NES turned into media centre PC

Running Linux, with Atom processor and ION graphics

10 May 2010 16:21 GMT / By Duncan Geere

An enterprising modder has turned his retro NES console into a media centre PC that would rival some of the most advanced models on the market.

On the outside it looks like a regular NES straight out of the Eighties, albeit with the requisite PC connectors on the back. Inside, however, it's a different story. There's a dual-core Intel Atom N330, Nvidia ION graphics, and 2GB of RAM (compared to the original NES's 2KB of RAM).

The one thing it doesn't have is an internal hard drive, but it comes with a flash drive with Linux and XBMC installed, so you can get cracking immediately if you want to. It's got an Ethernet port, and there's n-standard Wi-Fi compatibility, along with six USB 2.0 ports, one optical and one coaxial digital audio out, one eSATA port, HDMI/DVI/VGA connectors, and the usual range of analoge audio connectors.

It's available from Etsy right now for $475, which comes out at about £316 at current exchange rates. There's only one available, though, so if you want it then get your skates on.