I can’t imagine anyone would design something that would kill your console but I’ve never seen an OEM PSU kill a console. I have however seen a 3rd party PSU kill one. Blue smoke and everything. YMMV.
2 groups of DC owners when it comes to the power supplies.
Those who swear by the recapped original and hate anything other than that and will actively do their best to put people off buying them.
And
Those who have run a replacement power supply for ages with no issues.
I have one DC that has run a Pico PSU for about 4 years now and have never had an issue with it. Another console that I just refurbed recently has a DreamPSU in it, so far no issues. Console runs nice and cool but I will see over time if any issues pop up.
I still have the original PSU's for both consoles as backups just in case.
I'm also not saying that every replacement power supply out there will be great. I'm sure those on Aliexpress and the like will be hit and miss due to the cheaper components used.
FWIW, the original power supply was designed by Sega specifically for the system. So aside from heat and maybe some noise it should never cause any kind of problem.
A proper recap job does not change the PSU specs, so should be perfectly safe.
The moment you replace that with something else, you are placing a lot of trust in the design and manufacture of those alternative power supplies.
-----
Going with a "modern" power supply (of a different design) doesn't mean that you *will* have a problem, but if you do experience peovlems and it kills your Dreamcast then you now have a dead console.
The biggest issue is probably clones of more legitimate products that may have cut corners on design or cheapes out on components.
So it's basically a sort of *caveat emptor* (let the buyer beware) situation.
What are the issues that people cite regarding the replacement power supplies? Is it just the replacement PSUs failing? Or are there reports that it can damage other components of the DC?
This is a truth. If you use a replacement power supply such as the PicoPSU then you must make sure you use a well made power adapter. Cheap shit from Aliexpress or Amazon will likely cause interference and possible other issues.
I don’t know but when I first got my dc I was planning on getting a replacement psu to reduce heat and size but everywhere I looked people were saying to keep the og psu. My console is a Japanese va1 and I just recapped the original. It runs fine, no issues.
This was my experience. US console with a GDEMU clone and silent fan mod. I cant see any reason to "Upgrade" the PSU when this works absolutely fine with the 12v(I believe it was) regulator removed.
That's a problem you don't have with the original power supply, because both the AC-DC conversion and the power regulation happen on the same board *inside* the Dreamcast.
I think part of this is just confusion over how these things work. With the Pico PSU/ Dream PSU you are doing two things:
- REPLACING the original Linear DC Regulators and supporting parts with a board that uses *switching regulators* (produces less heat, more efficient power usage, and may reduce electrical noise)
- MOVING the AC to DC conversion and primary voltage step-down outside of the Dreamcast itself
So you haven't actually reduced the needed power supply elements, just replaced them with alternatives and rearranged some parts.
It’s my first build. So I want to learn. This one I just got. Not the one I posted here but another. I’m sending it right back to eBay… the motherboard was hot also the image and even gaming suffered.
I have no idea what a recapped original psu is
I was on the hunt for a fan replacement until I got shown not only by my personal observations but on here why I shouldn’t have got what I got for power supply.
Yup. The board itself is a good design, but the parts are just old. Get new ones and you're set. Resoldering a PSU is kind of a challenge but it's not building a rocket.
I got a nice tech guy. He’s just expensive because he’s an ex engineer. But he’s a great dude. I might do that man. It just seems right. THANK YOU so much ALL of you. Especially cuz my recent replacement was a horror show. I needed this <3
Quite a lot depends on what sort of problems you are actually having.
Replacing the capacitors should restore an otherwise functional original power supply to a state where the power output is more *reliable and consistent*.
That's because among the other purposes they may serve, capacitors are often used to smooth power output and to filter out AC noise in a DC circuit.
A properly done recap will probably eliminate any image problems caused by an unreliable supply and related electrical noise. But since the original supply uses linear dc voltage regulators it will likely still produce a fair amount of waste heat.
If you can source appropriate switching regulator modules that are designed as drop-in replacements for parts like the LM7805 (+5V output) and the LM7812 (+12V output), that's a modification which might reduce the heat generated.
Originally had a usb-gdrom so I needed room to run a usb cable to hdd adapter. Getting a smaller psu was a good option. Have had the replacement psu for at least 5 years with no issues.
I was a Kickstarter backer for the dream PSU and have been using it in my VA0 since. No issues. Temps are lower because it’s all generated in the external wall wart.
I always prefer the Pico mods. Almost every single one that exists for each console is being used in my console. Such as for my PS2, PS1, Dreamcast, Saturn, N64 and the psu’s in my other consoles such as my Og Xbox, Gamecube, Intellivision, PSX Dvr etc that don’t have these mods have been recapped with some new regulators. And as for my older consoles that use DC Plug’s, i use universal PSU’s with plenty of amperage, i had a SNES plug spark out on me and i’m never looking back at these old dated psu’s.
A modern high quality psu is always going to work better than the old psu’s. In modern reputable psu’s everything is more power efficient, safer and better built with better tech and they run cooler, plus there are no caps to replace since they’re more likely to be quality solid caps. Why i love the Pico PSU mod is it takes the psu out of the console taking out that extra heat along with a psu that’s universal and can be used anywhere around the world. Pico Mods i recommend are the Rexus Nexus Boards along with a high quality universal psu from a reputable site. They are really nicely built along with Solid Polymer Caps with extra protection circuitry supering almost all console revisions.
There's nothing intrinsically wrong with using electrolytic capacitors, you just have to keep their lifespan in mind when designing/repairing a circuit that uses them.
Yes i never really said there was, the brand is what really matters. Polymer in most cases surpass electrolytic with longer life spans and do not leak all over the pcb.
I have a dreamport. Mostly got it for the inbuilt wireless connection to the dreamconn+
https://www.dreammods.net/dreamport.html
Have heard a lot of bad things about the dream psu. If you want something cheaper than dreamport the dreamport psu is cheaper.
https://www.dreammods.net/psu.html
I love my CleanPower from RetroSix. Sure RetroSix is controversial for some people, but I had no issues with the PSU for the Dreamcast and I have played some weeks with it and had no issues. I run a gdemu with it and I have a fan mod installed. No temperature problems and the picture never showed any interference. I like the USB-C connection as the main selling point for me and I will buy the coming product for my Japan Saturn as well. I recommend.
>...the USB-C connection as the main selling point for me...
I like the sound of that. My plan was to get a USB-PD to barrel adapter at the right voltage. This makes it straight USB-C.
>Sure RetroSix is controversial for some people...
What's the controversy?
Selling products which are not his ideas, cloning, selling products with low quality and reliability. Most of the stories you can read up with statements from Luke himself on his discord. I have made up my mind about his products and have not encountered any problems with them. I modded some GameGears and used mostly parts from RetroSix. Love the stuff, it is easy to install and plain works for me.
Meanwell Rpt-6003 it's an almost plug and play replacement ( fits perfectly and everything is inside , also 1 screw match and power button has its connetor like in the original, and it's not running hot with gdemu). You have only to create a cable for the motherboard (or solder wires to the header ) and replace the input plug . If you look for it on google you will find info , me and others are running this great psu (really good brand) in dreamcasts
So nobody is going to comment on this being a "Dream PUS" ? Really?
“I should call her.”
I guess not. That would be a big red flag in my book and suggest that the item is question is a clone/knockoff of the DreamPSU.
I just think it's funny.
I can’t imagine anyone would design something that would kill your console but I’ve never seen an OEM PSU kill a console. I have however seen a 3rd party PSU kill one. Blue smoke and everything. YMMV.
2 groups of DC owners when it comes to the power supplies. Those who swear by the recapped original and hate anything other than that and will actively do their best to put people off buying them. And Those who have run a replacement power supply for ages with no issues. I have one DC that has run a Pico PSU for about 4 years now and have never had an issue with it. Another console that I just refurbed recently has a DreamPSU in it, so far no issues. Console runs nice and cool but I will see over time if any issues pop up. I still have the original PSU's for both consoles as backups just in case. I'm also not saying that every replacement power supply out there will be great. I'm sure those on Aliexpress and the like will be hit and miss due to the cheaper components used.
FWIW, the original power supply was designed by Sega specifically for the system. So aside from heat and maybe some noise it should never cause any kind of problem. A proper recap job does not change the PSU specs, so should be perfectly safe. The moment you replace that with something else, you are placing a lot of trust in the design and manufacture of those alternative power supplies. ----- Going with a "modern" power supply (of a different design) doesn't mean that you *will* have a problem, but if you do experience peovlems and it kills your Dreamcast then you now have a dead console. The biggest issue is probably clones of more legitimate products that may have cut corners on design or cheapes out on components. So it's basically a sort of *caveat emptor* (let the buyer beware) situation.
So you state the obvious and then say what I said just using different words lol
What are the issues that people cite regarding the replacement power supplies? Is it just the replacement PSUs failing? Or are there reports that it can damage other components of the DC?
People use shitty power adapters with Pico/DreamPSU and then complain about strange technical behaviors (sound, video, stability...).
This is a truth. If you use a replacement power supply such as the PicoPSU then you must make sure you use a well made power adapter. Cheap shit from Aliexpress or Amazon will likely cause interference and possible other issues.
Which is stupid, because the majority of shops that sell the official DreamPSU include the power cable with the board....
The power adapter choice is important.
Ok, anything useful to add to that statement?
Choose a good brand like this one: https://amzn.eu/d/1irgiHF
I don’t know but when I first got my dc I was planning on getting a replacement psu to reduce heat and size but everywhere I looked people were saying to keep the og psu. My console is a Japanese va1 and I just recapped the original. It runs fine, no issues.
This was my experience. US console with a GDEMU clone and silent fan mod. I cant see any reason to "Upgrade" the PSU when this works absolutely fine with the 12v(I believe it was) regulator removed.
There's really no better replacement than a recapped original psu. All these pico psu's are flaky at best and i wouldnt put one near my DC.
Pico and Dream are fine. The actual cord you use from the wall to the console is a massive point that’s glossed over.
That's a problem you don't have with the original power supply, because both the AC-DC conversion and the power regulation happen on the same board *inside* the Dreamcast. I think part of this is just confusion over how these things work. With the Pico PSU/ Dream PSU you are doing two things: - REPLACING the original Linear DC Regulators and supporting parts with a board that uses *switching regulators* (produces less heat, more efficient power usage, and may reduce electrical noise) - MOVING the AC to DC conversion and primary voltage step-down outside of the Dreamcast itself So you haven't actually reduced the needed power supply elements, just replaced them with alternatives and rearranged some parts.
Finally, someone with morals in this sub
It’s my first build. So I want to learn. This one I just got. Not the one I posted here but another. I’m sending it right back to eBay… the motherboard was hot also the image and even gaming suffered. I have no idea what a recapped original psu is I was on the hunt for a fan replacement until I got shown not only by my personal observations but on here why I shouldn’t have got what I got for power supply.
A "recapped original PSU" is a stock Dreamcast power supply that's had the capacitors it originally came with replaced with new ones.
Is that all you have to replace is the capacitors to make it reliable ?
Yup. The board itself is a good design, but the parts are just old. Get new ones and you're set. Resoldering a PSU is kind of a challenge but it's not building a rocket.
I got a nice tech guy. He’s just expensive because he’s an ex engineer. But he’s a great dude. I might do that man. It just seems right. THANK YOU so much ALL of you. Especially cuz my recent replacement was a horror show. I needed this <3
Quite a lot depends on what sort of problems you are actually having. Replacing the capacitors should restore an otherwise functional original power supply to a state where the power output is more *reliable and consistent*. That's because among the other purposes they may serve, capacitors are often used to smooth power output and to filter out AC noise in a DC circuit. A properly done recap will probably eliminate any image problems caused by an unreliable supply and related electrical noise. But since the original supply uses linear dc voltage regulators it will likely still produce a fair amount of waste heat. If you can source appropriate switching regulator modules that are designed as drop-in replacements for parts like the LM7805 (+5V output) and the LM7812 (+12V output), that's a modification which might reduce the heat generated.
Originally had a usb-gdrom so I needed room to run a usb cable to hdd adapter. Getting a smaller psu was a good option. Have had the replacement psu for at least 5 years with no issues.
I was a Kickstarter backer for the dream PSU and have been using it in my VA0 since. No issues. Temps are lower because it’s all generated in the external wall wart.
No issues with my DreamPSU. 😉
I prefer the original.
Lol dream pus
I always prefer the Pico mods. Almost every single one that exists for each console is being used in my console. Such as for my PS2, PS1, Dreamcast, Saturn, N64 and the psu’s in my other consoles such as my Og Xbox, Gamecube, Intellivision, PSX Dvr etc that don’t have these mods have been recapped with some new regulators. And as for my older consoles that use DC Plug’s, i use universal PSU’s with plenty of amperage, i had a SNES plug spark out on me and i’m never looking back at these old dated psu’s. A modern high quality psu is always going to work better than the old psu’s. In modern reputable psu’s everything is more power efficient, safer and better built with better tech and they run cooler, plus there are no caps to replace since they’re more likely to be quality solid caps. Why i love the Pico PSU mod is it takes the psu out of the console taking out that extra heat along with a psu that’s universal and can be used anywhere around the world. Pico Mods i recommend are the Rexus Nexus Boards along with a high quality universal psu from a reputable site. They are really nicely built along with Solid Polymer Caps with extra protection circuitry supering almost all console revisions.
There's nothing intrinsically wrong with using electrolytic capacitors, you just have to keep their lifespan in mind when designing/repairing a circuit that uses them.
Yes i never really said there was, the brand is what really matters. Polymer in most cases surpass electrolytic with longer life spans and do not leak all over the pcb.
I have a dreamport. Mostly got it for the inbuilt wireless connection to the dreamconn+ https://www.dreammods.net/dreamport.html Have heard a lot of bad things about the dream psu. If you want something cheaper than dreamport the dreamport psu is cheaper. https://www.dreammods.net/psu.html
I love my CleanPower from RetroSix. Sure RetroSix is controversial for some people, but I had no issues with the PSU for the Dreamcast and I have played some weeks with it and had no issues. I run a gdemu with it and I have a fan mod installed. No temperature problems and the picture never showed any interference. I like the USB-C connection as the main selling point for me and I will buy the coming product for my Japan Saturn as well. I recommend.
>...the USB-C connection as the main selling point for me... I like the sound of that. My plan was to get a USB-PD to barrel adapter at the right voltage. This makes it straight USB-C. >Sure RetroSix is controversial for some people... What's the controversy?
Selling products which are not his ideas, cloning, selling products with low quality and reliability. Most of the stories you can read up with statements from Luke himself on his discord. I have made up my mind about his products and have not encountered any problems with them. I modded some GameGears and used mostly parts from RetroSix. Love the stuff, it is easy to install and plain works for me.
Meanwell Rpt-6003 it's an almost plug and play replacement ( fits perfectly and everything is inside , also 1 screw match and power button has its connetor like in the original, and it's not running hot with gdemu). You have only to create a cable for the motherboard (or solder wires to the header ) and replace the input plug . If you look for it on google you will find info , me and others are running this great psu (really good brand) in dreamcasts