Nintendo DSi Teardown

Add Note Introduction

We got our hands on the new Nintendo DSi.

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Teardown Warning

Teardown

Teardowns provide a look inside a device and should not be used as disassembly instructions.

Paginated Single Page Steps

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Add Note Step 1 — Teardown

  • Its here! Its here! Whoopee!

  • Contents of the box:

    • Nintendo DSi

    • Operation Manual

    • Quick Start Guide

    • AC Adapter

    • Extra Stylus

    • An invitation from Mario's hat to join Club Nintendo.

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Add Note Step 2

  • Oooh pretty colors!

  • The manual is larger in every dimension than the DSi except for thickness. Many of the pages are in color... That's probably why the DSi costs so much more than its forebear.

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Add Note Step 3

  • A side by side comparison of the Nintendo DS Lite (left) and the Nintendo DSi (right).

  • The DSi has a new skin: a matte-black (almost dark gray) color that feels much rougher than the DS Lite. The roughness allows for better grip of the system, as well as improved scratch resistance.

  • The DSi is 3 mm thinner than the DS Lite, while its length and width increase by 4 mm and 1 mm, respectively.

  • The DSi comes with 3.25" LCD panels, a full 0.25" larger than the previous model's 3" panels.

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Add Note Step 4

  • Two Phillips screws prevent access to the battery. They are easily dealt with using our custom-made screwdriver.

  • A quick flick of the spudger (or fingernail) dislocates the battery from its housing.

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Add Note Step 5

  • There are a total of seven screws that hold the lower case of the DSi together:

    • Three are immediately visible without removing any plug or cover.

    • Two plugs near the top of the unit have to be removed to reveal two screws.

    • Removal of the battery compartment reveals two additional screws that need to be removed.

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Add Note Step 6

  • And just like that, the case comes open.

  • An orange connector joins the cases together. Care should be taken when opening the DSi to ensure this connector is not damaged in the process.

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Add Note Step 7

  • A comparison between the old and the new. There are definite differences between the DS Lite (left) and DSi (right).

  • The DSi uses a smaller 840mAh rechargeable battery (right) compared to 1000mAh for the DS Lite (left). The difference in size is proportionate to the difference in capacity. The original Nintendo DS shipped with an 850mAh battery.

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Add Note Step 8

  • Removing the battery PCB is a pretty straightforward procedure:

    • Disconnect three connectors.

    • Unscrew five Phillips screws.

Add NoteNotes: Step 1

Flag Reply by nick0296 Apr 8 @ 7:33 AM

lol invitation from marios hat to join club nintendo

Add NoteNotes: Step 6

Flag Reply by Xandecs Apr 20 @ 2:32 AM

Hallo,

I'm stuck on Step 6. The case is stuck on the edge under the bottom screen. I'm afraid to pull too hard, because everything can break. ;)

Can you help me?

Flag Reply by PuyoDead 6 days ago

"And just like that, the case comes open."

Not quite. Something holds the bottom half of the case together.