GameBoy Advance AGS-101 Screen Mod | Complete Tutorial

In this video I show you guys a full tutorial on how to do the gameboy advance ags-101 screen mod including an LCD transplant from the Gameboy SP. Links are as always below:
EZ-Flash Multi-Cart Review: COMING SOON
Canada:
Shell Replacement: amzn.to/2KO5ooI
LCD Conversion Cable 32 Pin: amzn.to/31ToDTh
LCD Conversion Cable 40 Pin:amzn.to/2Zde5g8
Intro Soldering Kit: amzn.to/2Jpm0nW
Soldering Mat: amzn.to/2y8DU9c
US:
Shell Replacement: amzn.to/31SjVFn
LCD Conversion Cable 32 Pin: amzn.to/2ziwZaJ
LCD Conversion Cable 40 Pin: amzn.to/2HkwOQL
Intro Soldering Kit: amzn.to/2U5hRKc
Soldering Mat: amzn.to/2ygqt7o
UK:
Shell Replacement: amzn.to/31ZfHMp
LCD Conversion Cable 32 Pin: amzn.to/2L1tzP7
LCD Conversion Cable 40 Pin: amzn.to/2Zat67m
Intro Soldering Kit: amzn.to/2TOpCVb
Soldering Mat amzn.to/2JmbtHk
EZ-Flash Omega Flash Card: flashcarda.com...
Looking for support me? Like, Share and Subscribe to the channel! You can also donate here: paypal.me/restalgia
Music Credit:
Licence to Chill by narq is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommon...)
Source: / licence-to-chill
Artist: / narq
#GameBoyAdance #Backlightgameboy #Restalgia

[@arlisbloxer05]

for anyone wondering, the wire you have to solder is just for brightness control. you can skip it if you'd like!

[@coltsrnumerouno]

If you skip it, does the screen stay at max brightness the whole time or the lower setting? If it stays at max brightness I will skip the sodder. I keep it as max all the time anyways.

[@francisen4604]

Low settings is the brightness without the solder

[@senseiken]

I’ve done that solder, but afaik it has effect on the GBA SP. In wich way you can adjust brightness on the GBA…?

[@FlabberQuestion]

@@senseiken No, if you don't solder the wire you have the lowest brightness. If you do solder the wire you have the brightest. There is no way to switch from low to bright like you can with the SP, unless you are going to use a different ribbon cable, but that is jut a different mod.

[@stijnxd]

@@FlabberQuestion could install a small switch in between the wire to switch brightness

[@nightfox6738]

One of the better mod videos I've seen. You recommend the proper professional way of doing each step and explain the process very clearly and concisely. Thank you for a great video!

[@luisdent]

16-bit star wars james bond theme? lol. my brain just exploded.

[@dino988]

Did this mod a few years ago and I love it. The only thing is I have to open it up to remove dust on the screen every now and then

[@DisneyTLK110]

Do you use a tempered glass lens? I do, and I'd love to be able to lift it from the outside to clean it that way, but I'm not sure how to do it without damaging it (and risk damaging the screen itself) I also have to do this every now and then, even though I've put double-sided tape between the shell and the screen.

[@dino988]

@@DisneyTLK110 mine was a bit loose (probably why dust gets in there) so it’s easy to lift it from the front and place it back in. I haven’t had issues with it. I don’t use that one as much since I did an IPS mod on one a few months back

[@dino988]

@@DisneyTLK110 and yes it was a glass lens

[@lazriosjenkins1436]

@@DisneyTLK110 i know im a year late but a solution to that would be to remove the protective screen then remove all adhesive and then stick some really small magnets to the gba and glass screen

[@retroryangee]

@lazriosjenkins1436 which protective screen are you talking about removing?

[@skins4thewin]

So then.... I just did some reading & found out that there's a LOT more to doing this mod than meets the eye. Supposedly, if you simply use an AGS-101 screen and the ribbon cable adapter, you will have a somewhat washed out image and ghosting/image retention issues. It won't look near as nice as it's supposed to. This has something to do with using a 32 or 40 pin ribbon cable with either a white tabbed or brown tabbed AGS-101 screen, as they are different. Supposedly the Brown Tabbed AGS-101 screens are best used with a 40 pin system and the White tabbed ones with a 32 pin system, otherwise the problems will arise. There's also Type A and Type B ribbon cable adapters with you needing one or another depending on which screen you have. It gets rather confusing. There are fixes online for this issue, but it gets a bit complex and extra mods/components are needed. I assume you didn't look into these things as I noticed you didn't do one of the basic necessary steps of putting Kapton tape on your ribbon cable to prevent it from shorting out. It needs Kapton Tape applied as the Ribbon cable traces are not covered and can short on any metal surface they touch. Either way, after reading about all of these problems, I think I am going to have to go with one of the IPS mods. All this is just too much for me.

[@brandonkick]

It's not as complicated as all that. A 32 pin GBA works with a white tab LCD (pretty much the only ones you find readily available today) without issue. The 40 pin consoles don't. But there is a version of the 40 pin ribbon cable that takes care of those issues, along with a pot to adjust. 40 pin consoles can work perfectly fine with the AGS-101 screen. The funnyplaying option works as well. It does consume a lot more battery life, but it's a cheaper and more available mod.

[@TheMilkedOut]

Brandon Kick thanks for this clarification. What does your “...pot to adjust...” statement refer to? Bit confused.

[@brandonkick]

@@TheMilkedOut there is a cable for the white tab LCD to be used with a 40 pin GBA. It has a mod built into it to fix the problems. There is also a potentiometer on the AGS 101 screen for adjusting brightness.

[@GENKIDAMA10]

If you use a Type B ribbon you're okay, they are the best!

[@Leo-vi7tt]

How do you adjust the brightness? You can only have the second light activated ? Or the 1st one ?

[@farhanbaig404]

Just did the whole mod only to have my screen be white/washed out :/ Cant figure out whats wrong. Im using the 40 pin version of the GBA. Any leads guys?

[@randy7894]

The very best GBA screen on a very best model. Nice.

[@goldenrail109]

Awesome vid!! All I need now is the pin converter!

[@Anthrus93]

how to choose the correct one? 32 or 40? i dont understand the difference

[@vandango901]

@@Anthrus93 Ever figure this out? I'm wonder this right now.

[@cliptrashbin2389]

This is cool I'm thinking about converting my 101 into a console and I can use the left over screen in this mod

[@neutrino9544]

This is cool, it's just hard to get your hands on an AGS101 GBA to begin with. The price people are asking for them is so high! I've just been waiting for one to show up on ebay at a decent price from someone who doesnt know what they have

[@brandonkick]

Buy the AGS 101 screen kit. They are aftermarket, and are as good or better than the original screens. Plus you don't have to kill a gameboy advance sp that might otherwise be perfectly fine!

[@FuriousTortoise]

I've got a basic question. On my GBA repair (adding a screen mod) I need to solder some wire from the screen to L&R so it can adjust brightness. I cant seem to find where anybody states the proper wire gauge for this and theres just too many out there to guess. I dont think you stated what wire you used either? Any recommendations?

[@Spazza42]

30AWG as I’ve read elsewhere. Sorry it took 3 months for somebody to actually respond with that info bud! Hope that helps

[@skins4thewin]

The only thing that sucks about this mod is that even the AGS-101 knockoff screens are now expensive. You can't find them for less than $50 even on Aliexpress, and I am sure they are not of the same quality as the original screens. That means this mod ends up being an expensive prospect either way, as you are going to end up paying a lot these days even for a beat up AGS-101 system to cannibalize if you wanted to.

[@Yumbles2point0]

So I did everything step by step and when I power on my screen is too bright to see anything/ the contrast is fucked up. Any thoughts?

[@skins4thewin]

Great video! And the sad part is the fucking JOKE of a video over at The Retro Future has 100k views, yet it doesn't even show you how to do the damn mod! It literally breezes thru it in like two minutes not showing you a thing! That dude does that shit in all of his vids and it absolutely BAFFLES me how he gets so many views!

[@Hermas_360]

there is a new screen converter that include a brightness switch, because the one that you installed only give you one level of brightness...

[@bryanmontengro9296]

Hermas does it stay at the highest brightness?

[@Hermas_360]

@@bryanmontengro9296 unfortunately no, you have to adjust it every time you turn the console on!

[@bryanmontengro9296]

Hermas i mean with the kit in the video? If there’s no switch does it just stay in the lower brightness setting ?

[@Hermas_360]

@@bryanmontengro9296 yes, it will stay in the lowest brightness, which is a shame because the screen looks gorgeous at maximum brightness!

[@bryanmontengro9296]

Hermas Imma have to find a way to set it to always turn on on the brightest setting lol.

[@uncledot1868]

Someone should make an AGS-101 mod for the Bandai Wonderswan Color/Swan Crystal.

[@Anthrus93]

i have very much appreciate your work, can you suggest how understand witch conversor to choose 32 pin or 40? does it depend on game boy advance version?

[@Restalgia]

The small number under the cartridge slot is visible under the GBA's battery cover. If the number starts with a "1," you have a 32-pin screen connector. If you see a number that starts with an "0," you have a 40-pin screen connector.

[@Anthrus93]

@@Restalgia Thank you really much, so i have a 32 pin advance, i have another question, i'm glad if you can tell me can I put an 001 sp screen on my advance instead of a 101? i know I will have less brightness but actually i have one 001 sp that i took for like 20 eur, so i want kind of fuse them, is that possible same procces that you show us? thanks you

[@vitzie629sgamingtechnology7]

AntonOkhvat You can put an SP AGS-001 frontlit LCD in an original GBA, but you need either of these ribbon cables: www.ebay.com/itm/183754221288

[@ianlorayes2787]

How long does your battery last with this mod? Thanks! Oh by the way you helped me a lot in installing my ags101 to my gba

[@yournightmare9999]

This is better option than buying overpriced LCD for 40-60$ Of course if we have a soldering iron and empty gba shell 😁

[@Hermas_360]

yeah but its such a shame to cannibalized the SP only for the screen...

[@yournightmare9999]

@@Hermas_360 for me sp looks like early 90s multiple brick games 😁

[@PigMCplayer]

Hermas yeah and the 101 is a lot more than $60

[@martijn439]

noo!! dont destroy original ags 101 for this :(

[@Restalgia]

It was already heavily damaged. Charging port, and link port looked like someone took a screw driver to it. It was doa

[@EdBriceFi]

Nice work and beautiful, my friend. Definitly not for me....lol. Steve, do you know how to replace the battery of the fat NDS? (I got a blue one dead)

[@gualo21]

The battery pack has a screw.

[@leecollins5479]

I had to redo mine as I broke the screw post by the battery.cant go wrong with an original gba with a ags101 screen and an easy flash omega cart

[@mannyrivera2007]

I just ordered the whole set of screen n housing. Now i just know it something the gba in the back saids AGB-001 is an issue with the AGS- 101

[@matthewleto1180]

The pads are carbon conductive pads, not magnetic

[@Restalgia]

Thanks for the correction :)

[@matthewleto1180]

Restalgia you are welcome

[@ryanwatchel9809]

question since AGS 101 could ajust brightness even though it had 2 settings only. can you still do that with this mod?

[@darolaho]

Don't quote me on it because i have not done the mod myself. But i think that is what the soldering is doing. This mod works without the soldering but it will be on the low brightness setting. If you soldering it i am pretty sure it would be on the high setting.

[@stijnxd]

What is the red wire actually for? I first soldered it and after that my gba wouldn't turn on anymore, I desoldered it and now the 101 screen just works but the power led only lights up red for some reason

[@alexrocks135]

I just modded mine and I didn’t use the second sautering wire for it because I didn’t order it. Everything works fine but the brightness is not as bright as the AGS 101 2nd level brightness as the SP. Is it because I didn’t use the 2nd wire? How do I make the brightness equivalent to the 2nd setting on the Sp? I reused my Sp AGS 101 screen. I have the 40 pin model

[@GoldenMidget707]

Does the screen move around at all in the shell or does it stay in place

[@bakasooka8074]

Why is this in jeramy johns 2020 playlist lol

[@OrangeGeemer]

Just finished this mod (with the added brightness control) aaaand.... it doesn't fit, lol. I can't put the back case, I think the ribbon conector is too thick.... My trimming looks fine enough, even smoother than your video, but it doesn't fit. I'll try to sand it some more, any other tip??

[@just_ahh6368]

I hope someone see this, but i have a 40 pin gba and used a type b. I now i have this washed out screen on my gba. I used my gba 101 screen. I even did the wire. What do i do?

[@bryanmontengro9296]

Does the screen stay at the brightest level?

[@prxtect_3195]

Would this be possible to do without soldering the one wire? Of course I wouldn't have brightness control but that's a small price to pay for me considering I don't have the tools or skills to solder something this small

[@Restalgia]

Yep, if you don't care about brightness control then no need to solder that wire

[@prxtect_3195]

@@Restalgia thank you so much for the fast reply! much appreciated man

[@farhanbaig404]

@@Restalgia in this case does the brightness stay at the max or the lower setting, bud?

[@coondogtheman]

I have a GBA AGS 001. Can I install this screen in my gameboy? I want to use it for my gameboy camera.

[@MK3FAN99]

Tbh you barely touched three Soldar wire onto the pin. It looks like it could come off too easy

[@Lumalee]

Can you use this method to install an AGS 101 screen onto an AGS 001 GameBoy advance SP?

[@Restalgia]

Honestly I've never tried or looked into it, but my guess is the screens are not interchangeable. I dont know if anyone has created a conversion ribbon for that.

[@Lumalee]

@@Restalgia oof. Dang it

[@jakethemidget2873]

Anyone got a link to the 3 fin screw driver needed to take the gameboys apart?

[@HiMars_kill_orcs]

After such a mod, dust constantly gets under the glass. What to do

[@TransistorBased]

Oh man, the texture on the new plastic case looks really bad.. that would drive me insane

[@fatmaabdalla4228]

i have been trying to do this for some time now and for some reason it never worked for me. can someone please help

[@elijahfartpoop]

where did u buy the housing replacement

[@spaztask]

So is there no way to control the brightness on this mod as installed?

[@HajoBenzin1]

how do you set the brightness levels like on the advance sp?

[@farhanbaig404]

Hi Steve! Could you please answer one question? Cant seem to find the answer online. What happens if I don't solder the brightness wire? Does the brightness stay at max level? And if I solder it, what buttons are used to change the brightness level, since there is no dedicated button?

[@gamecubeplayer]

you can't change the brightness by pressing buttons but on gba ips screen you can change the brightness by pressing buttons

[@farhanbaig404]

@@gamecubeplayer ah gotcha! Thankyou

[@gamecubeplayer]

@@farhanbaig404 on the gba ips screen it's very difficult to solder the wires to the buttons but it's optional

[@farhanbaig404]

@@gamecubeplayer Yea thats why im just using the AGS 101 screen. Did you get any ghosting issues where the screen seemed washed out?

[@gamecubeplayer]

@@farhanbaig404 i don't know but the ips screen is better even if you don't solder the wires

[@lazriosjenkins1436]

same thing goes for an ags-001 screen?

[@skins4thewin]

So I was actually looking on Aliexpress for those adapter ribbon cables, and I noticed that some seem to have a few small resistors on the ribbon cable for the 40 pin ones, while there's a 2nd design I'm seeing on there that doesn't have any resistors. I am wondering what the purpose of those resistors are and if they are necessary or not, as the one without the resistors is a bit cheaper. The one with the resistors is the same as the one you're using here in the video. I guess it's probably better to be safe and go with the one with the resistors just in case, but does anyone happen to know the purpose of them and if they are necessary or not?

[@Restalgia]

It's possible the one with resistors has the screen brightness controller.

[@skins4thewin]

@@Restalgia Well that is controlled by the extra wire right? Even the version that didn't have the resistors had the wire coming off of it, and it also appears that the version you have is the one with the resistors. Do you have any sort of control over the brightness with this mod? If so, how? A button combo perhaps?

[@martinmcneal2778]

Would it be possible to use an AGS 001 instead? Considering the scarcity of AGS 101 screens

[@Restalgia]

The AGS 001 screens do not have a backlight so it wouldn't be beneficial at all to do it in that way. There are reproduction AGS 101 screens available now though so it's not too bad to get one. Also I've seen some custom IPS screens that people are manufacturing too

[@lazriosjenkins1436]

@@Restalgia i have 2 gameboys 1 GBA sp ags-001 and a GBA. my plan is to upgrade the screen the for the sp. after that I will have a extra ags-001 front lit screen. so for no cost can I technically put the ags-001 screen into the GBA the same way you did in the video with the ags-101 screen? my guess would be yes because you can upgrade a ags-001 to ags-101 with nothing extra besides the brightness control wire I believe. so my main question is can the ribbon cable you used work also for the ags-001?

[@chrisstrong5059]

Do you know if this works with Ags- 001 screens??

[@TransistorBased]

Once my parts eventually ship I'll get to breathe some new life into my ugly purple GBA

[@musicconnoisseur4278]

great because he didnt showstep by step how to fold the flew cable, my screen when i turned the console on was broken😡

[@firegalaxy1370]

Does this work with ags 001 screens

[@onldhes]

How is the build quality of the case? I bought one off of Retromodding.com and was disappointed with the quality. The battery cover sticks out quit a bit at the corners, like it is bent, plus the 2 pieces of plastic don't sit flush and you can see the circuit board from where the volume control is.

[@Restalgia]

The one I'm using is fairly decent, because the ags screen is thicker, the pressure pulls it apart a tiny bit, but overall I'm happy with mine.

[@trnmkhngthnh]

Does this work with AGS001?

[@ardentdrops]

Please don't destroy one gameboy just to upgrade another. There is plenty of aftermarket stock available online but original hardware will never be made again. Let's not lose our history any faster than we already are.

[@lebronfitzgerald8129]

Ardent Drops the gba advance sp sucks. So ugly it looks like some shitty third party handheld compared with all the other game boys and even the ds consoles

[@PigMCplayer]

Lebron Fitzgerald it’s about preserving them so people in 50 years won’t be selling them for 2 grand

[@brandonkick]

The person who made the video commented that the link port and charging ports were heavily damaged. Between that and the shell being pretty worn and damaged as well.... I'm actually OK with taking the screen on this one. Sell the board for salvage... someone can take those ports off a broken AGS 001 board and attach them to this 101 board.

[@ChrisR3tro]

Just get an IPS V2 screen, it looks way better than the AGS101 screen anyway, because it's sharper and has less smearing during movement. PLUS you don't have to DESTROY an original AGS101 which was in perfect condition, you.... !!!!!!! IT BELONGS IN A MUSEUM, DAMMIT! :-p

[@ShaggyShaggums]

I did this mod like 3 or 4 years ago. Why are you doing it now? I've watched KZbin videos about this mod. I've even improved on it by switching to a better speaker and adding an amp for the speaker (metalJesusrocks uses the same amp that I use in my Gameboy Advance ) because of the KZbin videos that I've seen about them. I even used a better LCD cable that you used. I used a cable that had a built in switch for brightness for the LCD screen that was easy to adjust from the battery bay. You usually make some great videos but this time you are way off. This video makes you lame and so behind.

[@Restalgia]

I appreciate the feedback. The main reason I did this mod is actually 2 fold. I've never done the mod and have had these parts sitting around for literally years, and I had a company reach out to send me a multi-flash card for the gba. :)... if you notice at the end I put a tbc screen before the ending splash. It was kinda a way to tie it all in together. but I definitely hear you, and respect your opinion. I wasn't trying to do something old or boring, just figured I was making something anyway, and would just film and put out a video for it.

[@16bitsorhigher]

This is what retro is all about. It’s all about keeping the old systems alive! I think it’s a great idea and an awesome video.

[@kidmarceaux]

Shaggy Shaggums lol. You’re a loser.

[@vandango901]

How do I know if I need the 34 pin or 40 pin converter?

[@nchatmon94]

What is the blue mat? I see it a lot

[@Restalgia]

It's an anti-static solder mat. It's really helpful because it has sections that are magnetic to keep your screws and stuff in place, and other tools too. Very handy

[@nchatmon94]

@@Restalgia thanks!!

[@voldy3565]

@@Restalgia So where can I buy it?

[@Restalgia]

If you are in the USA amzn.to/2ygqt7o Canada: amzn.to/2y8DU9c U.K: amzn.to/2JmbtHk