"Bruh" to the person who broke their steam deck to end up in Austin's hand.

Quick tip for anyone wanting to upgrade themselves, use the top half of the Decks included case to sit the Deck in for a flat working surface so you don't put pressure on or potentially damage the analog sticks.

If I'm not mistaken Gulikit sells Hall Sensing joysticks for the steam that DON'T involve soldering. I believe that's the new version they have

Austin, the black sticker on the inside of the original steam deck back cover is a graphite pad specifically for heat dissipation. So there is already heat dissipation in the original cover.

I got the 512 Refurbished model and it is just completely clean and new. I am honestly surprised by Value's efforts of making their products good for the price, especially for the refurbished models.

I bought a refurbished 256G Steam Deck, and mine looked pristine and works great. The only issue I had was that Valve forgot to include the charger, but they shipped one out to me immediately. I have been having a great time with it.

This is one of the best things about the Steam Deck compared to other handhelds is that you can easily upgrade or fix components on the Deck.

320$ is perfect. I would not pay 350$ for refurbished. Been burned to many times buying refurbished when i could have just spent the extra 30 -50$ to just have working new

I’m still amazed at how easy it is to replace parts in the Steam Deck!

It's a shame Austin did not try and diagnose the fan issue, it could have just been hitting a wire that was in the way.

I bought the 64gb model new and upgraded to a 1TB ssd for cheaper than the 250 model. Totally worth it.

My favorite part of the JSAUX back is the other sets of back buttons - I put in the highest set and it has made those buttons SO much more usable for me.

That relief he showed when the fan fix worked is so relatable, I'm scared to death to mess with stuff like that but a few years ago my laptop had a serious fault so I had nothing to lose. I opened it fixed the two things that were wrong and I felt like a God damn genius.

I like how you ran into some issues during your customization process. It portrays an accurate refurbished version experience.

The wires on the joysticks aren't supposed to stick out like that, you're supposed to make them sort of wrap around the module, otherwise the wire is going to be rubbing against its surroundings whenever you move the joystick.

There was a couple possibilities gong on with the fan. First, it would have been good to know if it was happening before it was opened up. Always good to establish a known state before doing work on something. It sounded like the blades were rubbing on the fan housing when it was in motion. The back shell could have caused a bit of extra pressure on the main board that carried over to the fan housing, slightly warping it. The bearing on the fan may have been going bad. Those fans usually have a few years in 'em at least before they start to fail, but maybe it was an overlooked failure. It's also possible that the refurb tech may have over-tightened the screws for the fan. Best case scenario for that would be unscrewing it and putting it back. If it were really over-torqued though, it's possible that the fan housing got slightly dented in and that was the cause of the rubbing. Still fixable, but annoying to remove the housing and flattening it out.

Would love to see the temps for both stock and new back cover...

So I also bought a refurbished 64GB Steam Deck from Steam. Mine also had a missing screw internally. The other two was able to keep everything in place without issues. I upgraded it immediately with a Micron 2TB SSD for $149.99 from Amazon. It was so worth it and the upgrade itself was fairly easy!

The fan issue was probably because something was stuck in it. My laptop fan used to sound like that and started shutting down on its own. I thought the fan was dead but Taking it apart and checking it out, I found that it was a plastic bit that was getting stuck there. I removed it and my laptop wasnt shutting itself down anymore. I guess it was making the fan not spin at a certain point and the laptop was shutting itself down to protect itself from overheating

Fans have been an ongoing topic for the Steam Deck. On release, they were a bit loud, and Valve eventually patched it up with a software update. Much better. But then the Dbrand Killswitch was releasing soon (which is a Steam Deck case), and just before release, somebody noticed that the magnet on its kickstand was interfering with its fan, and causing some fan slowdowns. It turned out that this issue was only on a chunk of Decks, but Killswitch redesigned the case to not use magnets. If I'm not mistaken, they eventually gave all their customers the non-magnetic case after release months later, but gave their preorder customers the magnetic one earlier at no cost as well. It does make me wonder if you could have been an update away from a better fan, but I would doubt it if you got Apex Legends to play. You'd probably have to avoid the updates, which seems farfetched if you fiddled with it continuously over the weekend.

I'm just wishing retailers(scalpers) dont gobble up the 2nd hand then slap don't open if something goes wrong.

Other option, instead of buying a clear backplate, the amount can be used to double the ssd instead. 😁 and it will still be under the target budget

Heh, obviously a missing screw isn’t a big deal, but it does make me slightly question how diligently they’re inspecting this. Apparently 100 tests doesn’t include a thorough “once over” before shipping to confirm that everything is in the right place. Put another way, you wouldn’t expect a new unit to be missing a screw, right?

Austin I highly doubt you will see this comment but over the course of multiple accounts i have had I have been watching you about 2 years prior to the house fire and im just so glad to see how you jumped back in and are still seeing just so much success. I particularly love the surprise item videos where your crew orders you stuff

My co-worker already had one of these refurbs 3-4 weeks ago, shipped from Germany to the Netherlands. Could've been a mispicked item, it happens :)

I think a good Austin catchphrase is "Legitimately a good deal"

7:03 those are finger cots, to put on your fingers while removing screws and components without causing static electricity spikes

The screw missing is basically my spirit animal, any time i open anything i am always left with screws out

The Guli Kit has a v2 where you don't need to solder and are compatible with both types of steam deck models (if you uncertain, Google). Also JSaux has transparent fron shells and an RGB back shell, too.

I wonder if some of their refurbished Steam decks are ones that got damaged during the manufacture process. Perhaps a box of shells got scratched or something. They can't sell them at full price. I can't imagine a lot of people are returning them.

This was a great video and I might actually have to check out that backplate since it adds a little functionality to its form. Not just all looks.

The gullikit joysticks come with solder in place? That's so slick! I hate trying to add solder, well, honestly I hate soldering at all, but mostly because trying to get just enough solder is a nightmare for me. Also, is anyone else old enough to remember blower fans that size sounding like jet engines? I'm seriously impressed at how far fan technology has come in 30 years.

It really doesn't make sense to get anything else than the 64GB if you are planning on upgrading the SSD or just don't like the shiny screen (and won't use a screen protector, since that would completely invalidate the matte coating in the 512GB version)

Reminds me of the first refurbished PSX systems from the 90's. At least for the first few years we were told they were from Sony, and the quality was excellent.

Got the 2TB SSD (WD SN740, PCIe 4.0) on Ali for less than $150. Internet tells me the 64GB uses eMMC, 256 is PCI 3.0 SSD, and the 512GB is a 4.0 drive, explaining some speed differences. Worth noting: the Micro SD and the SSD utilize the same PCI lane - which is why the SD reads so damned well, and why, no matter what SSD you install, there will be a peak read/write around 600MB/s (up to - but not exceeding - 1GB/s, which is wellllll below the SSD's rated read/write speeds). I'd personally be upset, but concessions were made. As it's about 25-30% faster than my 256GB SSD, and I can still suspend active games for weeks on end without a need to reload/restart them every time it powers on (ie, works exactly how it did before), not a complaint for carrying around 8x more data!

That fan sounded like it could do with a quick clean and some grease. Can they be opened up to allow for that? It would be a really nice option, still $25 isn't bad at all. Yes I would 100% get a refurb one.

the internal build & layouts way cleaner than the Ally does.

Austin got one as good as almost new. A light scuff on the back wouldn't bother me. I'm not OCD about things like in my teens and 20s. I don't expect perfection from refurbs. As long as I'm saving $80 and the screen looks clean. I buy used all the time because I don't game as much as before. I find it a waste buying new if I hardly will play it. I only game maybe 30 minutes per day or sometimes not at all for weeks. My Vita slim and Switch Lite are both used and I love them more than any previous console/handheld I had. As long as they work like say the charging port, I could care less about cosmetic blemishes.

i myself have done all of those mods myself as well, just with tthe non soldering needed version of the sticks and a purple plate with different backbuttons and a 2 tb ssd

Cryobytes suggested not using that shell because the plate can actually burn you. And instead to use the newer jsaux one with the fan cutout.

I’ve looked every day for a certified refurbished steam deck since this video came out and every time they’re sold out. How do you obtain one?

Bro it's been so long and I forgot Austin & his team moved

2TB SSD can be placed inside it and you can get the Steam Deck SSD Upgrade kit with it too

I bet the tape on the original backing muffled the fan noise when it spins faster.

FYI - that version of the JSaux back case ceased manufacturing (or is) because the exposed metal plate gets too hot for a device that is held. They have a new one that doesn't have the exposed metal plate and open airvents.

Interesting bit about 'refurbished' tech like this - the user can send back the item unopened to the vendor, and it will still be classified as refurbished. Dell Outlet stores operate in this manner.

To anyone actually wanting to go through this process of replacing the ssd, get at least a 500gb or 1tb. Trust me when you get it all done and set you don't want to have to replace it again in six months when you run out of storage.

The Nintendo 64 controller has a similar setup for the joystick, undo a cable and you can swap it right out. Very nice if you want to upgrade to a GC style joystick

I got the refurbished one.. the high end version. Nothing was wrong with it. It was only an open box.. so good deal for me

next time u try opening a steam deck, u can squeeze the sides after taking out the screws and it just comes off, no need to pry it open on the top and scuff it

The cool thing about the steamdeck is how very User friendly it is to replace certain parts and Repair the System.

Just know Austin skipped a lot of steps not shown in his video to upgrade the SSD.

Most the steam decks they end up with are likely returns barely if at all played. I know someone that bought one, powered it on for an hour and returned it weeks later to valve for a refund.

My refurb shipped without Steam OS, other than having to re-image, everything has been flawless.

Gulikit has ones for only a few dollars more that already have the sticks included and soldered on so you don't have to do it yourself.

Got mine on the summer sale 64gb after the deck a 512gb ssd and 512gb sd card I was just over the original 399 price tag for a 1tb deck such a deal that’s new imagine the referb price discounted in a sale to that would be wild

very good deal I may purchase a second one as a backup unit incase I ever have to RMA my og release unit!

Gullikit makes a non solder Hall effect joy stick kit now, also jsaux has a better version of the clear backplate now too

My fan was grinding and making a lot of noise, I thought it was normal because a lot of people said the fans were noisy. After a year, I replaced my backplate with the JSAUX one and it somehow fixed it and now my fan is silent even when running over 4000 RPM. It seems to be an issue with backplates.

Here in South Africa these go for around R18000 which is around 900 USD

A very realistic video when you try to upgrade something might go unexpectedly wrong like the fan. Nice job on the video!

I always thought the 64GB model had the storate solderer, kinda like the 4GB Xbox 360 Slim back in the day. Kind of surprising its an actual separate unit.

You can purchase a brand new Steam Deck 64gb for £314.00 at present in the UK

If your planning on replacing the shell refurb seems like such a good deal

i'd want want the "frosted"screen from the maxed out one most of all

I think the newest version of those sticks come with the sticks already soldered.

The PSP has no ventilation, the scratching noise was the umd disc

So they did "100 tests" on the refurbished unit and didn't notice a defective fan. Interesting.

I’m wondering how a larger sample size is with the results of the refurbished models cause I might just buy the refurbished model and replacing the SSD

Is it possible to have a link to Austin´s last shirt? Thanks!

damn editing effects are wild

Cool to see you doing this! It would be cool to make some "modding" to my new steamdeck, but no way I would see so much effort. I would happily pay for someone to do this for me. Time will tell.

Been a tech for 20 years. The plastic spudger is the best tool for opening things

Just so everyone knows, they MUST put refurbished products thru a harder test and checks. This goes from tvs to life-saving devices

Maybe they are planning to do some sort of buyback program or something. I mean they cant have that many returns right? I guess they could be reselling the ones that come in on like warranty fix stuff but considering how repairable all the things are on these and if you are refurbishing them then there would be no reason to give someone a new steam deck on a warranty claim and then repairing and selling the other one for a refurbished model ... idk but I do want one lol

Damn. I paid $575 for my 512gb from someone who played it once before he sold it to me, and it was in absolute mint condition. I would have rather paid $320 and upgraded it myself. I could have put a 1tb ssd and hall-effect thumbsticks in it and still paid less. But it still runs like brand new almost a year later, so 🤷

Aah I have found the one flaw " There's no screw in it" 😂

Great video, Austin! I'd love to see more Deck coverage on the channel!

I love the pokemon box holding the SD up lol

04:24 Speaking from Norwegian perspective, apparently a store here in Norway has been selling the Steam Decks with an American charger that constantly gives warning of "Slow Charging Detected" and isn't capable of charging the battery while the device is in use, and the Steam Decks hadn't been delivered to their customers with a proper Norwegian power adapter or charger. I doubt this would warrant a return to Valve by the store when they get them in return from the customers, but it may be a possible case of what might be the cause for some returns to Valve elsewhere.

So for people thinking on buying/upgrading the Steam Deck, I actually did some mods on my Steam Deck, now that "refurbished" are available I would go with 64gb and then spend 80$ on 1tb 2230 ssd. Then the backplate to run the steam deck cooler, it can decrease temp by 10 degrees! and fan noise obviously. For the joysticks I don't recommend the upgrade until you have joystick drift as it's not actually a noticeable upgrade, at least for me.

I bet valve just gets these as broken under warranty like maybe it got early stick drift or a defective fan bearing or things like that. There's no way they'd charge $80 less if they were just regular returns. Regardless it's a great deal for a little bit of wear you'd cause in a couple weeks anyways and a slight chance of faulty parts. Side note, at this rate they should just sell em without SSDs installed at all lmao

Baldur's Gate is 141.81GB. IMHO, 512GB drives are under $60. That is dirt cheap and should really be the entry level NVME for a Steam Deck, if you can afford it.

Damn, so those 100 or so tests don't include making sure the fan is good or making sure the gpu works properly? Still waiting on my rma on my refurbished deck.

Always inspect and test prior to disassembling. "As far as I know it was fully functional out of the box." = the most famous last words ever.

Did you have to backup or save the OS from the 64GB SSD before upgrading to a larger SSD??

As far as the fan, it will always sound higher than you would think that it should. At least that is what I noticed with mine.

I had the same experience with Microsoft officially refurbished console leaving alone a scratch in the pairing button it looks brand new.

Does upgrading ssd require any kind of install?

I got myself a brand new 512GB summer 2022. And my fan also was making that same noise. So I replaced the fan. So in other words. This happens to new units as well. You’re just as safe getting a refurb model.

Swap the sticks and get an anti glare screen protector and skip the case and get 512gb storage and you essentially can have the max model with the price of the lowest tier.

I got myself a new 64GB Deck last week, not refurbished, currently I'm waiting on a 1TB M.2 and an anti-glare tempered screen protector for it, all in all, my Deck is going to cost pretty much the same as the 256GB version, but it will have double the capacity as the 512 version and a protected anti glare glass, which even the 512GB doesnt have,

Der workpro sieht den Lux-Tools sehr ähnlich. Die Ladestation ist identisch. Kannst du ggf. LUX-Tools mal checken? War bisher ganz zufrieden mit Metall-Bohrfutter und guter Akku-Laufzeit.

So, $320 refurb. On sale, that unit sells new for $360. I'd do that instead. Glad you didn't get ripped off. For me? I did spend the $400, $10ish for glass protector, $80 for 1 TB SD card and now have 45 games I already own on PC on it. Cyberpunk 77, kinda a standard for testing this stuff for me? Runs fine. Best deal in game hardware. PS: I already had docking station stuff lying around and can use my Xbox 9th Gen controller to play it like it is a Switch/on TV.

*I would go for the smallest storage too & upgrade the internal storage myself*

Couple Things: 1) Do Not Open the Steam Deck if anyone has a Micro SD Card in the slot, It will Snap In Half. ( I don't recall seeing a "Warning!" in this video when Austin was opening the back) 2) You do not need the more expensive internal drives if you plan to run games on the SD card ( i have the 64GB model and bought a 512 SD card for $25 for my games and it runs perfect, and just a few seconds slower with games loading which is unnoticeable (check youtube reviews on loading speeds of SD cards vs internal storage of the steam deck). 3) Jsaux has a NEWER Back Plate that lowers temps by 7 degrees or more than the current back plate used in this video in reviews i have seen. The difference is a new cut out with a vents right in the middle where the fan is on the steam deck drawing in cooler air.

So, out of the 100 checks, they don't check the fan. They refurbished it, but literally not fixing the issue.

I bought that same back plate and it gets RIPPING hot. But it works. The fan doesn’t run as hard.

Having only 2.5 hours in Baldurs Gate 3 is the biggest shock in this video lol.

If you can get a new steam deck for $360 during the sales, it's only a $40 difference to the refurb and I don't think it's worth going refurb at that price.