Tindie

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Low Budget

1,267 orders since Jun 15, 2013

Saint Charles, MO, United States of America

Ships from United States of America.

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Overall Rating:

Review Breakdown

5
16 4
10 3
0 2
1 1
0

Average Ratings

Product: (4.93)

Documentation: (4.52)

Shipping: (4.48)

Communication: (4.93)

All Reviews

Benjamin | Aug. 24, 2024

Fabulous!!!

For NESessity v1.6 Replacement PCB for NES Console

I have everything and am so excited. I know this will be awesome. Parts list was easy to review. The instructions have clear steps and items that will need to be transferred.

Update: everything is swapped over and it works like a dream. This is going to be a perfect Labor Day weekend spent playing some Mario. Love it! Definitely will build another one.

Joel | Aug. 26, 2023

Great Kit!

For NESessity v1.6 Replacement PCB for NES Console

Just finished putting the V1.6 together. Kits weren't available yet, so I ordered the parts from Digikey, the exception being the 4mm 1µF cap, which I ordered from Mouser due to the reported delayed shipping time from Digikey (mouser# 232-50MH71MEFC4X7). Digikey is also out of the 2" molex cables that are used to connect the A/V the the power board, so i just ordered the 4" ones instead. also, there was a picking error on Digikey's side, and instead of a vertical molex connector (used to connect power from the power board to the motherboard) they sent some 12v coax amplifier device. the bag was labeled as a connector, but they must have just put the wrong thing in the bag, lol. it wasnt a big deal, and i just hardwired that side into the power board. obviously none of that is related to the Nesessity project or the seller, and buying the kit would avoid all of it.
Also, here is a link to a Digikey list if you want to automatically add everything to your cart: https://www.digikey.com/en/mylists/list/BTOEYPSVIL

The whole assembly, including desoldering the cpu and ppu from a dead NES took about 6-6.5 hours.

I've never put together a kit like this before (i do have years of soldering experience though), and i found it very relaxing and fun, like a Lego kit. there are no real instructions or build guides, other than obscure steps that you wouldn't know to do otherwise (like an smd cap on the bottom of the board), but the silkscreen is so well labeled that you just really don't need anything more than that. there are 4 surface mount components, including 2 ICs, a ceramic cap, and an LED. other than that, everything is simple through-hole joints. if boards are still available, you should definitely get one, its a blast to work on.

Hoang | July 22, 2023

Product arrives, Small issues, Worked Amazing

For CoolDeck v3 Heatsink Mount for Valve Steam Deck

This thing arrived within like 2 days of order, and I opened it quite excitedly, I bought a clear deck case to mod the cut, and it was suprisingly painless and easy to install, I got the countersunk screw version, and my only issue was the holes that were drilled out for the screws looks HELLA janky, it works doe, just strangely mangled looking, other than that, critical dimensions are good, and it is flat enough, although I'd prefer if it could be slightly flatter, (1500 grit with some polish would make this a 10 start product).

Ken | May 13, 2023

Fun project for making a famicom and nes system

For Super 8 bit v3.5 NES Compatible Game Console PCB

I wanted to build a famicom or nes with a upright cartridge. The old nes had many issues with carts not reading. The famicom was great but lacked composite, (I have a famicom a/v). Having a a 2in1 sounds like a great idea. I bought a couple of famicoms to use for the project. They are cheap to get compared to nes. The skill level for this project is intermediate level. I suggest using a desoldering station to remove chips from famicom. They are soldered though the board and difficult to remove if you are using just the old wick technique. I will eventually will build some sort of plexiglass case and use the add on board for the controller ports. I am using composite and no rgb though. It is good enough for me and if I wanted hdmi then i would just use an emulator.
The board is nicely labeled making installing the components with the correct polarity easy.
I am using 12v. I tried 9v and I could not get it to work. Original nes or famicom have different polarity and nes might be AC power FYI.
Couple of mistakes I made. I tried using the old ram but was not able to get it work. Never spent much time to investigate it though. The ram listed on the bom is cheap and easily found.
I did have a couple of questions and the designer responded to my questions.
Definitely recommended
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4SaLpzcGFo
A quick review of my board.

Andrew | April 7, 2023

I love it

For CoolDeck v3 Heatsink Mount for Valve Steam Deck

For everything given here, I wonder how this only cost me 70 including shipping. the pictures made it so easy to follow and easy to install. To add to this it made my steam deak so much quieter. IT when from a battle of the speakers and fans to enjoy the steam deak without it shooting steam everywhere. This is a must-have upgrade, especially with how fast it got delivered. If I had to say anything I would recommend upgrading the m.2 SSD before installing it so you don't have to deal with the thermal paste reapplication as it does use a good amount.

Kelly | April 1, 2023

Amazing for DIY enthusiasts!

For CoolDeck v3 Heatsink Mount for Valve Steam Deck

What a difference this thing has made on my steam deck! I can safely max it out without fear of long/short term heat damage and it's the best feeling ever.
Installing was a little intimidating but do-able. When lining up the hole to cut out of the back, I came about 2mm off because of the dowel play in the holes (could've used another reference point with the original). There are also more heat pads that come with the kit than the amount intitialy installed, and without a diagram to show were the extra goes (I used my imagination haha). I also used a 24mm wide cooler because the one listed in their video is even though they say 22mm. So needed to file the copper back a little to fit it.
At the end of the day it is the best thing I could have ever done to upgrade my steam deck! Thank you for providing such a great product!

Eric | Feb. 8, 2023

Great Project, Awesome Product

For NESessity v1.6 Replacement PCB for NES Console

I recently ordered the Nesessity 1.5 board and parts kit (I got lucky and they were in stock). Shipping was fast and everything was well packaged. I had done some research before buying on how to assemble, Long Island Retro Gaming has a great video that is linked in the listing here with some great build tips. I found very little about the 1.5 variant out there though. No written instructions were included in the box, everything is linked to in the listing. But I soon found as I started building that everything is so well labeled on the board, step by step instructions were not needed. Read through, and perhaps keep handy, the info sheet from here and you’ll be just fine.

Some tips:

Watch some YT videos from Long Island Retro Gaming and Voultar to get tips on soldering techniques and products to use if you are new or relatively inexperienced (as I am). If you’re like me and can’t see the colored bands on the resistors well enough, have a multimeter (set it to ohms) and check and sort through and label what you have before you start. It definitely helps ensure you won’t have any issues while assembling. The little blue ceramic capacitors in my parts kit were all labeled by the seller (thank goodness as I also could not make out the writing on them). I’d recommend getting the parts kit, if available, from the seller. It’s a bit of a premium on the prices of the parts separately, but everything was there and I didn’t have to wait for various parts to become available now or later from other retailers. And, spoiler alert, everything works great.

My setup:

This is now the new heart of an NESRGB machine. I got the Tim Worthington 4.0 board and a SNES/N64 style NESRGB QSB FFC Kit by Voultar. Yes, I did have to cut a hole in the lower case for this, but I’m telling myself that this is a Nintendo connection port and it’s there on my SNES and N64 as well. It looks fantastic, inside and out. What a nice board! You can tell that the Nesessity 1.5 was refined and setup to work seamlessly with the NESRGB board.

There are easy to solder to points to connect IGR and controller selected palette changes. It makes for a very tidy installation. I even found a spot on the board just to the right of the microphone with 2 small through holes (found by following the traces) to solder a wire to for left and right audio to connect to the QSB feeding the Nintendo multiout connector. I bridged those 2 points to supply the Nesessity’s amplified/mixed audio as a mono feed to that output port, completely bypassing the NESRGB’s audio section. I’m kind of a purist about the original mono audio setup, but I appreciate having the option to use “stereo” if desired (and I love being able to fine tune the audio channel levels).

If you don’t care about having the Nintendo multiout mod (or can’t bring yourself to cut the case), get the parts kit for the Genesis 2 style RGB output on the power-A/V board this comes with. Connections from the NESRGB to that would be very simple as well.

Conclusion:

To my surprise (only because this is my first time assembling/populating a complete circuit board), it worked on the first attempt! The only thing I needed to do was adjust the sound levels a bit higher than my initial setting. Take your time and make sure you are installing the right components in the right places in the right orientation and I’d say anyone so inclined can probably do this successfully as well. Credit to the designer of this board for making it so easy. This was such a fun project to do!

Tracy | Dec. 27, 2022

Great ;)

For NESessity v1.6 Replacement PCB for NES Console

Had a little hiccup with the USPS 99% sure it was them but everything thing else was excellent and the seller work with me on getting the pcb to me

Edward | Nov. 2, 2022

Super 8 bit......

For Super 8 bit v3.5 NES Compatible Game Console PCB

Well what can I say, this thing is fricking awesome. Ordered last week, shipped to the UK, arrived today. Spend a few hours piecing it all together, and the result is absolutely stunning (I have used a NESRGB v4 from eTim too). Huge congrats on the work and anyone thinking about this, dont wait, order it, you wont be disappoint.

Keep up the good work and I cant wait until your next project release....

Daniel | July 31, 2022

Great replacement for the original

For NESessity v1.6 Replacement PCB for NES Console

This product is a great help for troubleshooting games and for other fun projects.
Would recommend to any gamers with the ability to do this product.

Jason | June 9, 2022

Awesome!

For NESessity v1.6 Replacement PCB for NES Console

I came across this, and decided to try it. Custom painted a case for my new board. Initially, I couldn’t get any video or sound.. I reached out to the seller, and he took the time to offer some suggestions. I discovered I had a few cold solder joints. Very impressed that the seller took the time to help.

Chris | April 18, 2022

A great project that works great!

For NESessity v1.6 Replacement PCB for NES Console

I previously bought the V1.3 of the NESessity, and more recently the 1.4. Both are great, tons of fun to put together, and work reliably. It's nice to know I'll have two NES's with modern parts that will last me for years to come. (assuming the CPU and PPU hold out). I have put the NESRGB mod in both versions, and they both look great. I'm looking forward to getting some more so I can put them together for friends.

Miguel | Dec. 8, 2021

Great product, worked first try

For NESessity v1.6 Replacement PCB for NES Console

I bought this a while ago (v1.3) but I've just put it together last week.
It was pretty easy to build and the instructions were clear.
I had to look for some alternatives in components since some where out of stock but nothing major.
v1.4 shows some nice improvements, like the optional AV board for the NESRGB without cutting the case, but v1.3 included a nice board with a drilling template to properly align the holes for installing the 2 din connectors included in Tim Worthington's NESRGB kit.
I put together the NES with the stock composite video and it looked really good (for composite at least). Later I added the NESRGB. In order for the composite video generated from the NESRGB to work properly, you need to remove the 220uf cap and connect a wire to a specific and well marked point. I was experiencing an issue where I was getting some speckles in the picture, something unexpected since my PPU revision is G, one of the latest revisions and I only noticed with the NESRGB installed (for composite and RGB video). What I did to solve that was to remove the transistor located in the composite video circuit where I removed the cap. After that it works just fine. I got this idea because the Hi Def Nes solution had a similar issue when that transistor were left in circuit.
The only complain I have is the shipping packaging, a plain letter envelop that won't protect the PCB well. I was lucky to get it in one piece.
Overall, I'm very satisfied and I'm planning getting other later just because is so cool.

Lars | Oct. 29, 2021

Incredibly happy with NESessity

For NESessity v1.6 Replacement PCB for NES Console

Just finished this project and I have to say that NESessity is something I definitely do not regret that I bought. I have built NES motherboards more than once and NESessity was amazing to work with.

NESessity has a couple of extra features I really appreciate, such as when it comes to simple connections, brand new power AV board with "stereo sound" and Famicom friendly things like microphone. Yes, it actually splits audio channels to the left and right speakers, which I think was a fun feature.

Do I recommend this to other enthusiasts out there? Definitely!

If there is one thing I want to point out is that the shipment was not good. I was surprised that it was not broken when I opened the box. The PCB boards were in a box without any protection and they were completely loose. No bags, no nothing, just the cardboard box.

Steven | Sept. 30, 2021

Very pleased with this product

For NESessity v1.6 Replacement PCB for NES Console

I had seen the video from Long Island Retro on You Tube and immediately I had to do this. Understand I am pretty much a beginner with projects like this. I have modded a few Gameboys but nothing this big.
I went to order and it was out of stock so I joined the waiting list. I was then notified as soon as it was available and I immediately ordered it. Good thing too as I checked an hour later and it was sold out again.

I then took the BOM and ordered everything I could from DigiKey. Unfortunately in this time of a pandemic parts can be hard to come by. I ended up getting everything I needed but 5 parts. 4 of them I was able to find on Ali Express but the last one (Which was a 50k potentiometer) alluded me until DigiKey listed a part I could use instead of the original.

Having eventually received all the parts (The stuff from China took almost a month to get) I spent a week of evenings in my workshop soldering everything together.

Overall it was pretty easy and I am loving the results. This is probably the 1st project I have done that I didn't have a broken solder joint or reversed a capacitor. Everything went in perfect and it worked the 1st time. The display resolution is amazing (I'm using composite although I may mod it for HDMI at some point) and the sound is perfect.

This is a great product and I appreciate you all for coming up with it and selling it at an affordable price.

Laurence | Jan. 8, 2021

Parsec bare biard supergun for JAMMA compatinle game boards

For PARSEC Supergun v2.2 Bare PCB Play JAMMA Arcade

This isn't a cheap project, at least here in Canada. Between the board, Digikey, and eBay, I'm into it for close to $200, now. Although i might have enough extra components for another board.
I ordered the board December 14, 2020. I got it today, January 8, 2021. Kinda slow, I think, but maybe thats USPS. Also, the packaging is a bit weak, just a light padded envelope.
The board looks great, very nicely done. I kinda hoped there would be a bit of documentation included. I'm not looking forward to having to consult the BOM everytime i need to place a component. Some kind of component placement diagram??
On the other hand, when i reached out to LowBudget, he responded politely, and in timely fashion.

Robert | Dec. 2, 2020

Amazing design, Great help

For NESessity v1.6 Replacement PCB for NES Console

Quick to respond, Everything is listed and mentioned. Don't be like me, pay more attention its all there haha. This board is great, I have 2 going, one with an Hi-Def nes kit, and built the other for the RGB kit I got laying around. Might order a couple more just for fun.

Matthew | Nov. 9, 2020

Great device, amazing service

For PARSEC Supergun v2.2 Bare PCB Play JAMMA Arcade

Build the device from the BOM and board. The Supergun works as advertised, very happy with the results.

Mark | Oct. 22, 2020

High quality Supergun!

For PARSEC Supergun v2.2 - Play JAMMA Arcade Games

I purchased the PARSEC Supergun v2.2 - Play JAMMA Arcade Games with the optional Deluxe HAT with YPbPr component video and AUX audio. Everything works perfectly! The component out makes it easy to hook up to a modern display via HDMI using the RetroTink-2X. I have used this with a CPS2 and CPS3 arcade board, and the PARSEC Supergun works without issue! Excellent value and quality!

Jonny | Oct. 13, 2020

A great, fun, well designed project.

For NESessity v1.6 Replacement PCB for NES Console

This was a great project that took about 3-4 hours all in, and the cost of the components (apart from the case, CPU and PPU) is only about $40. Works great with the NESRGB and had enough clearance with that mod even if the CPU is socketed.

I found some components difficult to source, in particular the trimming pots and the switching regulator had a long lead time at Digikey. Also, the BOM includes pre-crimped cables which are very expensive for what they are. Instead I bought a premade JST cable for much less on eBay. I also sourced an new crystal at NTSC clock speed from eBay.

Needing to use the power connector from an original motherboard is the weakest point, I'd say. These can be a bit of a pain to desolder, plus I'd rather minimise the requirement to use original components. For an updated board I'd like to see the option of using another connector. Perhaps one row of holes for the original and another for a modern one.

If you fit a NESRGB, that board (by design) disables the original video out from the PPU. I'd like to see an easy way to route the composite video out from the NESRGB to the yellow RCA jack, perhaps by way of a jumper. Similarly the NESRGB has a three position switch - it would be nice if the NESessity also had a three position switch rather than two position so it could be used in its place.

Finally, the board doesn't have notches for the RCA jacks, so you need to file those down or remove with flush cutters to mount.

However, all these points are really minor. This is a great well designed board and a fantastic fun project.

Shipping to the UK via USPS was reasonable and took about 2 weeks, with detailed tracking information.

Ford | Aug. 27, 2020

Awesome product at great price!

For PARSEC Supergun v2.2 - Play JAMMA Arcade Games

This is an awesome supergun for the price! The ATX PSU support and built in -5V generation are super convenient, and the buffered RGB output puts this miles ahead of cheaper superguns. Highly recommended!

Forrest | April 8, 2020

Excellent Quality Supergun

For PARSEC Supergun v2.2 - Play JAMMA Arcade Games

I received my PARSEC 2.1 very quickly after purchase. It worked right out of the box and is obviously made with incredible care and attention to detail. It's very solidly built and must for anyone serious about supergun projects.

Cedric | July 31, 2019

Great Supergun!

For PARSEC Supergun v2.2 - Play JAMMA Arcade Games

Received it quickly after ordering when it was in stock. It’s working perfectly with my MVS and a good ATX PSU. Looks like it was assembled with care and using quality components. The documentation contains all the necessary information. Would definitely classify this as a good, modern and safe Supergun based on available information.

Dennis | March 1, 2019

Great device & great price

For PARSEC Supergun v2.2 - Play JAMMA Arcade Games

I plugged everything and it all worked as expected. I had an old ATX power supply laying around from an old computer and I used that to power it. I plugged in a Neo Geo MVS and a Pandora box and they both booted up without any fuss.

Joe | Oct. 3, 2018

The Best of it's Kind, 10/10

For RGB to S-Video / Composite Video Converter

To put it bluntly, this is by far the best encoder circuit I have ever used. It works well with PC-10 NES consoles, Neo Geo Conzolized MVS, and various other RGB encoding means. I have a spare board, that I plan on using with the Virtual Boy RGB board, and I already know it will work fantastically. It's small, and easy to use. Overall, phenomenal job low_budget!

William | July 22, 2015

A great way to get a "new" NES.

For Super 8 bit Video Game System Complete (v2.5 PCB)

What can I say, this device is great. It has both NES and Famicom cartridge slots, the Famicom Expansion Port, NESRGB, and is just plain solid. I went through and tested it with some normal cartridges, reproductions that I made, a few obscure Famicom games, and even the estranged bootleg port of Final Fantasy VII and everything worked as it should. It also works with my normal controllers and my expansion port based Famicom controllers.

As for the RGB, I'm using it with an XRGB-mini, and you just can't top this picture. Everything is incredibly clean and vibrant to the point where you would think it was emulated, but that's not the case here. The system uses a proper NES CPU and PPU so there is no emulation. The system does have the NES pseudo-stereo (where some sound channels are split between speakers) which some people may not like, but I don't mind. You can always use a Y-cable to mix the channels back to normal mono.

If you look at this and think "why spend so much when you can emulate and get everything for free?" Then this product is not for you. The same goes for comparing this against cheap clones, the Retron 5, or just picking up a "traditional" system from a flea market. If you want a nice console with RGB and a lot of extra cartridge/accessory functionality without the need for adapters and are willing to spend a bit to get that, then this is for you. Plain and simple.

Bart | April 1, 2015

Probably the best thing I've bought in years.

For Super 8 bit Video Game System (v3.2 PCB) Complete

I read a fair bit about low_budget's Super 8 system through various message boards and such before purchasing it. Furthermore, I watched low_budget's youtube videos and even a video of an earlier revision of low_budget's board on gametech's youtube page. Everything looked pretty decent in my eyes.

When I got the system after a week (international shipping and was fast), I was very, very impressed. The RGB video is great, and I love the sound. Actually, the sound is probably the best part about this system. It's killer. So yeah, it's my childhood all over again times about a million. I've told all my friends in Sweden about this little machine, and I hope some of them bite the bullet and purchase one.

By the way, I've tried a fair deal of games on it since I received it. Mainly North American releases, but I've also tried a few famicom disk games and regular famicom games. Everything I've tried has functioned just fine.

It's definitely gotten me more into the spirit of experimenting with doing some homebrews for the NES. I love it.

Doug | Aug. 16, 2013

Great item with features built in

For NES Super 8 v2.0 Game Console PCB

I setup every game system i could in my possession with the best possible video quality. everything except for the nintendo 64, turbo grafx, and 3do had rgb video out of there connector. i think that older systems like atari 2600 and intellevision are probably not worth the effort, but i would at least like composite some day. n64 was not too hard for me but i did not put an rgb amp in as it should have and i will some day. the tg16 was some effort putting a custom socket and adding wires after finding the rgb. some monitors work better with brightness than others so my n64 is on the edge of being too dark without an amp but the tg16 is almost perfect without an amp on my 26" viewsonic monitor. now there is one system (without rgb) i had that has a huge game library of great games and that is the nes. i knew after some research that modding an original was a going to be the most challenging since my other mods. modding a 3do seems way beyond me so i will stick to svideo with that system. after seeing the super 8 ver 1.8 and the goodies built in like an rgb amp, stereo and sockets for the chips. i knew that my lack of really good soldering skills would benefit from this board and get me nearest to my goal without much work. so i went to ebay for a playchoice 10 board for the socketed chips i needed. when i got the board i soldered the connections, placed the chips and started on the rgb connector. i already had a C shaped connector with connected wires laying around so i was able to connect wires together after using my ohm meter to locate the connections from continuity checks and genesis pin outs. my genesis 1 has a U shaped connector so im not sure about C shaped connectors so i stuck with my custum (C to vga) made connector. i first tried the system out on my small commodore 1080s with custom vga to 9-din and it was rgb goodness with a perfect screen. i will have to say this is complete satisfaction from the ease of this project. this nes will be played and taken well care of. one should make sure that there carts are clean so a system like this will last. i recommend flash carts if you play many different games. i also ordered a joypad extension so reconnecting will be other than the console itself. i like to disconnect my controller every time i am done with my systems so its a plus.
thanks again for bringing this great product.
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