Recap guide

Recap the Nintendo 64

Guides agree the N64 is not a capacitor-plague console, so a recap is preventive. The PAL power supply and aging caps are still worth a check.

Open the interactive checklist Tick off each capacitor as you replace it. It saves in your browser.

Check first. A recap is not always the answer here, so look at the guides before you order parts.

Which board do I have?

Boards changed during production. These notes come from the linked sources, and many are only partly documented, so check the board in front of you.

• NUS-CPU-02 to NUS-CPU-04 (NTSC, 1996-1997) (Medium confidence). How to tell: Serial numbers start NS1; easiest to RGB mod. Capacitors: No per-revision cap list found; see note for the general SMD statement. Capacitor list differs from other revisions: not known. Source
• NUS-CPU-05 to NUS-CPU-07 (NTSC, 1997-1998) (Medium confidence). How to tell: Serial numbers start NS2; chip changes make RGB mods harder. Capacitors: No per-revision cap list found. Capacitor list differs from other revisions: not known. Source
• NUS-CPU-08 to NUS-CPU-09-1 (NTSC, 1999-2001) (Medium confidence). How to tell: Found in Funtastic series consoles with more aliased video. Capacitors: No per-revision cap list found. Capacitor list differs from other revisions: not known. Source
• NUS-CPU-P-01 (PAL, 1996) (Medium confidence). How to tell: Early black PAL consoles with S-Video on the multiout; board id is printed under the 1996 Nintendo text. Capacitors: A dreamcast.nu log lists 16 SMD caps for the NUS-CPU(P)-01: 68 uF 10V at C33, C73, C81, C130, C131, C134, C140, C141, C145; 33 uF 25V at C24, C28, C142; 10 uF 16V at C25, C26, C34, C128. Capacitor list differs from other revisions: not known. Source
• NUS-CPU-P-02 and P-03 (PAL, 1999-2000) (Low confidence). How to tell: P-02 is in most Color Edition consoles and P-03 in Clear Blue and most Pikachu consoles. Capacitors: No cap list found; dreamcast.nu says other NUS-CPU boards differ and points to the Console5 wiki. Capacitor list differs from other revisions: not known. Source
• NUS-CPU-R-01 (French PAL, 1997) (Low confidence). How to tell: Marked FRA and easy to RGB mod. Capacitors: No cap information found. Capacitor list differs from other revisions: not known. Source

Where to start

Clues from write-ups and forum threads, not a diagnosis. Low confidence means one thread or one repair; high means several write-ups agree.

• Not prone to plague (Medium confidence). One recap guide says the N64 is not prone to the plague, and points to an interactive board map for NUS-CPU-01 with all cap sizes and locations. Source
• PAL power supply (Medium confidence). ConsoleMods covers PAL PSU variants, says to test the electrolytics and replace only if needed, and advises 105C parts. Source
• PAL board list (Medium confidence). One write-up lists 16 caps, with voltage and uF, for a NUS-CPU(P)-01 PAL board. Source

Tips, tales and maybes

Found in write-ups and forum threads. These are other people's reports, not tested by us. Check part references and values against your own board.

• Tip: Leak-proof choice, early PAL board (Medium confidence). A restoration write-up on an early PAL NUS-CPU(P)-01 replaced all 16 SMD electrolytics (three 33uF 25V, four 10uF 16V, nine 68uF 10V) with tantalums so they cannot leak. The author says N64s had not really suffered failing electrolytics at the time of writing, that no ready-made pack existed for that variant, and that other variants use different values and positions. Source
• Story: No audio, late NUS-CPU-09-1 board (Low confidence). A poster with a late-model N64 had no audio even after replacing the AMP-NUS chip and nearby caps, and blamed capacitor C28 (25V Panasonic HA series), guessing late RoHS-era caps are the weak ones. They also used a risky temporary trick of shorting AMP-NUS pins 1 and 2 as a diagnostic, so both the theory and the workaround are the poster's own. Source
• Watch out: Flicker bars on an upscaler are not caps (Low confidence). A Shmups thread on horizontal flicker bars over solid colours (visible through an OSSC, not a CRT) found the fix was a separate 3.3V regulator board on the RGB mod, not capacitors, and one user's homemade OSSC was the real culprit. The only cap touched was removing 220uF caps at the SCART end of the cable. Source
• Maybe: Crackling audio with a wireless controller dongle (Low confidence). On r/n64 (seen on the reddit.birdcat.cafe mirror) an RGB-modded N64 crackled in time with a wireless controller receiver. Replies guessed 30-year-old caps could no longer cope with the added load and suggested a recap kit if any look bad, which is speculation. Source
• Watch out: No picture and sound is not always caps (Low confidence). On iFixit an owner of three N64s that powered on with no AV got advice to recap as prevention but also to test the Jumper Pak, clean the cart slot and swap to a donor board to find a bad chip. This is the counterpoint to the 'just recap it' replies seen on other forums. Source
• Tip: Dead power supply: fuses and resistors first (Medium confidence). ConsoleMods' N64 PSU page says a Matsushita-type supply often fails at fuse F101 from a shorted rectifier or MOSFET, and that two small secondary resistors under gunk by the 3.3V rectifier can fail open. It advises inspecting cold joints and cracks before swapping caps, and never to repair a supply while plugged in. Source
• Tip: Method that keeps you organised (Low confidence). The Silvestron recap guide advises replacing one cap at a time and marking finished positions with a coloured marker, using 63/37 solder and flux (it discourages lead-free), and not taking the mainboard out of the case because it is fiddly to refit. It also warns that screws differ between the heat spreader and the shield, so track them. Source
• Watch out: Video issue on PAL was the AV cable (Low confidence). A dreamcast.nu N64 recap guide says one PAL video problem was a third-party AV cable and the console, not hardware failure. It adds to leave leg length for angled caps so they clear the heatsink, to use only alcohol on the electronics, and to check cap values for your board on Console5 first. Source

Before you start

• Boards changed during production. Check your board number against the guides before you order parts.
• A mains power supply can hold a dangerous charge. If you are not trained to work on one, have a professional do it.

Manuals and technical documents

Service manuals, schematics and datasheets for this machine, kept in our own library. Check your own board and part numbers against them.

• N64 NUS-CPU-03 (Datasheet)
• N64 NUS-CPU-03-04 (Datasheet)

All 2 documents for Nintendo 64 in the library

Guides we used

This page and the interactive bench are built from these. They have the photos and the full detail, so please read them and support their authors.

• Nintendo 64 recap guide (Step-by-step) by Nick (silvestron.com). Clear walkthrough; points to an interactive board map for NUS-CPU-01 with all cap sizes and locations
• Nintendo 64 (N64) disassembly and recap (List) by Dreamcast.nu. Has a capacitor list. Lists 16 caps for a NUS-CPU(P)-01 PAL board with voltage and uF. Site copyright reserved, link only
• N64: Power Supply Repair (Step-by-step) by ConsoleMods Wiki, CC BY. Covers PAL PSU variants; say to test electrolytics and replace only if needed, use 105C parts
• N64 Mods Wiki (hub) (Write-up) by ConsoleMods Wiki, CC BY. Links Replacing Capacitors, PSU repair and video pages

N64 NUS-CPU-01 to NUS-CPU-04 (NTSC)

Eighteen capacitors. Console5 gives one list for -01 to -04.

N64 NUS-CPU-05, -05-01, -06, -07 (NTSC)

Seventeen capacitors. Console5 gives one list for -05 to -07. C33 changed from 68 uF to 10 uF at this step.

N64 NUS-CPU-08, -08-01, -09, -09-01 (NTSC)

Fifteen capacitors. Console5 gives one list for -08 to -09-01.

N64 NUS-CPU(P)-01 (PAL)

Sixteen capacitors. The PAL board has no C15 or C16.

N64 NUS-CPU(R)-01 (French PAL)

Seventeen capacitors.

N64 NUS-CPU(P)-02 (PAL)

Thirteen capacitors. Console5 lists P-02 on its own. Its page does not list P-03 separately.

N64 power supply (110 V, North America) LSEP1015 / LSEP01084 / LSEP01128

Mains-voltage supply. The big primary capacitor can hold a dangerous charge, so only work on it if you know how to discharge it safely. Seven capacitors. Console5 says these three are mostly the same, with some values that change a little, and it does not know if that was deliberate or because of supply problems. Its kits come with value substitutions marked on the packaging, and its advice is to use the largest sizes observed in place of smaller ones. C9 is for the 01084 only. A 560 uF part was found at C103 in the 01084 and a 330 uF part at C106 in the 01128.

N64 power supply (110 V, North America) LSEP01106

Mains-voltage supply. The big primary capacitor can hold a dangerous charge, so only work on it if you know how to discharge it safely. Seven capacitors.

N64 power supply (110 V) Mitsumi

Mains-voltage supply. The big primary capacitor can hold a dangerous charge, so only work on it if you know how to discharge it safely. Nine capacitors.

N64 power supply (110 V, North America) Zebra E4184-4201C

Mains-voltage supply. The big primary capacitor can hold a dangerous charge, so only work on it if you know how to discharge it safely. Six capacitors.

N64 power supply (110 V, North America) Zebra E4184-4501D / E4184-4501E

Mains-voltage supply. The big primary capacitor can hold a dangerous charge, so only work on it if you know how to discharge it safely. Six capacitors.

N64 power supply (110 V, North America) Zebra E4184-4601A

Mains-voltage supply. The big primary capacitor can hold a dangerous charge, so only work on it if you know how to discharge it safely. Six capacitors.

N64 power supply (220-240 V) JRC NJD-4662

Mains-voltage supply. The big primary capacitor can hold a dangerous charge, so only work on it if you know how to discharge it safely. Six capacitors.

N64 power supply (220-240 V) JRC NJD-5168

Mains-voltage supply. The big primary capacitor can hold a dangerous charge, so only work on it if you know how to discharge it safely. Six capacitors.

N64 power supply (220-240 V) LSEP01143

Mains-voltage supply. The big primary capacitor can hold a dangerous charge, so only work on it if you know how to discharge it safely. Six capacitors.

N64 power supply (220-240 V) Zebra E4184-4301C

Mains-voltage supply. The big primary capacitor can hold a dangerous charge, so only work on it if you know how to discharge it safely. Six capacitors.

N64 power supply (220-240 V) Panasonic ETYNT184SE

Mains-voltage supply. The big primary capacitor can hold a dangerous charge, so only work on it if you know how to discharge it safely. Five capacitors.

Shopping list

166 capacitors in all, grouped by value. Buy a few spares.

• 48 x 68 µF, 10 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 23 x 10 µF, 16 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 18 x 33 µF, 25 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 8 x 220 µF, 10 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 7 x 270 µF, 10 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 6 x 100 µF, 200 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 5 x 47 µF, 35 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 5 x 1800 µF, 10 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 4 x 56 µF, 35 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 4 x 330 µF, 25 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 3 x 47 µF, 400 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 3 x 100 µF, 35 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 3 x 680 µF, 35 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 3 x 2200 µF, 16 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 2 x 0.1 µF, 50 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 2 x 10 µF, 25 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 2 x 22 µF, 35 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 2 x 82 µF, 35 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 2 x 680 µF, 10 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 1 µF, 250 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 1 µF, 50 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 22 µF, 50 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 33 µF, 400 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 39 µF, 400 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 47 µF, 16 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 120 µF, 25 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 220 µF, 6.3 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 330 µF, 10 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 470 µF, 25 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 470 µF, 35 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 560 µF, 35 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 560 µF, 25 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 680 µF, 25 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 2200 µF, 10 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 2700 µF, 16 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay

Console5 capacitor kits for this machine

Console5 sells ready-made capacitor kits. Kits come in different versions, so match the board number in the kit name to yours and check the listing before you buy.

• N64 Nintendo 64 SMD Cap Kit
• N64 Nintendo 64 Power Supply Cap Kit LSEP01084
• N64 Nintendo 64 Power Supply Cap Kit LSEP1106 2700UF Cap At C104
• N64 Nintendo 64 Power Supply Cap Kit Mitsumi
• N64 Nintendo 64 Zebra Power Supply Cap Kit
• N64 Nintendo 64 220V Power Supply Cap Kit Jrc
• N64 Nintendo 64 220V Power Supply Cap Kit LSEP01143
• N64 Nintendo 64 220V Power Supply Cap Kit Zebra E4184 4301C
• N64 Nintendo 64 220V Power Supply Cap Kit Panasonic ETYNT184SE

Skip the sourcing

• Ready-made kit: Amazon · eBay
• Already recapped: Amazon · eBay

While you are in there

• Need the machine itself?: Amazon · eBay
• A box of spare capacitors: Amazon · eBay

Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. These links only search by name. Disclosure

Step by step

1. Photograph both sides of the board before you touch anything. Zoom in on every capacitor. The photo is your map when you are three hours in.
2. Unplug it, take out the batteries and let it sit. Old power supplies and CRT parts can hold a charge. If your machine has a tube, leave the tube and its board to a professional.
3. Open it up and keep the screws sorted. A muffin tin or an egg carton works. Different screws go in different holes, and the holes never forgive you.
4. Look for leaks. Clean any sticky residue off with isopropyl alcohol and a soft brush. A leaked capacitor leaves brown crust and can eat copper traces. Look at the traces under it, not only the part itself.
5. Mark the polarity of every capacitor on the photo before it comes off. On an electrolytic, the stripe marks the negative leg. The board usually shows a half-shaded circle or a bar for the same spot.
6. Remove the old capacitors one at a time. Surface mount: add fresh solder to both ends and rock the part off, or use flux and a low-melt alloy. Through-hole: heat one leg at a time and clear the hole with wick or a pump.
7. Clean the pads and check for lifted pads or damaged traces. Clean flux off with isopropyl. A bad pad needs a jumper wire, not hope.
8. Fit and solder the new capacitor, matching polarity. Same capacity, same or higher voltage, and it has to physically fit. Work from the smallest parts up.
9. Clean the flux off and look at every joint. A good joint is shiny and shaped like a tiny volcano. A dull blob or a ball is a cold joint: reflow it.
10. With a multimeter, check for shorts across the power rails before you power it on. Use the continuity or resistance setting. A reading near zero means stop and look for a solder bridge.
11. Power it up and test everything: video, sound, controls, the lot. If something is wrong, check polarity first. It is the most common mistake and the easiest fix.

Tools

• Temperature-controlled soldering station. Steady heat so you do not cook pads. Most recaps are done between 320 and 350 C. Top: Hakko FX-951 · Mid: Hakko FX-888D · Budget: Pinecil
• Good solder. Rosin-core 63/37 flows and looks right. It is cheap and it matters. Kester 44 63/37
• Flux. Flux is what makes old joints let go and new joints flow. MG Chemicals flux pen · Chip Quik flux syringe
• Low-melt alloy (for surface mount). Melts old solder on both ends of a surface mount part at once, so it lifts off cleanly. Chip Quik SMD1
• Desoldering tool. Clears the old solder out of through-hole pads. Top: Hakko FR-301 · Mid: Engineer SS-02 pump · Budget: Solder wick
• Fine tweezers. For holding small surface mount parts exactly where you want them. ESD-safe tweezers
• Board holder. A third hand for the board, so both of yours are free. PanaVise circuit board holder
• Magnification. You cannot fix what you cannot see. Surface mount parts are tiny. Top: Stereo microscope · Mid: Head visor · Budget: Lighted magnifier
• Multimeter. Continuity, shorts and rail voltages. The one test that saves boards. Top: Fluke 117 · Mid: Fluke 101 · Budget: AstroAI
• ESR and capacitor tester. Checks old capacitors and your new ones before they go in. Top: Peak Atlas ESR70 · Budget: LCR-T7
• Isopropyl alcohol (99%) and a brush. For cleaning leaked goo and flux. Use the high-percentage kind. MG Chemicals 99.9% isopropyl
• Brass tip cleaner. A clean tip transfers heat. A dirty one does not. Hakko 599B
• Fume extractor. Pulls the smoke away from your face. Hakko FA-400 · Budget: Small bench fan
• Precision screwdrivers. Most old gear uses a mix of Phillips, Torx and security bits. iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit
• Kapton tape. Heat-proof tape to protect parts that sit close to the one you are changing. Kapton tape

Safety

• Good airflow, or a fume fan. Solder smoke is not for breathing.
• Safety glasses on. Solder spits and clipped legs fly.
• Iron in its stand when you are not holding it. Know where the cord is.
• Touch bare metal first, or use a wrist strap. Static kills old chips.
• No tube, no mains power supply. Leave those to a professional.
• Wash your hands after, especially if you used leaded solder.

Values are shown as published in the guides above, and boards changed during production. Check the board in front of you. A recap involves hot tools and, on some machines, dangerous voltages. You do it at your own risk.

More

• All recap guides
• The interactive Recap Bench
• Fix a dead vintage computer
• Nintendo 64 (Japan) on the timeline
• Nintendo 64 (North America) on the timeline
• Nintendo 64 (Europe) on the timeline