DIY

The Pironman 5 Pro Max from SunFounder is a Raspberry Pi 5-powered tower PC with some significant upgrades over the non-Pro version. It includes a large 4.3-inch touchscreen, a built-in Raspberry Pi camera holder, and dual stereo speakers with a USB microphone.

YouTuber ETA Prime has turned a broken phone into an under $100 mini PC with a few Raspberry Pi parts. This modified PC with the Galaxy S20 FE mainboard is shown to handle light games and emulation with ease.

The new display also supports touch input and can be used as a control panel for a smart home. Users can benefit from very extensive configuration options. In addition, smart home devices can integrated with this system.

According to user reports, a chip from the Raspberry Pi Foundation can be massively overclocked, which can deliver a major performance boost. However, this does not suddenly turn the Raspberry Pi RP2350 into a performance monster.

Wavelet Lab’s xSDR is a tiny M.2 2230 A+E-key software-defined radio (SDR) module built to plug straight into laptops, tablets, embedded PCs, and other compact systems. Just drop this tiny card into a spare M.2 slot, and turn it into a portable cellular network analyzer or penetration testing tool.

Waveshare is now offering a 7-inch round touchscreen display with an IPS panel, HDMI input, and 10-point capacitive touch support, targeting smart home systems, in-vehicle infotainment systems, and other interactive embedded HMI hardware.

After deciding against using the ISP router in part one, it’s time to focus on hardware: what actually works best for an OpenWRT router? A mini PC, Raspberry Pi, or a traditional router? And what about the switch and access point? In this part, I’ll walk through my hardware choices, including considerations around power consumption, architecture, and cost.

A modder has built a small, 3D-printed gaming cube inspired by the Steam Machine concept, using a modern AMD mini PC and an external GPU connected via OCuLink. Called the ITG Cube, the project focuses on a compact design and DIY 3D printing.

Provider routers are convenient—but that’s exactly their biggest problem. Poor Wi-Fi coverage, limited control, questionable privacy, and technical limitations are everyday issues for many users. In this new series, I’ll gradually replace my provider’s all-in-one device (the Vodafone Station) with a modular setup using an OpenWRT router, access point, and switch. In part 1, I’ll explain why I’m taking this approach and how the project is structured.

The DB3506 might be a suitable alternative to the Raspberry Pi 5 and sports a wide range of ports. However, there are a few differences, and in practice, this single-board computer targets a different group of users.

Nearly 20 years later, the Nintendo DS is still receiving new hardware integrations, and with good reason. Given its superior form factor and sprawling homebrew community, the only thing missing seemed to be a little Raspberry Pi integration. Enter the DSpico flashcart.

The AI Pyramid Computing Box is a new and rather unusual device that is intended to run AI models locally and comes with two HDMI 2.0 ports. A microphone array and speaker are also already on board.

DIY enthusiast Benjamn Biggs has once again reclaimed his position — setting a new speed record for battery-powered remote-controlled drones. This marks the second time he has taken the crown from engineers Mike and Luke Bell.

While the ThinkPad series of laptops has always lent itself to customization, the Intel processors powering them have limited complete control over the device due in part to Intel’s Management Engine. However, thanks to the work of dedicated security researchers, there is a method to build a fully open-source laptop, from the BIOS up.

Elegoo has entered the multicolor 3D printing space with its budget friendly Centauri Carbon 2 Combo. The Canvas system, faster calibration, and automatic vents are some of the key upgrades for the new printer that succeeds last year’s Centauri Carbon.

The Mecha Comet is a new, portable handheld characterized by its modularity and openness, and is currently available at a discount. The device can be used with a keyboard or a controller.

Even though it’s not made by Sony, there finally is a real and portable PlayStation. Unlike the PlayStation Portal, this DIY handheld is suitable for local rendering of console games and not just for streaming. The heavily modified PS4 Slim has also been equipped with a modern OLED display.

A new Raspberry Pi Pico-based hardware mod for later-model PlayStation 3 consoles unlocks quasi-custom firmware, enabling unprecedented CELL and RSX overclocking, native PS2 ISO support, and Linux compatibility through direct XDR RAM exploitation. By achieving stable RSX clocks of up to 850 MHz and CELL speeds reportedly reaching 4.1 GHz, this community-driven breakthrough transforms the once-limited PS3 Super Slim into a powerful retro and homebrew platform, albeit with a hardware installation barrier.

A 15-year-old modder has pushed Hytale’s systems to their limits by emulating Windows 95, Minecraft Classic, Doom, and even Game Boy titles entirely within the game just days after its January 13, 2026, launch. His feats, achieved through custom CPU-based rendering and streamed as pixel data to Hytale’s world map, highlight the engine’s surprising flexibility and have already drawn attention from Hypixel Studios’ leadership.

The Ningtendo PXBOX 5 is essentially an all-in-one gaming machine that combines all current-gen consoles. The system houses a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S and Nintendo Switch 2 in a single stylish case.

CheckMag Jailbreaking your Kindle with WinterBreak or AdBreak is easier than you might think, and when combined with KOReader and KindleForge, Amazon's e-reader can be made far better than Amazon would want.

Just one month after losing the record of the world's fastest battery-powered RC quadcopter to Benjamin Biggs of Drone Pro Hub, engineers Mike and Luke have reclaimed the record with a blistering top speed of 657 km/h (408 mph).

A third-party mod that disables DLC checking on Monster Hunter Wilds reportedly grants higher PC performance, going from average 25 FPS to averaging above 50 FPS on the same PC, and the same performance is possible without mods by simply owning all the DLC in what seems like a bug but could also be intentional.

Micron exited the consumer DRAM market in December 2025, leaving Samsung and SK Hynix as the only two major suppliers. It is now rumored that SK Hynix may follow Micron's lead, stopping the production of consumer DRAM and NAND chips.

This new display is esigned to combine the advantages of an e-ink panel with higher responsiveness. The Waveshare ESP32-S3-RLCD-4.2 also comes with an integrated processing chipset and can be connected wirelessly and controlled via voice commands.

Fan-designed LEGO Ideas project “Portal 2: Test Chamber Creator” has quickly surpassed 2,000 supporters, offering a modular, 1,280-piece homage to Valve’s acclaimed puzzle game with functional test chambers, working mechanisms, and key characters like Chell, Atlas, P-body, and Wheatley. With roughly 540 days left to reach the 10,000-supporter threshold for official LEGO review, the set’s growing momentum suggests strong community demand for an officially licensed Portal 2 kit.

A DIY creator has built a Bluetooth-enabled cassette loop recorder that captures Spotify streams to tape in real time, delivering genuinely analog, lo-fi playback with all the saturation and imperfections plugins try to emulate. Despite its retro charm and transparent, stainless-steel design, the project demands advanced skills in soldering, PCB design, and analog troubleshooting, making it better suited to dedicated tinkerers than casual listeners, who may prefer off-the-shelf options like the FiiO CP13.

A hardware modder has transformed a Red Bull can into a fully functional Raspberry Pi 5-powered retro gaming mini PC, complete with custom UV-printed branding and an ingredients-style spec label. Built as a gift and loaded with classics from Doom to Pac-Man, the project’s free CAD and 3D-print files on Printables turn this one-off novelty into a reproducible DIY build for makers.

A new Sega Channel Revival project brings the 1990s cable-based Sega Genesis subscription service back to life on modern hardware, with MiSTer and Raspberry Pi builds that faithfully recreate the original menus, characters, and rotating game library. Built from recovered prototype ROMs and preserved system data hosted on the Internet Archive, this offline reconstruction offers a historically rich, near-accurate experience of Sega’s ahead-of-its-time platform, albeit without save support at the moment.

A DIY modder known as “High Tech \\ Low Life” has transformed a standard smartphone into a fully fledged cyberdeck, combining dual 5W speakers, a tactical keyboard with touchpad, and a 10,000 mAh power bank in a clamshell, Atari Portfolio–inspired design. Built from scratch with 3D-modeled mounts, salvaged ThinkPad hinges, and an integrated USB-C hub, the project delivers laptop-like functionality and booming audio in a compact, highly customized mobile rig.

Zepp Health is now offering a new module for building a custom wearable, so to speak. Customers can potentially save money, and there are also extensive options for customization.

A retro hardware modder has recreated the classic Commodore 1084 monitor in miniature form using 3D printing, pairing an 8-inch LCD with a custom-designed shell to match the Amiga A500 Mini and C64 Mini. The project, documented in detail on YouTube, combines modern display tech with faithfully styled housing, offering a sharp, compact alternative to original CRTs for today’s mini retro systems.

Framework is raising laptop prices again as DDR5 RAM costs spike amid a global memory shortage, while unusually urging buyers to source their own modules if they can find cheaper deals. The company frames the move as a pass-through of supplier increases rather than profit-taking, warning of further hikes ahead and promising to lower prices once costs normalize.

The unprecedented memory chip shortage isn't going to end anytime soon, but that doesn't mean DDR5 RAM sticks couldn't be cheaper than they are currently selling for. Modders are now seeing the DIY method as somewhat of a viable approach.

The new C500 can apparently process a wide variety of materials with relative ease. This CNC machine promises many possibilities, such as the custom production of spare parts or even completely original creations.

The K-100 is a 3D printer that supposedly plays in a completely different league than typical 3D printers and should therefore be suitable for the production of high-quality components. The actual printing technology is hardly comparable to that of widespread 3D printers that use filament or resin.

A new 3D printer is launching with 12 nozzles and is primarily intended to offer advantages when printing with multiple filaments or different colors. It’s also supposed to be very precise and offers a relatively large build volume.

Lucas Sifoni built a pocket-sized, 3D-printed Dobsonian telescope around a 76 mm mirror, and was kind enough to detail its compact mechanical design, materials, optical testing, and limits, showing it is small but genuinely functional.

An enterprising developer has published a new free browser-based tool for splitting large 3D models into multiple parts, replete with a built-in jigsaw generator and an impressive number of quality of life features. The splitter is 100% free to use, and the dev says that it is also privacy-focussed, with all of the processing happening locally.

The GPD Win 5 has undergone major design changes compared to its predecessor, with the external battery being one of them. A modder who goes by PureDIY has now shown off a mod for the gaming handheld that fixes many design complaints.

Optimum, the YouTuber infamous for his minimalist gaming setups, has redesigned his custom 3D printed gaming mouse, the Zer0mouse, with all-new materials and a claimed massive increase in durability. The Zer0mouse project is still 3D printed on Formlabs printers, but the combination of structural tweaks and the new, more flexible printing resin, make it more durable.

OCuLink is very rarely seen even on high-end laptops, so it is quite impressive to see a member of the Framework modular laptop community making their own full bandwidth OCuLink solution for external eGPUs. With full PCIe 4.0 X8 speed enabled, the custom OCuLink module running an RTX 4070 desktop GPU is just 1-2% slower than the desktop implementation.

The Banana Pi BPI-CM6 is an SBC, precisely a compute module, which sports an octa-core RISC-V CPU and 8 GB of memory. Intended to be an alternative to the Raspberry Pi CM4, the BPI-CM6 might be a great choice for RISC-V enthusiasts.

This relatively affordable add-on kit allows users to effortlessly convert a conventional 3D printer into a metalworking machine. It uses a fairly straightforward process that doesn’t require hazardous chemicals.

The Dubai Police, in collaboration with Luke & Mike Bell, have broken the world record for the fastest ground speed by a battery-powered, remote-controlled quadcopter, achieving a top speed of 580 km/h (360.4 mph).

An insane DIY drone built by Ben Biggs has broken the unofficial world record for the fastest drone with a mind-boggling top speed of 603 km/h (375 mph), surpassing the previous record by 18 km/h (7 mph).

CheckMag Fans are already reimagining Valve’s new Steam Machine with creative, funny and throwback concept skins. From dynamic displays to meme cubes, these community-made designs are an indicator of how anticipation for the Steam Machine is high and live.

A custom Seiko mod called the "Tarkin Timepiece" features a handmade Star Wars dial, two-tone lume, lightsaber hands and an exposed NH38 balance jewel. Photos show the layered wafer-style design and the builder’s careful movement work.