Hardware Project Replacing a failing RAM chip on a New 3DS XL

tsukimaru · Apr 18, 2026

As the title says, I'm looking for resources on replacing the RAM module on a japanese New 3DS XL I just got. The console boots to menu, but then freezes after a few seconds. I got into the Nintendo hb discord group and the guys were very kind to help me find some diagnostic tools. Turns out my ram is failing. I then moved over to the hardware support channel but they pretty much said it's a BGA repair and that it's not worth it due to low chances of actually repair it.

I have BGA repair experience on nintendo switch, but I have schematics, stencils, and lots more resources than for the 3ds which appears to have very little documentation for some reason.

I have a bunch of donor boards in different states of damage (broken boards, missing connectors, etc.) where I can harvest the ram but they said it also has some epoxy to stick it on the board. So I guess my questions are:

Is there any documentation about a RAM swap on 3ds?
If so, where can I find it? I looked here, on reddit, discord, but I can't find anything
If not, has anyone ever tried it? and if so, how did you achieve it?

Please let me know guys. I think this is a really good opportunity to document the process in case it's never been done before. I'm willing to go the distance and try to bring it to life.

k66 · Apr 18, 2026

Are you talking about RAM or eMMC? Because you mentioned NAND.

tsukimaru · Apr 18, 2026

k66 said:
Are you talking about RAM or eMMC? Because you mentioned NAND.

Ram, sorry about the confusion I edited the comment

k66 · Apr 18, 2026

I think this is due to poor contact between the RAM or CPU, needs to be re-soldered (BGA).
The pads on the PCB may be oxidized or damaged.
In most cases, the RAM and CPU chips themselves are not damaged and do not need to be replaced.

tsukimaru · Apr 18, 2026

k66 said:
I think this is due to poor contact between the RAM or CPU, needs to be re-soldered (BGA).
The pads on the PCB may be oxidized or damaged.
In most cases, the RAM and CPU chips themselves are not damaged and do not need to be replaced.

Still, that would suggest that I'd need to do a reballing just to be sure the connection is solid. The console has humidity that I could find, but I'm concerned that the epoxy won't let me lift it even if heated

tsukimaru · Apr 19, 2026

Little update: I decided to go and grab a donor board to see if the ram module was indeed epoxied or not and guess what... It isn't. It appears it's just the cpu which for the purposes of my fix is perfect. That means I can easily and reliably get the ram module I need from a donor. I just need to ensure it's a compatible ram and I'll be golden

I'll keep you guys posted

tsukimaru · 2026-06-09T03:26:37+0100

Another update, just found the right size of solder balls for the job. It's 0.30mm and it's the perfect size for it.

I couldn't find any stencil for the life of me which means this is the go to method for now.

Since this is a new skill for me it will take me another while to try and see if we're successful

I'll keep you posted

SpaceGameJunkie · 2026-06-09T04:29:49+0100

Good luck!

Hardware *Project* Replacing a failing RAM chip on a New 3DS XL

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