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From the outside, NoshBar’s 2018 project looks like an ordinary PAL Super Nintendo. Inside is an Intel Core i5 computer on an ASUS H110T Mini-ITX motherboard. The build kept the console’s power slider, status LED, cartridge flap and controller-port locations, turning a retro shell into a compact Linux and emulation machine.
It was not a plug-and-play conversion. The unusually favorable geometry made the idea practical, but the case still needed Dremel work, drilled mounting points, custom switch mechanics and a carefully constrained cooling solution.
What was actually built?
Hackaday’s August 18, 2018 feature documents maker NoshBar’s computer inside an original PAL SNES case. The confirmed hardware is an ASUS H110T Mini-ITX motherboard, an unspecified Intel Core i5 processor, a low-profile Noctua CPU cooler and a modified laptop charger used as the power source.
The article does not identify the exact i5 model, memory, storage, charger rating or operating-system version. Those omissions matter: they prevent a precise parts list or a claim that every H110T-based configuration will fit and cool in the same way.
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Why the fit worked
Mini-ITX removes most of the board-area problem. Compared with ATX or Micro-ATX, the H110T leaves considerably more empty volume in the broad, shallow SNES enclosure once the original console electronics, shielding and structural obstructions are removed. A low-profile cooler solves the second major problem: height beneath the top shell.
The build also avoids a discrete graphics card, the component most likely to collide with the case or overwhelm its thermal capacity. In practical terms, the “perfect fit” is an alignment of constraints:
- a small motherboard;
- a short cooler;
- integrated graphics rather than an expansion card;
- flexible, compact power and storage choices; and
- enough unused shell volume after fabrication.
There are no published internal-clearance measurements, so “perfect” is an editorial description, not a universal dimension standard.
The case surgery
NoshBar first removed the SNES electronics and ground away internal plastic obstructions with a Dremel. The motherboard was not attached with an off-the-shelf console conversion kit: bolts were installed as custom mounting posts in the lower shell. A builder attempting the project would need to mark the board’s hole pattern, set safe standoff heights and prevent mounting hardware from contacting traces or conductive shielding.
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The cooler and motherboard then had to be test-fitted against the top cover. Cable routing is part of that clearance work; a connector that technically fits can still block the cartridge door, fan path or shell screws. The original report confirms the broad fabrication steps, but not a complete cutting template, fastener specification or wiring diagram.
The clever power-slider mechanism
The original SNES slider remains the visible power control, but it is not described as a direct electrical reuse of the console switch. Instead, NoshBar glued a spring-loaded button beside the CPU cooler. Moving the top-mounted slider physically presses that button, which is wired to the PC motherboard’s normal momentary power-switch header.
This distinction is important for a recreation. A PC power button is normally a momentary contact, while a console switch can use a different mechanical and electrical arrangement. The successful result depends on actuator alignment, travel and return force. If the button is too close, the computer may remain pressed; if it is too far away, the slider may fail to start the machine. A hidden conventional pushbutton is easier to service, but loses one of the project’s best authenticity details.
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Power, front I/O and the remaining SNES identity
The internal power solution was a modified laptop charger. The source does not provide its voltage, wattage or conversion design, so it should not be copied as a wiring recipe. An external, properly rated brick is generally the simpler approach for a modern recreation. Bringing mains voltage inside a plastic console shell adds insulation, clearance, heat and service risks that the original article does not resolve.
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The original status LED was retained, and the controller ports were converted to USB with an adapter dongle. That combination makes the machine read as a console before it is recognized as a PC: the familiar slider and LED work, and the front ports accept modern input devices without adding conspicuous new openings.
Cooling: clever airflow, limited evidence
The low-profile Noctua cooler is essential because a conventional tower heatsink would exceed the shell’s height. The cartridge flap also provides a controllable airflow opening. With the flap open, air can enter or leave more freely; with it closed, the exterior looks more authentic but the enclosure has fewer effective ventilation paths.
In a later comment, the builder reported roughly 65°C during a quick test involving fullscreen 4K YouTube playback and compiling MAME. That is useful context, not a laboratory result. Ambient temperature, fan curve, sensor source, software versions, duration and whether the flap was open are not documented. It does not establish that every i5, or any current high-wattage processor, will stay at 65°C in this case.
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What kind of “PC” is it?
The documented machine is best understood as a Linux-oriented small computer for emulation, media playback, light development and general desktop use. The builder mentioned compiling MAME and playing 4K video, but the feature supplies no standardized game benchmarks, frame-rate measurements, emulator compatibility table or noise test.
Nothing in the source supports calling it a modern AAA gaming system. There is no listed discrete GPU, and the 2018 Intel platform is now legacy hardware. A contemporary recreation should be judged by its chosen processor and graphics capability, not by the SNES-shaped enclosure.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.PAL SNES is not the same as the North American Super NES
The featured shell is specifically the PAL SNES design. North American readers often call their different exterior the Super NES, and the distinction is practical rather than semantic. Shell dimensions, internal ribs, cartridge-door geometry, controller openings and power-slider travel can differ by region.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteDo not buy parts or cut plastic assuming a North American shell has the same clearances. Measure the actual donor case, test-fit the board and cooler, and plan the switch linkage around that shell’s mechanism. A donor or reproduction case also avoids sacrificing a collectible console, although reproduction plastic may differ in color, fit and strength.
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Was it the first computer in an SNES shell?
No supported evidence establishes that. The discussion below the Hackaday article points to earlier Mini-ITX-in-SNES projects, including the “Animal SNES” project. The fair description is that NoshBar’s build was a particularly polished 2018 example of a capable x86 computer with unusually complete integration of the original controls—not necessarily the first.
Could you build one today?
- Choose the shell first. Confirm PAL or North American dimensions and preserve a donor shell if originality matters.
- Prefer small, cool hardware. Mini-ITX or smaller, integrated graphics, low-profile cooling and compact M.2 or 2.5-inch storage are the sensible starting points.
- Mock up clearances. Remove the original electronics, identify ribs and shielding, and test the motherboard, cooler, cables and cartridge door before cutting.
- Mount safely. Use insulated, correctly sized standoffs or bolts; prevent board flex, shorts and contact with the shell or shielding.
- Plan power conservatively. An external brick is easier to validate than an improvised internal AC assembly.
- Add the authenticity features last. Align the spring-loaded power actuator, LED and USB adapters only after the computer boots reliably.
- Validate thermals closed. Test sustained workloads with the cartridge flap in the intended operating position, not just during a short open-case boot.
There are sensible alternatives. A low-power modern Mini-ITX board offers current availability but may have different mounting and cooler dimensions. A compact prebuilt mini PC can simplify electronics while complicating shell integration. A Raspberry Pi or similar single-board computer is cooler and easier to power, but it is not equivalent to the documented Intel x86 build.
Trade-offs and likely failure points
| Decision | Benefit | Cost or risk |
|---|---|---|
| Cut the original shell | Best fit and authentic appearance | Permanent modification and possible cracks |
| Internal power conversion | Cleaner, console-like installation | More heat and electrical-safety complexity |
| Socketed desktop CPU | Performance and upgradeability | Higher heat in a shallow enclosure |
| Reuse the slider | Strongest visual effect | Mechanical alignment can drift |
| Open cartridge flap | More airflow | Less authentic closed-case appearance |
Common problems include incorrect standoff height, a cooler touching the lid, USB adapters that do not line up with the controller openings, a charger that cannot supply peak current, cables obstructing the fan or cartridge door, and heat buildup with the flap closed. Wireless antennas can also perform poorly near original shielding. Every extra custom interface makes later repair harder.
The real achievement
This project is memorable because it preserves the SNES’s tactile identity rather than merely hiding a computer in a retro shell. The slider still moves, the LED still communicates status, the controller ports become useful USB sockets and the cartridge flap has a functional airflow role. The hardware fit was unusually favorable, but the finished result still represents genuine case fabrication and thermal engineering.
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