How to find the numbers!

  • Serial
  • Model number / video mode
  • Copyright year
  • DVD drive serial
  • DVD chip chip
  • DVD chip: Cut pins
  • DVD chip: Missing pad
  • DVD drive: D2C v1/v2 - Metal clip
  • DVD drive: D2E - Black glue
  • DVD drive: D3 v1/v2 - Identification text on top of large D3 chip is missing
  • DVD drive: D4 v1/v2 - Smaller circuitboard
Serial
The serial number is unique for each Wii console and can be found on the bottom of the machine, printed on a label near the clock-battery tray. Make sure to include the last digit enclosed in a rectagular square.

Note: The serial will be masked to preserve privacy but the full length is needed to calculate and identify a drive chip. And the data will NOT be shared with or in any way given to a third-party, your privacy is respected.

Serial number





















Model number / video mode
This is the model number for the main unit, it's printed at the label and spot as the serial number. It begins with RVL-001(XXX) where XXX is the abbreviation of the region the console is sold, i.e. EUR, AUS, USA, JPN, and KOR. Take a look at this Wikipedia image to get a better understanding of how the the video mode regions is spread.























Copyright year
It can be found on the same label on the bottom of the console, printed in small, light grey, font. This has been '2006' up till now but can potentionally be used used later on to identify future revisions.























DVD drive board serial (optional)
The DVD drive serial is a very good indicator when there is a drive chip or a major revision change. It turned out to be a reliable way to identify the D2C2 chip by using this serial, AMW D2Cv1 - AMX D2Cv2 [details].

It can be found on the DVD drive when it's removed from the Wii. Look for large characters between the power cable and the orange ribbon-cable, it's printed on a yellow background. Starts with A, AM, AMV, AMW, AMX, NMX, NMY, etc.

Please try to input the full serial number, ranges from 6 characters on the earliest models to 10 on the latest. On some boards the serial is split into two lines with the last two letters being on the second line.

The serial will be masked to preserve privacy, the three last characters will be changed to XXX.


picture source by maxconsole, metroidzmodz, wiinewz





















DVD controller IC-chip
The DVD drive chip is the essential part to identify the version of the console. It's found on the PCB for the optical DVD drive. There are three IC-chips and the DVD chip ontroller is the middle-sized one, the smaller one of the two large chips.

Look at the printed lines on the chip, the model number is first line starting with "GC2" or "GC2R" and ending with either "D2A", "DMS", "D2B", "D2C", "D2E", or newer revision number. There is no such thing as a GC2R-D2B, only GC2-D2B.








picture source by maxconsole, metroidzmodz, boxxdr, wiinewz, modchipcentral





















DVD chip: cut pins / missing legs
For some of the earlier Wii consoles that has the DMS or D2B chip may have 3 pins one one side of the chip cut away. It's possible to re-connect the points on the chip to the traces but it requires attention to detail and some solder skills.


picture source by wiihelp





















DVD chip: missing third solderpad
Some of the later revisions of the D2B chip had the third solderpad removed. This pad was a required to complete a standard installation of a first generation modchip e.g. the WiiKey. An easy workaround was to solder a wire directly from the modchip to the drive chip pins instead.


picture source by wiihelp





















DVD drive: D2C v1/v2 and later - Metal clip
Later revision of the D2C chip had some changes made to it and required a modchip update in order to work with existing D2C compatibel drive chips. The easiest way to identify the new D2C controller is to look for a new metal clip on top of the DVD unit near the spinning cog. These chips go under the D2C2 (a.k.a. D2C v2) abbreviation. This metal clip will also be present on all newer drives, aka D2E, D3, etc.























DVD drive: D2E and newer - Black glue
New machines purchased after September 2008 in America/Canada can have the drive chip pins covered in hard black resin/epoxy glue. This looks like a preventative measure against installation of modchips, as it covers all the original and alternative installation points.

The same process was used in the latest Hitachi-LG DVD models for the Xbox 360. A way to remove the glue was to heat it up to 100-120C and peel it off. ModFreakz made a video of the glue removal.


picture by canadamods.ca





















DVD drive: D3 - Identification text on top of large D3 chip is missing
In mid-2009 machines coming back from repairs in Canada, Netherlands, and Korea had a new D3/D2Nothing revision. None of the current drive-keys would work. The drive is identical the to first D3/D2Nothing, only way to seperate the two is to look at the top of the large D3 chip and if the chip is completely blank it's the new D3-2. Earlier it could be identified by checking the serial number on drive circuit board and if it started with a F it was the new D3-2..

If it starts with an "F" it's the new D3-2, else if it starts with an "E" it's the first revision.


picture by wiihacks.com





















DVD drive: D4v1 and D4v2 (previously D3S) - The circuitboard on the drive is half the size of the previous revisions.
This drive has a smaller and more compact drive board then the previous editions. It's still based on the D3-2 chipset but is smaller and is call the D4 (previously also called the D3S). There is also another v2 revision without the second IC (thanks Tareq)


picture by modchipcentral.com and Tareq






















Thank you for the effort!