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crwdns2935311:0crwdnd2935311:0crwdne2935311:0 crwdns2935313:0Nintendo Switchcrwdnd2935313:0crwdnd2935313:0crwdne2935313:0

  1. Nintendo Switch Teardown, Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown, Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Merry Switchmas everyone! Here's what Nintendo's new handheld/console hybrid holds hardware-wise:

    • NVIDIA customized Tegra processor

    • Built-in 6.2" multi-touch LCD screen with 1280 × 720 resolution (capable of 1920 × 1080 output on an external display via HDMI)

    • 32 GB of internal storage (up to 2 TB additional storage via microSDHC or microSDXC card)

    • 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, USB Type-C charge port, and 3.5 mm audio jack on the console—plus three standard USB ports on the Switch Dock

    • Stereo speakers

    • Rechargeable lithium-ion battery capable of 2.5 - 6.5 hours play time

    • Detachable wireless Joy-Cons

  2. Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:02crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Teardowns are really hard, so our friends at Creative Electron thought they might save us time by X-raying the entire box.

    • But that just got us more excited for a thorough hardware tour. We popped the console out of its box, and dock, and got another X-ray image just for funsies.

    • Is that a beefy battery we spy?

    • Time to switch off the X-rays and break out the tools!

    They spy, we spy but we won't tapp that...

    Mike Atkins - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    A beefy battery? Where? *Laugh track*

    Jackson Peter Conway - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  3. Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:03crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:03crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Before we get too far, we take stock of Nintendo's offerings. We've got the console itself, two Joy-Cons, a dock, and the Joy-Con Grip.

    • With the Joy-Cons attached, the Switch console measures approximately 9.4" wide, 4" tall, and only half an inch in depth.

    • Despite added functionality, the Joy-Con'd console only weighs 0.88 pounds— less than the 1.1 pound Wii U GamePad.

  4. Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:04crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:04crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:04crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Let's switch this teardown into gear!

    • The first thing we note is the weird Domino's logo the model number—HAC-001.

    • Doing a quick turnaround, ports include:

    • MicroSD located underneath the (surprisingly stiff) kickstand

    • USB-C (for the dock)

    • Standard 3.5 mm headphone jack

    • Proprietary Nintendo game card slot

    • The fan vents through the top of the device, and initial reports say the Switch makes heavy use of that cooling channel while docked and pushing 1080p graphics.

    Any chance the USB-C port supports Thunderbolt 3? I've been holding out hope it does and Nintendo will sell a "Pro Dock" that has an eGPU for better performance while docked.

    Toby Turner - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    You could do that with USB 3.1..

    SpyderCanopus - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    3.5mm headphone jack. You didn't mention anything about TRRS. Does that mean that there is no audio / microphone in?

    Nicholas Wagner - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  5. Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:05crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:05crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:05crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    crwdns2935267:0crwdne2935267:0
    Mako Driver Kit - 64 Precision Bits
    $39.95
    crwdns2942207:0crwdne2942207:0
    • Disappointingly, tri-point screws guard the entrance to Hyrule the Switch, but we only have to flex 1/64th of our muscle.

    • Tri-points are Nintendo's version of a "Keep out" sign, but once you're past them the back cover lifts off easily—no clips or adhesive.

    • Our first peek inside reveals—nothing much. Just a metal shield.

    • However, once un-cased the modular microSD card board is readily replaceable. Good news for future storage!

    Whats the model of SD card reader will it read UHS 3 SD cards??

    peacepipe_au - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    OK, This is extremely misleading. Good thing I’m a repair tech. There are also about 5 more phillips screws around that need to be removed before the back will come off. One by the SD card reader, one on each side in the center, 2 on the bottom and one on the top

    Jonathan White - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Hi Jonathan, this is just a teardown, and as such we skip some disassembly steps to get to the more interesting stuff quicker. It’s not meant to be used as a repair guide. We do have more more in-depth guides here that can be referenced for repairs.

    Adam O'Camb - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    For some reason my screws were different in my switch I was trying to repair. I ordered the screwdriver that came with 2 bits and the se card reader but the bits wouldn’t fit the screws.

    caleb payne - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    There are more screws than this guide will say.

    1x middle of each joy-con rail (2 total).

    2x bottom near the charge port

    1x top near the audio jack

    1x just under the microSD flap

    each is a small Phillips head.

    Misunderstood Wookiee - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Hi! Sorry for the confusion with screws! This is a teardown! There is a warning at the top but it might have been missed: “This teardown is not a repair guide. To repair your Nintendo Switch, use our service manual.”

    Chris Cline - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    The platic thread of one of the screws broke while screwing it out.. I used to push the screw a little bit to prevent over-turning the head while unscrewing - it broke while pushing. Maybe it was a bad assembly, but its worth mentioning that it can possibly break inside.. and you have to deal with a loose screw after then. (Any Ideas?)

    Varco - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    How can you to a teardown guide, without showing witch screws to remove, i thought you ifixit guys knew your stuf and were indebth, will find another guide screw this

    Mathias rønne - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Yeah I'm attempting something that requires complete disassembly, it would be nice to have a generic guide for that that includes all the steps rather than having to look up how to remove each individual component. I thought the teardown would be the obvious place for that, but apparently this is just, what, for entertainment purposes? Idk, I think it's definitely possible to show all the interesting internals while giving a detailed step-by-step guide for total disassembly, especially for guys like me who mainly just need to know where the screws are.

    Joshua Coffey - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  6. Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:06crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • And now for the moment we've all been waiting for...the internal reveal. It's finally happening!

    • It... looks like a computer! Battery, heatpipe, thermal paste, fan. It's all there.

    • The Switch's priorities are pretty clearly battery and cooling.

    • By the looks of that purple blob, this metal plate is more than structural support. It's also a heat sink that channels heat from the heat pipe to the rear case.

    • This should diffuse the heat, preventing hot spots that could melt plastic or burn your fingers.

    If we were to remove the back plate, what should we use to replace the purple compound used to transfer heat. Should we use typical CPU/GPU thermal paste such as Arctic Silver or is it even necessary to replace the compound?

    Ambyli - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    i don’t think it would hurt to do so, but i am no expert.

    Grockle88 _ - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I would like to replace the purple glob with a copper shim, any guesses to the distance between the heat sink and aluminum shield?

    Alan Li - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    is the battery a single or multi-cell unit?

    joseph.s.schaefer - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  7. Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:07crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:07crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:07crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Safety first—we dispatch the battery connector before prying this sucker off its adhesive.

    • Most consoles have a power supply, rather than a battery, but the Switch's portability demands wireless power. And that usually means a limited lifespan.

    • Unlike the 3DS, the Switch battery isn't meant to be user-replaceable. Instead Nintendo "plans to" offer a paid replacement program.

    • The Switch packs a 16 Wh battery—bigger than the 5.6 Wh replaceable battery in the Wii U GamePad. Then again, this is powering a console, not just a display.

    How is this battery not "User replaceable"?

    Bally - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    It is user replaceable, but it was meant to cause replacement difficulty, which discourages inexperienced repairers.

    Russell Repair Co. -

    It means is not that easy, you have to tear it down almost completely in order to replace it.

    Ricardo Briceño - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    The lack of a user replaceable battery in this thing is BY FAR the lamest thing about it IMO... Though unfortunatly to be fair Vita's the same way. SO crazy lame.

    Also sort of weird it has a cooling fan. I wasn't expecting that. Maybe it's off when undocked and running slower?

    wolfpup3 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    whats the weight of the switch battery in grams? and what type of battery cell is it?

    justin thorpe - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    @Ricardo - I’m no fan of having to tear it down a bit to replace the battery, but this is by no means having to “tear it down almost completely in order to replace it.” I mean dude, steps 1-5 of this tear down consist of looking at the device, identifying the ports, and removing a few screws. After the screws you just lift the metal shield and unplug your battery. Not exactly rocket science. Step 5 even says, “but once you're past them the back cover lifts off easily—no clips or adhesive” so this couldn’t possibly get any easier. In fact after I remove those tri-point screws, I’ll just replace them with normal screws for future ease.

    Army Turtle - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Can this battery be charged by power bank ? (5V 1-2A?) any recomendations how to “mobile-charge” this console ?

    Rodryk Pawłowski - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Yes, it can be done. With a 20000 mAh power bank the portable console can last at least 10 hours while enjoying a game like MHXX.

    Irrawa -

    Hello, my battery connector is broken. Anybody knows where can I buy a new one?

    Thanks,

    joan

    Joan - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  8. Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:08crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:08crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:08crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • With battery bested, we turn to the next hardware priority: the cooling system.

    • The heatpipe is secured by simple Phillips screws, meaning thermal paste reapplication should be a breeze.

    • We aim for the fan, but looks like you can only clean it from here—it's trapped under the I/O board.

    • So we pop out the game card reader, and attached headphone jack.

    • And no, we didn't lick any cartridges.

    • STMicroelectronics FingerTip touchscreen controller on the opposite side of the game card reader

    Is the 3.5 mm jack a TRS or TRRS?

    Erin Lewis - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Is the chassis metal? It looks metalic through the screw holes.

    alan mail - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    @elrinley I’m sure you’ve figured this out by now, but according to Nintendo the jack is a 4-pole headphone/mic jack.

    https://www.nintendo.com/switch/tech-spe...

    I was looking for the same information and ended up here! :)

    ckoerner - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  9. Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:09crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:09crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:09crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • With I/O board free, we can focus on the fan.

    • This Delta electronics fan is held in place by three screws with rubber vibration damping mounts, and is rated for 5 V and 0.33 A.

    • A fan can be a death sentence for battery life in any portable device, so it makes sense that rumors have it that the graphics are drastically underclocked when you're undocked.

    • In addition to saving power by pushing fewer pixels, this ought to also let the Switch save juice by running the fan quite a bit less.

    I have a switch that won't power up but clicks for a few seconds when the new battery is replaced. Is it the fan taking the power so it can boot up or is it the fan is broken and prevents it from starting up?

    Kirsty Cobbold - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  10. Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:010crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:010crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:010crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • This is a well-connected motherboard; to get it free, we pop off the digitizer, backlight, and speaker connectors, two antennas, and the two Joy-Con rails. And then remove six Phillips screws.

    • But hey, that's some awesome modularity. Even the eMMC storage pops off with an independent PCB!

    • Nintendo made a 6.2" tablet with removable flash storage, so don't say it can't be done.

    • The storage board contains a single Toshiba THGBMHG8C2LBAIL 32 GB eMMC NAND Flash IC.

    • Sadly, the modularity ends at the USB-C port. This high-wear component will require some intense soldering skills to replace.

    What does "Side-A" of the HAC-EMMC daughter board containing the single Toshiba THGBMHG8C2LBAIL 32 GB eMMC NAND Flash IC look like?

    Jonathan Stanley - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    The USB port is soldered to the board conatining the most important hardware? I'd almost call this a form of planned obsolescence

    Nicola Pfister - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    my usb c port just gave up on me and nintendo say it's not covered under the warranty. … the switch has hardly left the dock! nintendo say 175 pounds to replace the port! looks like i need to find another option! like learn to solder!

    steve -

    Is the flash soldered on to the PCB? If so, I wonder how hard it is to remove and swap with a bigger eMMC flash drive from Toshiba.

    Jerome Santander - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Looks like a Toshiba does make a 512Gb NAND flash model. Now the only question is can you switch between two flashes before bootup with this.

    https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/e...

    b0n3z - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I just succesfully  soldered a new usb C port to the switch but it's pretty hard to do.

    First of all, I used a hot air soldering workstation. Replaced all the (presumably) leadfree solder with normal leaded solder for better flexibility and a lower melting point. The difficult part is to make both rows of connections connect. This can be achieved by heating the board on the other side while somehow keeping pressure on the usbport and making sure the plastic components of the usbport don't melt. Quite a challenge!

    What did the trick, for me at least, was to cut out a metal strip from a soda can, folded over and cut to the exact same width as to cover the plastic and serve as a heatshield. Also I used no-clean solderflux.

    dan.kusters - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Nice. Thanks for sharing your experience.

    Lisandro Duran -

    I also replaced the USb C port with a hot air soldering station. The most difficult part was to clean the 4 holes on the pbc that anchor the port. They must be completely cleaned from any soldering residual because you need to be able to freely push the port down against the pbc once the 24 ports pads are heated and with the solder melted.

    Diego Salerno - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I can feel you! I’m still trying to get all the solder out of the 4 holes. I begin to believe that I’m just to stupid to achieve it.

    Nintendoc -

    Just to share some experience: I got a (heavily) used Switch that worked fine in handheld mode, but would cut off TV output always after a few minutes or even seconds when docked. The dock is fine, as is the USB-C connector. So I disassembled the whole thing and found the USB multiplexer (PI3USB30532) on the back side of the mainboard (see step 12) to be improperly soldered. One row of pins was slightly lifted off from the PCB, most likely giving a bad contact on some differential pairs. This obviously was a manufacturing problem but may have gone unnoticed in the factory tests. I then added some solder to the pins and now the Switch works flawlessly, also when docked.

    phip - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  11. Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:011crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • A small gathering of Miis ICs populates the front side of the motherboard:

    • NVIDIA ODNX02-A2 (presumably the Tegra X1-based SoC)

    • Samsung K4F6E304HB-MGCH 2 GB LPDDR4 DRAM (x2 for a total of 4 GB)

    • Broadcom/Cypress BCM4356 802.11ac 2×2 + Bluetooth 4.1 SoC

    • Maxim Integrated MAX77621AEWI+T three phase buck regulator (x2)

    • Rohm BM92T36 USB-C controller

    • Texas Instruments BQ24193 single cell battery charger (possibly)

    • Texas Instruments TMP451 remote/local temperature sensor

    Is that an LCI near the USB-C connector?

    Positive Intent - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    There’s the connectivity issue! The series elements in the T-networks feeding the RF connectors are unpopulated, meaning the antennas aren’t connected. This is probably causing a 20dB-40dB hit in RF performance and decreasing battery life. If this is a production unit, Nintendo has a recall on their hands; software can’t fix that.

    john horne - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    To be fair, there is a chance those series components have a tiny net tie across them, shorting them out. I can't tell from these photos. This would be cheaper than a jumper resistor, even at $0.001 each. They avoided slikscreen which does indicate they might be trying to aggressively keep PCB costs down. I wish I could get a closer look.

    john horne -

    What kind of adapter would you choose to replace the battery interface adapter? JST EH5P ST90 or something else?

    Hans Müller - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Has anyone found the original manufacturer and partnumber of the USB-Port?

    I did find a part that looks similar, but not perfectly the same: Amphenol-MCP 101-C4740-02432

    Benedikt M. - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Where do you get MAX77621AEWI+T ? Nobody has them in stock.

    chayney shuck - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Im surprised this didnt lose reparability points for the soldered rather than replaceable usb port.

    Kiernan - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Is the ram upgradable or directly soldered? If upgradable, would it require software, or do you think it is plug & play?

    azileangel4u - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Unfortunately the RAM’s directly soldered.

    Adam O'Camb -

    I know that there are 2 different motherboards so i was wondering, on the newer motherboard the section with the Maxim Integrated MAX77621AEWI+T three phase buck regulator, that is in-between the temp sensor and bluetooth, mine does not have any of those components right there. any way to update the pictures for people who are currently looking so they know. It also looks like the buck regulator has changed also

    Davin Atkins - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    sorry the motherboard in it is HAD-CPU-01

    Davin Atkins -

  12. Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:012crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • And on the back of the motherboard:

    • Pericom Semiconductor PI3USB30532 USB 3.0/DP1.2 matrix switch

    • Realtek ALC5639 audio codec

    • Maxim Integrated MAX77620AEWJ+T PMIC

    • B1633 GCBRG HAC STD T1001216 (probably a Nintendo secure MCU)

    • STMicroelectronics LSM6DS3H 3-axis accelerometer/gyroscope (likely)

    • Maxim Integrated MAX17050 battery fuel gauge

    • Rohm BH1603FVC ambient light sensor

    How come the accelerometer and gyroscope was never labeled for both the main system or the controllers? I didn’t even know the main system had them until a researched out Super Mario Party did it’s adjacent screens trick. Then I checked Nintendo’s own website which states that it has one.

    obiwankenobi23 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Modern accel + gyro ICs are tiny and often use cryptic package markings that can take a fair bit of work for us to identify. We’d love to research and label them all, but we don’t always have the time. They’re definitely in there though!

    Jeff Suovanen -

  13. Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:013crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:013crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:013crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • The stereo speakers are lightly adhered to the rear case, but don't put up much of a fight.

    • These speakers are trying hard to pump that bass. The larger diaphragms will displace more air, and a ported back allows for booming bass. But initial reports say they still "favor treble."

    • Phillips screws secure a Joy-Con rail to either end of the console.

    • Each rail has a set of pin contacts that interlock with contacts on the Joy-Cons to pass charge, and button presses to the motherboard via ribbon cable.

    Do you know similar speakers which can be used as replacement?

    Jube - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Im not sure, but they look the same as the New 3ds ones

    tbolado -

    I was able to successfully replace mine with a New 3DS speaker

    Mptp - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    My left speaker just blew!! how does the 3DS speaker hold up ?

    Scott Jones - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  14. Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:014crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:014crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:014crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    crwdns2935267:0crwdne2935267:0
    iOpener
    $12.99
    crwdns2942207:0crwdne2942207:0
    • Unlike a lot of modern touchscreen devices, the digitizer on the Switch is not fused to the display, meaning you can replace the two parts independently. Thanks for keeping repairability in mind Nintendo!

    • The digitizer is adhered by a double-sided adhesive strip that runs around the perimeter of the display. With a bit of heating and prying, we manage to coax the digitizer off.

    • But in all our excitement, our hasty teardowner severed the digitizer data cable. Fixers be warned, this book opens longways.

    Is the digitizer glass or plastic??

    Paul Reynolds - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    ^^ I'd like to know this as well.

    Lucas Luxton - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    It feels like and flexes like plastic.

    dave - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    It's perma-fused to the plastic, I take it? If so I'm rather disappointed. I'm not fond of screen protectors and would much rather someone put out a replacement instead.

    Erin Lewis - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    So the Screen is technically replaceable? Would it be possible to put a new screen on?

    Mitchell Laurence - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    It technically can but be aware the process is quite extensive and technical so in other words if you need a replacement screen, either pay a professional, not some dude off CL who says he can to do it or watch a lot of how-to videos and USE the right tools. I work at a business that fixes cellphones professionally so believe me when I say it can be done but very, very meticulous and technical.

    Josh McCard -

  15. Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:015crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • And for the cherry on this sundae? The LCD display is easily removable!

    • Increasing a device's portability usually means increasing its likelihood of getting dropped. So way to go Nintendo for making a more breakable device more fixable.

    • With that, the console is dispatched—but we're not done yet.

    • Now where did we put those controllers...

    hello , is it IPS or TN or VA LCD ?

    ttt ttt - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    IPS by Japan Display Inc. But what is the LCD model #?

    Girl Usocrzy - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    hello there i was wondering what type of connecter does screen have

    sir spudly - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  16. Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:016crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:016crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:016crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Nintendo provided some color coding to remind us that these seemingly identical Joy-Cons actually house different hardware.

    • With different contents come different model numbers: The neon blue controller is designated HAC-015, while the neon red is HAC-016.

    • Neon not your thing? If you're good at stickers, you can mask their true colors with a skin.

    • The Joy-Cons aren't waterproof, and Nintendo even recommends that you don't use them near your fish tank.

    • ... or a laptop, wireless headset, wireless printer, microwave, wireless speakers, smart watch, cordless phone—basically, this is best used in a cave.

    Any idea on the type of plastic for the Joy-Con shells? ABS, nylon, something else (if so, what)?

    Jonathan Stanley - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    If you didn't already notice- the step 17 photos of the inside of the shells seem to indicate it's polycarbonate + ABS

    David Eltzroth -

    I sort of wish I'd been able to get the model that includes the red/blue controllers LOL

    wolfpup3 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I broke my Joy Con a while back and the 2L button is missing. Would you happen to know where I can get a replacement part for that?

    Clinton Wong - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    3D printer: www.thingiverse.com Search “Nintendo Switch Joycon”

    Army Turtle -

  17. Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:017crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:017crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:017crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    crwdns2935267:0crwdne2935267:0
    Spudger
    $2.99
    crwdns2942207:0crwdne2942207:0
    • Although we aren't geneticists, we bust out the scalpel spudger to compare these fraternal twins.

    • Each controller is fitted with a 1.9 Wh lithium-ion battery, Bluetooth, accelerometer/gyroscope, and a haptic "HD Rumble" motor.

    • Battery replacements certainly aren't as easy as in the original Wii Remotes, but it can be done.

    • Nintendo claims that the Joy-Con controllers offer up to 20 hours of game time, but it'll take a whole 3.5 hours to charge 'em back up.

    • If that doesn't cut it, the Joy-Con charging grip adds a battery boost as well as a (more ergonomic) grip.

    Might want to clarify that the Joy-Con charging grip does not have a battery so there is no boost from the grip itself. You have to plug the grip into a power source (through USB) to get the joy-cons to charge at all when they are attached to the charging grip. Otherwise the grip acts exactly like the included non-charging grip.

    Brice Gilbert - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Oh goody...more sealed proprietary batteries. LAME.

    wolfpup3 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    The right joycon has a little black card slotted next to the battery. Anyone know what that is?

    Phrik Graves - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    • There have been early rumors of durability problems with the rail mechanism for the Joy-Con units, so we pause for a closer look.

    • The rail itself, on the edge of the Switch Console, is metal and seems like it should hold up pretty well.

    • Its mate on the Joy-Con side is plastic, which is probably exactly what you want—any failure will most likely be in the detachable controller, which should be cheaper to repair or replace if necessary.

    This piece of plastic in joy-con can be exchanged for example metal? It should be better than plastic

    Robert - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Where would I find the metal replacement ?

    Chris Cruz - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    For replacement, search google for Alloy Buckle Lock

    Niklas Hansen - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  18. Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:019crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:019crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:019crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • The controllers shed their skin for a close-up comparison. We bring you, Red vs. Blue.

    • We aren't shallow—it's what's inside that counts. The red Joy-Con comes out ahead with IR hardware and an NFC antenna.

    • The IR hardware consists of an IR camera and four IR LEDs. Nintendo says that the camera can detect different hand shapes, distance, and in the future will be able to record video. As for the LEDs, our bet is that they cast IR light onto nearby objects to make them easier to identify.

    • You know what both have though? Two Phillips screws holding the joystick and two Phillips screws holding the board. That's what.

    • Blue, you are there for us repair folk when it counts.

    • On the bottom of each rests a hefty HD Rumble motor weighing in at 5.5 grams.

    I had to send my Left Joy-Con for a repair on day one because the L button was acting erratically. I first noticed it when I tried to write my credit card number. I had made a mistake and tried to go back using tbe L button. When I pressed the button, my text cursor moved all the way to the left even though the button was in normal position (seemingly unpressed).

    I wonder what caused this. Fun fact: Pressing the plastic piece between ZL and L button activated the sensor for L button.

    Does the iFixit team has any idea what caused my problem? Thanks!

    Philippe Morin - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Any component info on the Joystick? Manufacturer ROM etc?

    Eamonn Clerkin - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    the left Joy-Con Joystick and the right Joy-Con Joystick are the same?

    4646dudu - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    does some one know what could be the problem, after replacing the joy stick everythink works fine except that the switch doesn’t detect the joy con attached to it but if i conect it to it, it stills charge the joy con

    Rodrigo Barba - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Left joy-con zif connector has lifted from the motherboard everything is intact and connected to the connection ribbon how do you reattach the actual white piece to the motherboard???

    Zeshi - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  19. Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:020crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:020crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • We lay out the controller boards in search of more silicon. Here's the feature-rich red board in all its glory (the blue board is shaped a bit differently, but has most of the same bits):

    • Broadcom BCM20734 Bluetooth 4.1/2.4 GHz Transceiver

    • STMicroelectronics ST21NFCB NFC controller

    • Macronix International MX25U4033E 4 Mb CMOS Flash

    • STMicroelectronics STM32P411 32-bit microcontroller

    • STMicroelectronics LSM6DS3H 3-axis accelerometer/gyroscope (likely)

    • Texas Instruments BQ24072 linear battery charger w/ power path management

    • Rohm BD27400GUL mono class-D audio amplifier

    The chip in the center of the board is probably a Bosch BMI160 (6-DOF Inertial sensor)

    Luko - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Would love to see photos of both controller PCBs. Only one side is shown.

    Jeff Keyzer - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I would also like to have both joy-con because I had to send the Left one for a repair because I had troubles with the L button.

    Philippe Morin - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Is that white quad next to home button LED?

    Damian Wielk - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Does anyone know whether the joycons use this chip in Classic/EDR mode, or in Smart/LE mode?

    fury - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    How can I buy this whole piece?

    Fantasia Ford - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    What is the chip between Red & Orange?

    INKI CHAE - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  20. Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:021crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:021crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:021crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Teardown Update: Just to make sure we were getting our fill of secret sauce, we popped the top off the haptic feedback motor, a linear resonant actuator (LRA) that powers Switch's HD Rumble.

    • These LRAs look very similar to the ones we pulled out of the Oculus Touch controllers, HTC Vive, and the Steam Controller.

    • We took a second to pop open a Oculus Touch haptic motor and it seems to be internally identical to this one.

    • On the inside, this vibration motor seems fairly standard. It's essentially a voicecoil installed in a moving mass assembly, flanked by a pair of powerful magnets.

    • However, it's interesting that this LRA seems to vibrate along its short axis, while many haptic feedback motors that we've seen vibrate along their long axis.

    If it is like this haptic module, it appears to be able to oscillate in 2 axes: http://www.alps.com/prod/info/E/HTML/Act...

    Aziz Nawrozie - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    pretty sure it is the Alps dual axis haptic. It only needs two wires because the magnets are polarized diagonally.

    Max Chen - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    it occilates in two directions at different frequencies. Only needs two wires because the magnets are magnetized diagonally (half the face is North and half is South.)

    Max Chen - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  21. Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:022crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:022crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:022crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Before breaking into the Switch's home, we had our friends at Creative Electron perform some recon. We didn't want to hit any booby traps.

    • Let's be honest: that X-ray image is cooler than our findings. For all intents and purposes, the dock consists of a board in a box with a handful of ports including:

    • Two USB 2.0 Ports

    • AC Adapter Port

    • HDMI Port

    • One USB 3.0 Port

    • According to Nintendo, the rear USB port will only have USB 2.0 support at launch. A future update will bring USB 3.0 support.

    thanks for info on this.

    does this dock board have power regulator/protection/fuse/whateveryoumaycallit that protects the switch in case the official charger goes haywire?

    MyPerk Tv - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    How much ampere are the USB ports ??

    iltenerone - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    What is the FFC connected to?

    Adam Cove - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  22. Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:023crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:023crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Dockside fish and chips:

    • Macronix International MX25L512E 512 Kb CMOS flash

    • Macronix International MX25V2006E 2 Mb CMOS flash

    • Megachips STDP2550 Mobility DisplayPort (MyDP) to HDMI Converter

    • Rohm BM92T17 USB-C power delivery controller

    • STMicroelectronics STM32P048 32-bit microcontroller

    • VIA Labs VL210 USB 3.0 Hub Controller

    • Rohm BM92T55 USB-C power delivery controller

    Got some issues with the coloring of your little rectangles. M92T55 is pink on the photo, and the M92T17 is dark blue.

    LDM - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    What's the dimension of the motherboard?

    Zero - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I would love it if someone could provide a drawing of the motherboard with dimensions in inches. For 3d printing purposes.

    Rcmaniac Ten -

    can get a name/model of the ribbon cable from the board that finishes as usb-c?

    rusenikolovski - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I need the same information. Have you figured it out yet?

    The Real JaeLinx -

    I need another ribbon cable. What type would be a good replacement

    The Real JaeLinx - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    What’s the part on the dock pcb that holds the ribbon cable (zif connector )

    Hooligan - 69 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    I’ve got no HDMI out from my dock to my TV. There’s no visible damage anywhere so I’m thinking of putting a new HDMI port onto it. Any other suggestions before I do that? I’ve done all the regular troubleshooting.

    modtang - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  23. Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:024crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:024crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Nintendo Switch Teardown: crwdns2935265:024crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • It's time to hit you with our best shot some layout shots! Here are the Nintendo Switch's delicately laid out internals.

    • Thanks again to our super-vision-having heroes over at Creative Electron!

    • Now we're gonna reassemble this thing as quick as we can—it's game time.

  24. crwdns2935195:0crwdne2935195:0
    • Aside from the digitizer, screws are used instead of adhesive to hold components in place.
    • Most components, including the analog sticks, game cartridge reader, and headphone jack are modular and can be replaced.
    • Batteries, while adhered to their housing, are modular and can be replaced by end users.
    • The digitizer and display are not fused, reducing the cost of repair but increasing complexity.
    • Proprietary tri-point screws restrict users from opening the Switch.
    • Replacing a display or digitizer requires heating and prying against strong adhesive.
    crwdns2935097:0crwdne2935097:0
    8
    crwdns2935197:08crwdne2935197:0
    crwdns2935199:0crwdne2935199:0

Evan Noronha

crwdns2935283:002/05/15crwdne2935283:0

223,223 crwdns2915208:0crwdne2915208:0

crwdns2935297:0168crwdne2935297:0

crwdns2944067:0135crwdne2944067:0

Yes it has 4GB of RAM in the form of 2x 16Gb (or 2 gigabyte each) Samsung LPDDR4 RAM chips.

acaaew -

Does the HD Rumble operate the same way Apple's Taptic Engine works?

Dimitri Bouniol - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Probably not. The Taptic Engine is a linear oscillator, but the Switch probably uses a 3-D oscillator: That means the weight can move freely in all three directions.

Ethan Zuo -

Single pair of wires means single axis of movement.

Lemming -

two wires true, but magnets are magnetized diagonally and the W shape of the spring arms gives different spring rate in X and Y. Powered, the coil moved diagonally to the corner. Once let go, it occilates in different frequencies in X and Y.

Max Chen -

surprised to learn there's 4GB of RAM

Kai - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Well it's double the RAM in the Wii U. Four times as much if you count the 1 GB used by the Wii U OS when not playing games.

Ethan Zuo -

But also let's not compare Apples and Oranges, ARM architecture needs much less RAM than x86 to perform well, you can't simply compare ARM, PowerPC and x86 with 4GB of RAM and think they will all have the same performance.

theSUBVERSIVE -

<<<But also let's not compare Apples and Oranges, ARM architecture needs much less RAM than x86 to perform well>>>

No it doesn't. That's just...not correct at all.

And yeah, Switch has 2x the RAM as Wii U, though who knows how much will be accessible by games. Obviously all consoles reserve some RAM, but for some reason the Wii U reserved half of it (though that still left more than 2x the RAM versus 360 and PS3, which is maybe why they didn't care that they were reserving so much).

wolfpup3 -

Does the micro sd slot support UHS II (ie. has support for two rows of pins inside)? No one seems to care about this info in the teardowns lol

rosta.pospisil - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

I care a lot myself too. I would even like to know what spec version of the SD Association it supports. Does it only comply to version 3.01 (UHS-1) or could it comply to the new 5.1 version or even 6.0?

Philippe Morin -

Thank god i'm not the only one that cares about this. The difference between UHS-I and II could mean half of game load times from the microSD.

Ashler -

I too would like to know this. [and on all devices.]

Josh -

Looking at the photos, It does not have the extra pins, it only has 8 legs, common for a plain SD card reader.

Toby Webb -

Game load times always seem to be CPU bottlenecked on consoles anyway.

alexatkin -

Please deconstruct the rumble motor

Vince - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Possibly the most interesting part of the design.

fastm3driver -

Do we know the thermal envelope of the cpu/gpu? I'm wondering if it's on the verge of needing a fan. If so, a die shrink version might not need the fan anymore freeing up a lot of space for a bigger battery.

fastm3driver -

Added! Check out step 21.

Evan Noronha -

I agree with Vince, I'd love to see what's inside that rumble pack. I'm betting on the same thing apple has with their taptic, but with a slightly heavier weight.

Ryan Mitchell - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

I really want to know what's inside the hd rumble motor! Sounds more complex than Apple's one...

Mr. Doge - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Modular eMMC? I smell bigger storage variant from Nintendo.. Anytime Soon..

Yosia Sulistian - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Makes me wonder if we could clone the drive onto a larger drive.

vegetaban -

Like the wiiU they know it's kinda a small amount but most people won't care at launch. I bet they even double it by xmas. Or make a more expensive version with the charging dock, 64 memory, and a Zelda or mario included. It will seem like a deal!

fastm3driver -

Guys any info on the antenna in the main body of the console or joycons for the broadcom chips? I cant see much of a BT antenna in the joycons at all from the pics. Unless theyre PCB etched?

Patrick Frost - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

The BT antenna in the blue joycon is pcb etched, just on the outside of the joystick. I don’t see it on the red joycon pcb at all, though.

sigoshi -

Can we get an x-ray of the HD rumble motor? Would be interesting to see how it works and whether it's a similar mechanism to the Taptic Engine.

Jason - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Jason, I'm assuming that you are wanting a video of the LRA in action as a static X-ray of the device would look pretty much like what the teardown looks like only with less color. There's an awful lot of metal there and it's just going to look like a dark block.

Actually, if you look at the X-ray of the system with attached controllers, you can easily make out the dark blocks that are the LRAs.

ritslvids -

Would it be theoretically possible to deliver HDMI over USB-C when you are not docked? I'm thinking when you visit a friend and you don't want to bring the dock etc. to play on a big screen.

Marc Schiller - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

You can disassemble the dock and bring the internal board along

Cuong Phan -

Let the time work. I think there will be cables to get the HDMI out of the USB C. In the past, for every console there was a lot of non Nintendo accessories from third-party. Why should it be other this time?

TheLOD2010 -

There are many YouTube vids trying out different USB-C 2 HDMI docs, but AFAIK there is noone which works until now.

I tested it myself with the Microsoft Display Dock for its latest Lumias, but it did not work. Hopefully there will be a solution soon as I use my switch docked at two different locations and do not want to pack the dock everytime.

alex.saternus -

Megachips STDP2550 Mobility DisplayPort (MyDP) to HDMI Converter, part of the dock. You need a MyDP to HDMI converter, as the Switch puts out DP and not HDMI.

Xander Zoolander -

Theres no Nintendo word write on the board why this is not a Nintendo console?

Ricardo CB Pereira - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

This is a Nintendo Console.

Reid Fleishman -

Does anyone know what the voltage range of the AC adapter is? Is it 100-240 V AC considering the Switch is now a region free console?

Sagat - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

It's USB-C on the console and the dock. Any USB-C charger should provide a charge - so if you had an international charger that supports USB-C you should be good. One of the photos shows 15V / 2.6A input on the dock and the same on the tablet itself.

The x-ray they show at the top shows the US-style prongs on the charger and those are sold supporting US voltage only with a built-in USB-C cable (i.e. the cable can't be unplugged and used on a different adapter)

Jimmy -

The charger that came with my US Switch is rated 100-240. Finally I can throw my transformer away.

Tim Hurley -

Region free powersupply's are very common these days. They are cheap. Under 75W they are more cheaper, because in the EU you will need PFC over 75W. Active PFC is expensive, so a non region free supply will be get more benefit to the manufacturer @75W+.

So the charger of the Switch and every Phone are under 75W and can be build simply with an PSU driver chip and only a few more components. For every Voltage.

TheLOD2010 -

Although it is true that 100-240V power supplies are very common, previous Nintendo portables have been something of an outlier in this regard. The charger with my 3DSXL was 120 only, and that was 2012, years after 100-240 was standard elsewhere.

Tim Hurley -

I wonder if the Bluetooth transceiver different in both joy con, as there are connection problems in the left one but not in the right one.

PKMGO Ajimu - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Well it would be pretty boring. It's just a 16 GB storage chip on a fiberglass board with gold-plated contacts.

Ethan Zuo -

Wow, 16GB cartridges? That's pretty awesome! I loved back in the day when Nintendo Power would list cartridge sizes, just because I'm curious about stuff like that...wish I knew how big a given 3DS/DS/Vita game I'm playing was.

wolfpup3 -

There's definitely 4GB of RAM inside of the Switch...two 2GB chips of LPDDR4.

Brent Murphree - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Max bandwidth of the 3.0 port for the console? Could be very telling when/if Nintendo launches a dock with an upgraded GPU in it that could (possibly) run in SLI with the SoC GPU.

Shankovich - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

It would had been better if it was USB type-C 3.1 with Thunderbolt 3.0 for that purpose. Thunderbolt 3.0 is 8x faster than USB 3.0 and to act like a SLI eGPU, 5Gbps isn't enough for a considerable boost, if it was Thunderbolt 3.0 it would be much more future proof. Since it's just USB 3.0, I'm not sure if Nintendo is really thinking about an eGPU, which is a pity. But I hope someone with more knowledge could say what could Nintendo actually achieve with USB 3.0 regarding an extra graphics boost, I wonder if that would be enough for 4K in the future, but it doens't look like it.

theSUBVERSIVE -

Even TB 3 ends in PCIe 3.0 4x. This is to slow fore 4K gaming too. The actual 4K Graphics needs PCIe 3.0 8x as minimum to run with more than 24 fps.

It is no eGPU in existence that can bring a low power system 4K gaming. For the Switch die CPU will be the next limiting part.

TheLOD2010 -

You'll never get any form of functional dual GPU solution through USB - both bandwidth and latency are far too bad for that to be even remotely functional. Not going to happen.

And for those of you talking about Thunderbolt 3: TB3 is an Intel-developed tech. There's zero evidence of it even being considered for implementation outside of X86 systems. Heck, it doesn't even work on AMD-based systems, and those are X86! TB3 on ARM will never happen.

Trond Aasland -

Thunderbolt is an Intel proprietary external PCIe port. Nvidia would need to develop their own proprietary external PCIe solution.

The Switch would also need extra hardware for this, mainly a couple more ICs.

But it could work since USB type C allows an extra set of data lanes to be used at a non-USB port, this is how the Switch outputs a MyDP signal (which the dock has a MyDP-HDMI converter). But currently, the Switch doesn't have supporting hardware for an external/hybrid gpu setup.

Xander Zoolander -

I don't know what its wrong with the guys befor me, but it's definitly USB 3.1 Standart with an USB-C Port.

USB-C is a standart for the port/plug, and can be provided with USB 2.0 to 3.1.

Only USB 3.1 Standart provides the feature of sending video signals over the cable, and the technical Standart USB 3.1 must be shipped with an C-Port/plug.

That make TB3 only 4 times faster, in cost of an proprietary plug and protocol.

Nintendo isn't so uneconomy and so the choice was USB, cause everybody got USB-devices.

Gordon Kracht -

Sounds like a really bad idea to be honest.

Karl Fahrman -

How do the joycons charge from the console, where are the connectors for power transfer?

Tony - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Step 17 picture 3 -> metal contacts with flatflex cable tu the joycon pcb.

TheLOD2010 -

Also step 13, third picture, is the Switch's side of it. The contacts are on the underside of the rail.

Xander Zoolander -

Is digitizer is made of glass or plastic?

Maciej Jerominek - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

It is made of plastic.

Evan Noronha -

So the cooling setup goes SoC - thermal paste - copper shim - thermal paste - cold plate - thermal paste -back plate. Granted the cold plate and heatpipe is the main deal, not the backplate.

You could argue that's similar to a CPU integrated heat spreader, but those are more form fitting and sometimes soldered for better heat dissipation. Cooling setup seems like a not great design, especially as DF clocked the vent area at 52 degrees Celsius. From a mobile SoC.

tipoo - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

It's actually;

SoC > thermal paste > the shield/cover around the SoC and nearby components > copper shim > thermal paste > pad >mounting bracket and copper pipe, with what looks to be a layer of material between the bracket and heatpipe; also can't tell if the bracket is brazed to the sides of the heat pipe, or if it's under the heat pipe > thermal paste > backplate.

Also keep in mind that the SoC has an internal heat spreader, with is either soldered or pasted to the chip itself. So there's even more interfaces.

The 'pad' on the heat pipe can be seen on Gamer Nexus' video here: https://youtu.be/obz5tE1mdV0?t=10m46s

I also wonder what effects that shield/cover on the SoC is going to have on the DRAM it covers when it heats up.

So there's 10+ parts on top of the silicon including the IHS and it's solder/paste, 9 if the mounting bracket is brazed to the sides of the heat pipe, 10 if the heat pipe is on top of the bracket. Keep in mind that a standard computer only has 4-5 layers on top of the silicon.

Xander Zoolander -

I think seeing the inside of a game cart would be interesting, see if the pinout is different from SD.

tipoo - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Thanks your well-detailed analysis it's possible to complete wikipedia semantic info about objects components and get this:

https://tools.wmflabs.org/reasonator/?&q... (look at "has part" section)

P.D.: more info https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WikiObje...

Qupro - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

I'm guessing the screen cover is made of plastic and not glass?

guitrasher - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Yes, the screen cover is made from plastic.

Reid Fleishman -

What about the cartridges? Can you open one?

Philippe Morin - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

hello ,

is the screen IPS or VA or TN ?

ttt ttt - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Came here to ask this as well. Display is TN or IPS?

Dirty Potter -

Definitely not TN, the viewing angles are great. But, idk if it's VA or IPS.

markjkuebel -

What are the screw dimensions? It would be nice to have a set of spare screws sitting around to replace them if they break/strip whilst opening the Switch in future.

Thomas Plummer - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Your teardown doesn't seem to include flavors of any of the components... Was this an oversight, or are you planning to update this information in the future?

erixtyminutes - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Could you guys nail down the die size for us?

tipoo - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Now let's hope that Nintendo will start replacing all the systems that shipped with dead pixels instead of telling us it's normal.

http://www.techspot.com/news/68401-ninte...

marcpgreen - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Nintendo Switch Dock Set (with a separate Switch Dock, AC adapter and HDMI cable) will cost $89.99. After seeing this video, Nintendo is really screwing over the consumer with a price like that.

marcpgreen - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

No they're not, at least not versus what anyone else is charging. These types of adapters are expensive, and it's an active adapter.

Maybe they should be much cheaper, but Microsoft, Apple, etc. charge similar.

wolfpup3 -

Can you give a close up and any part number on the usb port on the switch. I would love to know if that is an off the shelf part that I could get from digikey if need be. It appears to be a midmount design that I am familiar with(Molex I think), but I cant get a clear shot of it from your pictures

Tyler Daughtry - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

You can click on any of our photos and delete the .huge from the end of the URL to view it in full/original resolution (which is usually 30+ megapixels). Here's the shot of the USB port on the Switch Console motherboard. Hope it helps you find what you are looking for!

Jeff Suovanen -

Kinda want to try swapping thermal paste with some Arctic Silver or something to see if it improves dissipation at all. Not sure that would aid performance but might be worth a go. Not really sure how I'd measure any impact though... Can't exactly monitor the Chip temp.

Russell Applin - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Or perhaps with Coolaboratory liquid ultra. Check it out! It smokes Arctic Silver in the tests.

Haven Games -

I was wondering if it was possible to take apart the front of the dock and get rid of the rail that could scratch the screen. Seems like it should still be functional after completely removing it.

tophoos - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Then you risk the Switch falling over as its vertical rather than at an angle. So you get a scratched screen AND potentially destroy the USB-C connector, the most difficult part to replace.

alexatkin -

It looks like different Switches use different eMMC chips.

Yours had a Toshiba THGBMHG8C2LBAIL.

Gamer Nexus' Switch had a Samsung KLMBG2JENB-B041; seen here https://youtu.be/obz5tE1mdV0?t=9m40s

Samsung's is .2mm thicker at 1mm thick.

I'd like to see someone do a swap with a larger sized chip.

Xander Zoolander - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Update: according to a forum, the devkit switch has a 64GB chip, and people have already done mods to read and write the chip outside of the switch.

The only problem that might arise is the Samsung chip has 2bit MLC (Toshiba doesn't give that spec) on their 32GB chip in the Gamers Nexus' Switch, their largest 2bit MLC chip is 128GB, they offer a 256GB chip but that has a 3bit MLC.

There's hope for storage mods, and there's hopes for a larger storage switch.

Xander Zoolander -

Hi, the stick on Joy-Con are analog or not ? When i tried to use in x360ce it look like a d-pad ?

blaplace - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

What model and screen type is the LCD? Why bother pulling it without giving us the part number or identifying marks?

Bitvar - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Can anyone find out what size the player number LEDs are that are on the joycons?

Kyle Ferguson - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

As always, a great tear down iFixit! Thanks for keeping the world in the know!

Wagon Fixin - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Are the analogue sticks interchangeable? Would a stick in a spare right joycon work in a left joycon that needs a replacement stick?

Benjamin - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Was the left Joy-Con's 4-button mechanism (circuit board & chassis) the same as the right Joy-Con's? I'm planning on modding a Joy-Con with a replacement (Sega Saturn) D-Pad, so I'd love to see more detail about the D buttons, for example, popping off the rubber buttons on the Joy-Con board and see what's underneath (something you could potentially solder to?). Thanks.

Haven Games - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

So how can I tell I will be buying a switch with the fix version of controllers that no longer loses connectivity?

Marlon Alucard - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Any similar speakers for replacement?

Jube - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Really need to find a replacement speaker as well. My right speaker started popping then now no sound comes out unless i put pressure on the membrane. Basically its broken now.

Mptp -

Update: My right speaker started popping and then just stopped working. I sucessfully replaced it with a New 3DS speaker

Mptp -

Is there anywhere I might be able to buy replacement parts for the switch?

Nathan Alan hansen - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

The ZL button of my left joy-con is not responding. Does anybody knows if this is something that can be fix? Or i gonna need a replacement?

marcoscrispim - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

What do you use for doing X-Rays ?

Aditya Agarwal - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

My right joy-con can be used on console, but it can't be charging........Orz

I tried to change left joy-con's battery to right, but either....

Have any idea can fix it?

pmanyeh - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Is there a place to order replacement parts? My Joystick is jacked up and needs replaced.

Brian Johnson - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

+1

I'm just looking for the L + XL buttons ribbon cable. Where can we get replacement parts?

Rockus Ultimus - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

So where excactly do you find a mate on the Joy-Con side plastic?

Dexter - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Very Cool! I want to see the graphics card next time!

Ultimate Gamer - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

When does the replacement parts comes out?

xFELYNEx xFx - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Hey there, I've managed to have something jam the USB-C port and it's mushed the end of the black pin connector. How feasible is it to bring the system to a local repair shop and have them replace the port for me? Am I out of luck and will have to send it in to Nintendo for repairs?

carlos.chai - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

If I tore a ribbon cable in a joy on, any ideas on where to source a replacement?

Clark Sessions - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Was it a ribbon from inside your JoyCon?

zacharywd -

Patrick Frost and John Horne were asking question about the antenna or antennas. SamitSakar wrote an article on the users complaining about the weakness of WIFI. If the wiring is incorrect which Patrick Frost alluded to then how does it get resolved. Is there only one antenna or more. For example iphone has 9 antenna. Slide 11, Researching the Broadcom/Cypress BCM4356 features “Single-stream and dual-stream IEEE 802.11ac solution with data rates up to 433.3 and 866.7 Mb/s” Hence it’s not the chip but the antenna configuration. Perhaps there should be more. Any input? All ears?

hebrwn - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Hello our son has inserted a Micro USB into the USB-C socket. Now the pins are bent and the Device cannot be loaded. Does anyone know where I can get a Nintendo USB 3.1 Type C jack to replace it or an alternative jack?

marijankruljac - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

I’m looking for a replacement flatflex cable for the Left Joycon. It’s the cable that goes inside the switch. If anyone can help me locate one that would be awesome.

zacharywd - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Can anyone direct me to a place where I can find replacement MicroSD card boards?

Jake Wharton - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Can someone help me? On step 19 , there’s a flex cable coming out of the joycon where the LED is , mine is malfunctioning it doesn’t work properly , if I open the joycon and stretch the cable the led lights works normally , but when I fold it to close the joycon it stops working, I think the cable somehow is broken inside I dont know…but anyway , is there a place that I can buy only this part so I can replace it? I don’t even know the name of this cable ;(

floyd - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Any clues on the model of the IR camera? I’m interested to know how sensitive it is, the Labo shows some interesting stuff, but it makes me wonder if it’s got a high enough resolution to read QR codes made up of reflective material.

Richard Hodgson - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Does anybody know if I can replace the c-stick sensors? I dont know if im using the correct word here, but mines pretty much messed up, i have two sets of joycons and only right ones broke twice, and I might be able to fix them by exchanging it.

TehVilly - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Hey, this might be a silly question, but should I wear any safety equipment when taking apart the joy-Con? To protect the controller, not myself. Obviously disconnect the battery, but will static electricity do anything? Should I be aware of anything else? Thanks!

Isaac - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Hi I strip one of the screw of bad that even super glue did’t work. To remove the glue is use a drill (1mm) drill bit and hand turn to scrape the glue out. Anyother idea? Will epoxy work?

jonathan ambrose - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Where can I buy all of these parts featured in the video?

Matt Seibert - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

How many Connector Pins are on/what kind of connector is on the Swich LCD Flex Cable

Alex Sparks - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

What is screwdriver used to take off the screws on the bottom and on the joycon rail on the switch?

Branden D - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

I wouldn’t knock it for the tri-wing screws. They use Philips plenty once you get in. they are meant to act as a deterrent to mildly curious children who can get their hands on a small Phillips a little too easily “speaking as a former kiddo that broke a toy or two in this way…”. i’d say good job Nintendo overall and would give a slightly higher repair-ability score. maybe an 8.5.

Alan Warrick - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

my switch dont charging i have replace the chip M92T36 but nothing help

the switch dont starting

any Idea?

berlin.suratthani.imbiss - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

I was wondering if the microswitch for the R button (not zr) was modular and if it required soldering to fix.

Peter P - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

The upper shell (where the digitizer mounts) looks as if it can come off with about 8 more or so screws? I'm looking to replace this part due to cracking as well as replacing the digitizer and a few internal parts as well. Any tips?

kragithzedrok - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Could you provide instructions on how to open up the analog stick module without breaking it? Joystick drifting seems to be a recurrent problem with joycons and since they’re still pretty expensive, it would be a good plus to be able to repair or at least clean them at home.

Xnerdz - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Lacks sizes for the screws and generally leaves details out.

Zachary Hudson - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Hi Zachary, be sure you check the header at the top of this teardown! “This teardown is not a repair guide. To repair your Nintendo Switch, use our service manual.” We use teardowns as an entertaining, educational look inside a device not a step-by-step guide! Thanks for stopping by!

Sam Goldheart -

If the joycons started to always move forward and not let you jump in games what would need tobe fixed? just the buttons or like the whole board and for the stick wouldnt it just be the stick?

Miles Pridgeon - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Hey Miles! That sounds an awful lot like the dreaded Joy-Con drift that’s been plaguing switch owners lately. The good news is, if you head over to http://support.nintendo.com, they’ll probably be able to get them fixed up for free! If you don’t want to ship them out to Nintendo, we can sell you the joystick by itself. I’m working on the replacement guide right now, it should be ready next week. Swapping out the joystick yourself only takes about half an hour, and should fix the issues you’re having.

Taylor Dixon -

Howdy, just wanted to tell people be very very careful when removing the joycon battery clip. Those things are super cheap and flimsy. I broke one, even being gentle. After some different approaches and a digital microscope I still haven’t figured out a safe reliable way to repair one. If I ever do I’ll post it.

RebTech - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

While switching out the left joy-con it was dropped the zif connector lifted from the motherboard completely intact still attached to the ribbon cable how do I reattach the connector to the motherboard?

Zeshi - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Thanks a lot for this guide !

maxim.gilot - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Danke für dieses kleine, aber ausführliche Tutorial

Robin Gründing - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

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