> LOAD “BENCH”
Restoring retro gaming & classic computing technology
Dead machines in. Working ones out. Mostly.
Repairs, restorations and mods of 8-bit computers, consoles and CRTs from a UK workshop, including the fixes that fight back.
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Browse Repairs by Machine
Over a decade of repairs, mods and restorations, sorted by the machine on the bench.
> ON THE BENCH
Latest Builds and Repairs
Fresh off the bench: the newest restorations, builds and fixes from the workshop.
- How to Build the Ultimate Pico Atari 2600 & 7800 Multicart – A10400 Pico!
One cartridge, two consoles, and an LED bright enough to illuminate the workbench. Today I’m building the Pico A10400, a DIY Atari… Read more: How to Build the Ultimate Pico Atari 2600 & 7800 Multicart – A10400 Pico! - Restoring soot damaged Intellivision, Pi Pico multi cart
Two survivors from the house fire hit the bench: a soot-caked Frog Bog cartridge and an Intellivision. I clean them up, then build a Pi Pico multi-cart so the console can run a whole library from an SD card. - Anycubic Kobra X Review: 3D Printing Retro Parts You Can’t Buy (+ £15/$15 Discount Code)
The machine doing the work was the Anycubic Kobra X, which arrived as sponsored hardware. It is a four colour filament changing… Read more: Anycubic Kobra X Review: 3D Printing Retro Parts You Can’t Buy (+ £15/$15 Discount Code) - How I Built a Retro Gaming Server with the UGREEN NAS DXP4800 GT – DISCOUNT CODE
Making my own Personal Streaming Retro Gaming Server When UGREEN NAS sent over the NASync DXP4800 GT along with four Seagate IronWolf… Read more: How I Built a Retro Gaming Server with the UGREEN NAS DXP4800 GT – DISCOUNT CODE - DaVinci Resolve Voiceover 21 Not Working? Check This Win 11 Setting
My microphone worked in Windows 11 and Audacity, but DaVinci Resolve recorded silence. If you’ve recently updated DaVinci Resolve Studio and suddenly… Read more: DaVinci Resolve Voiceover 21 Not Working? Check This Win 11 Setting
Off the bench
// work in progress, parts hauls and fails, live from the socials
![Why does pixel art still thrive? I showed my teenage daughter a PC-Engine game and she complimented “the pixel art”!
Once a necessity, pixel graphics are now an artistic choice. Is it nostalgia or is there something uniquely appealing about the look?
#RetroGaming #GameArt
[Picture from Celeste 2018]](https://scontent-fra3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.75761-15/482316995_18381752935116692_386454804486031261_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=105&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiRkVFRC5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=hAT70YiIERoQ7kNvwGgu-G3&_nc_oc=Adqy--Kz4e8zUoEtwTFd8tj8Wm9rHm0_FSqGRHDfZIJD0JyGk9YYBZNwm6_6ggpPgHs&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-fra3-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=AFF3FJ0EAAAA&_nc_gid=90EgSGvvFVDpnUoPRK8spA&oh=00_AQRfTavwUBllbOveWbmDn8Da6lvx7vWoNaFbLkVWAelOVg&oe=6AEB533A)
- Quoting: New for #3DO owners: the 3DO ODE Menu, a replacement menu for Fixel's FZ-1 ODE, XPort and most clones. Box art, favorites, recently played, multi-disc auto-queue, quick browsing of big folders, plus a one-click Cover Maker. Free on GitHub:…
- Make it not so.
My new Patreon version of my video is up without Youtube ads. www.patreon.com/markfixesstu…
Troubleshooting a classic Commodore 64, only to find the keyboard wasn’t working. The culprit? A simple shift lock key! See how a small fix brought this vintage machine back to life. Full video https://youtu.be/1C6bOZfOOic #Commodore64 #RetroGaming #VintageTech #ComputerRepair #TechNostalgia
Unboxing the beige Commodore 64, complete with a sticker that says ‘Doris.’ What’s inside? A power LED and a boot to BASIC. Astonishingly, Ms. Pac-Man even runs! Full video https://youtu.be/1C6bOZfOOic #Commodore64 #RetroComputing #VintageTech #MsPacMan #ComputerHistory
Mark Fixes Stuff is a UK-based retro gaming and retro computing Youtube channel dedicated to the repair, restoration, and preservation of vintage technology.
About Mark Fixes Stuff
At Mark Fixes Stuff, it’s not just about soldering wires or reviving dusty circuit boards. It’s about rekindling memories of a time when technology was simpler, braver, and smelled faintly of warm capacitors.
I grew up in the golden age of British home computing, when every beep and flicker on the screen felt like pure magic. Back then, money was tight, so I could only dream of experiencing many of the machines I saw in magazines or shop windows.
Now, after all these years, I finally get to experience them for the first time, uncovering their secrets and sharing that sense of discovery with others who missed out too.
What is Mark Fixes Stuff?
Mark Fixes Stuff documents the process of repairing, restoring, and upgrading vintage technology. Every project is a chance to rediscover the innovation and design that shaped the early days of personal computing and gaming.
On the channel and this website, you’ll find:
- Repair and Restoration Projects: Step-by-step repairs and diagnostic work on retro consoles and computers.
- Upgrades and Modifications: Modern improvements that extend the life and usability of classic systems.
- Community Resources: Downloadable files, cartridge labels, and 3D printable parts to help others with their own restorations.
Why Retro Technology Matters
Restoring and maintaining vintage technology is more than a hobby. These systems represent a key moment in our technological and cultural history. Repairing them preserves both the machines and the memories attached to them.
Each repair is an act of preservation, a way to honour the creativity, problem-solving, and ingenuity that defined the early computing era. Through Mark Fixes Stuff, I hope to encourage others to repair, restore, and rediscover their own connections to this history.
If you’re passionate about retro computing, classic gaming, and the art of restoration, you’re very welcome here.
Join the MFS Community
The retro scene has always been about sharing ideas, discoveries, and the challenge of keeping old technology alive. Mark Fixes Stuff isn’t just a channel, it’s a community of people who still believe that the low whine of a CRT and the click of a mechanical key are worth preserving.
These are my preferred places to connect, though you’ll find me on other platforms too:
🎥 Mark Fixes Stuff on YouTube
Watch restorations, repairs, and discoveries as they happen. Subscribe to stay updated when a new project goes live.
💬 Join The Mark Fixes Stuff Discord
Chat with fellow enthusiasts, share your own projects, ask for advice, or simply enjoy some nostalgia about your first computer or console.
🦋 Follow Mark Fixes Stuff on Bluesky
Follow for smaller updates, retro finds, and thoughts between projects, a quieter corner of the internet for vintage tech fans.
☕ Help the channel via Patreon
Support the channel and get behind-the-scenes updates, early looks at upcoming videos, and the satisfaction of helping to keep retro knowledge alive.
