In the latest video from Hack Build Restore, viewers are treated to an incredible transformation: an authentic Amiga 500 miniITX Build. Forget Raspberry Pi or FPGA clones; this project is a genuine Amiga 500, complete with original hardware charm, cleverly packed into a sleek miniITX form factor.
The Amiga 500 miniITX Build starts with the Denise PCB, provided by the ever-helpful Derek (aka Flame). This compact board already has surface mount components pre-installed, significantly speeding up the assembly. The kit includes a handy 72-pin SIM board, two pre-programmed chips for glue logic and microcontroller functions, plus modern conveniences like PS2 mouse and keyboard support, and two Zorro2 slots.
Why opt for an Amiga 500 miniITX Build? For starters, Hack Build Restore had an Amiga 500 Plus ravaged by battery corrosion. Despite appearances, attempting to restore the original was a tedious and increasingly impractical task. A fresh miniITX build offered a cleaner, more satisfying solution.
Assembly of the Amiga 500 miniITX Build is impressively dense—fitting an entire Amiga custom chipset into half the space of an original Amiga 500 PCB is quite the feat. Components are installed methodically: resistor packs first, then through-hole resistors, diodes, sockets, and finally the rest. Cue the jazz-infused montage of soldering precision.
There are special notes on sockets—some chips intentionally lack sockets to maintain precise timing, crucial for RAM functionality. A couple of key parts, such as the RGB connector and crystal, are scavenged from the original Amiga, lending authenticity to the build.
Testing reveals some humorous drama: a mistakenly reversed SIM socket causes temporary panic but, once corrected, the Amiga 500 miniITX Build triumphantly springs to life. Confirmed by the Amiga test kit, the keyboard and RAM function perfectly.
Finally, the completed Amiga 500 miniITX Build fits comfortably into a stylish metal gear case reminiscent of Apple designs. While lacking space for a floppy drive, future modifications promise to resolve this.
Watch the full video to see this compact marvel in action!
