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This is the new capacitor. I didn’t have any of the original type around so I used a regular capacitor of a similar value, in this case its a 40µF rated at 25v. More than adequate for the job.

I bent the legs into positions that will allow it to reach round the speaker connector to the solder points. The short leg is for the positive terminal and the longer one is negative, remember to look for the stripe on the side of the cap.  

A very common fault with the Sega Game Gear is that the sound often fails now that the console is getting old. This fix is very easy and can be done in only a few minutes. You'll be back to playing games with that great 8-bit sound tracks in no time.

Now We need to remove the sound board from the back of the case, its held in by 2 small screws. This small board deals with the audio for the main speaker and the headphone jack port. It also includes the volume control wheel.

The culprit is high lighted in red in this photo. This is a tiny 47µF capacitor, Its job is voltage smoothing as the power goes out to the speaker. When the cap dies the circuit is broken and that’s the end for the sound.

The headphones continue to work fine as they go through an other line.     

First we need to get the case open. This is very quick as all the screws are easy to locate once you remove the battery covers. The only potential problem is with the security screw in the middle of the cartridge slot. For this I use a GameBit screwdriver which also opens things like game cartridges and other consoles.

Once the case is open carefully disconnect the power and sound wires from the small boards (white ends) and the small connector for the speaker.

Next remove the 4 screws holding the metal heat spreader/guard in place.

The best way to remove the dead cap is simply getting hold of it with needle-nose pliers and slowly twist from left to right until it comes free from the PCB.

Here is a size comparison with a 1p coin just to show how small the capacitor is.

Next is a good idea to clean up the solder tracks on the board with some PCB cleaning fluid. I also melted a little extra solder in place to help later.

The new cap is fitted into place and when the legs are heated with the solder iron they should melt into the new solder.

The cap now rests in a convenient place out of the way of other components and case parts.  Replace the sound board into the case.

So now you just need to replace the sound board, replace the heat shield, and put the case back together. Now you have a fully working piece of retro gaming hardware that should last for a very long time to come.

I have about 5 Game Gears and all but one had faulty sound, so you can see just how common the problem is.

Hope you find this useful, have fun with your Sega.  -Neil 8bitplus 2008