.
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As someone who collects video games, It's satisfying seeing the meticulous detail that you put into refurbishing whether it's something like capacitor replacement or even case replacement. Keep up the good work making quality content #gamegear
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Oh man I forgot how much I loved this gaming console as a child. Wish I would have caught this video 10 months ago. Instant sub from me!
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Glad to see this was an easier workload than the Game Gear marathon! It was still cool to watch and learn.
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Thanks for showing how you clean the stuff. Feels good...
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6:39 Lol, the Post Office will get their money on the back end for that package. They’ll charge eBay who will charge that dudes account in a few months. 😂
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Im so happy for you bro. I was the 1 kid that had TG16. I was 12 and I left it at a friends house over night and he moved to another state the next day , without telling me .....
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It took me forever to find a TG16 without those weird gashes in them ..I finally found a mint one 2 years ago after about 10 years of looking
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Never heard of this system before, but always nice to see old systems restored and rescued from the trash. #gamegear
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I'm still happy for you that those consoles were ok even though there was no repair done. Keep up the nice work on your videos. A++ #gamegear
