Reviving a Neo Geo MVS: Help with choosing a 2 or 4 Slot PCB

Johnny C

n00b
Joined
Jan 17, 2022
Posts
3
I’m helping someone local get their Neo Geo MVS (which I have no experience) up and working. He has a cabinet, but no PCB and no marquee lights.

As I understand it, and have found in the online manuals, there’s a difference between the harnesses of 1-slot, 2-slot, and 4-slot and seems his is wired for a 1-slot (includes the extra memory harness), but the label and manual states 4 slot. The marquee is only for 1-slot. There is a “select game” button, which leads me to believe this was originally a 4-slot

I have a source that can supply either a 2-slot or 4-slot PCB (working). My questions:
1. Should I get a 4-slot or 2-slot PCB? Will it work in his cabinet?
2. Besides the JAMMA harness, there's two (2) other harness, which look like the 1-slot harness for the expansion board. Will a 4-slot work in this case? Do I need an expansion board?

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daskrabs

Ace Ghost Pilot
10 Year Member
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Aug 23, 2010
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1,313
That cab was originally a 4-slot. Besides the main MVS harness, I see memory card reader, credit display, monitor RGB, and monitor power connectors. If it was mine, I'd restore it to stock, as close as possible. If you need EL Panels, there's a guy on KLOV selling the whole setup, else you can get repros here. Besides that, looks like all you need is a 4-slot mobo, marquee plexi, and a K7000 monitor (not pictured).
 

Johnny C

n00b
Joined
Jan 17, 2022
Posts
3
That cab was originally a 4-slot. Besides the main MVS harness, I see memory card reader, credit display, monitor RGB, and monitor power connectors. If it was mine, I'd restore it to stock, as close as possible. If you need EL Panels, there's a guy on KLOV selling the whole setup, else you can get repros here. Besides that, looks like all you need is a 4-slot mobo, marquee plexi, and a K7000 monitor (not pictured).
Thanks for the reply! Would I need to get the memory card reader as well...or will it work without one?
 

maki

Edo Express Delivery Guy
Joined
Jan 1, 2022
Posts
332
thats a beautiful cab :)

4 Slot boards are very finicky/unreliable, generally the more slots, the more problems you'll have

Generally speaking, lots of Neo Geo PCBs have the problem that the traces are rotting away, especially MVS with a leaking battery, but its also very common for AES which has no battery, so soldering skills are a must to maintain them, can be a friend who is experienced.
 

SignOfGoob

Butthurt Enthusiast
20 Year Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2003
Posts
2,857
Since you have the memory card socket already I’d go with the four slot.

While four slots is twice as finicky as two slots, it’s also half as much cart swapping so it evens out.
 

ratson

Hyperactive Stoner
15 Year Member
Joined
Apr 27, 2008
Posts
8,091
I heard the stories about the 4 and 6 slots. Had a 6 myself, only issue I had was pop n bounce didn't work next to certain games, tried several. Had 3 different 4 slot boards, all without issues. Guess I was lucky.
Personally I would put a 4 in it. But just in case you might want to go for a 2 since the issues with the 4 and 6 are real, i just didn't have it.
 

Neo Alec

Ned's Ninja Academy Dropout
20 Year Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2000
Posts
11,925
You have the memory card board (not easy to source) so get the 4-slot.

Looks like you even have the wiring harness for the memory card board, which is lucky. My cab was missing that so I had to source that separately.

The 2-slot has to be slotted directly into the front of the cab to get access to the memory card and headphones, so you're not currently setup for it.
 

GutsDozer

Robot Master., Master Tasuke, Eat Your, Heart Out
10 Year Member
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4 Slot with Unibios all day.
 

SignOfGoob

Butthurt Enthusiast
20 Year Member
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Oh, totally. The UniBIOS is the greatest 3rd party accessory in history. I’d never want to be without it.
 

LordsXO

n00b
Joined
Jan 14, 2017
Posts
9
I have 3 of the older 4 slots, no issue other than sound is too quiet. (Just a re-cap job to fix) Other than that, no problem with the 4 slots, either I'm lucky too, or people sound off when they have a problem board.

If you're still working on it, I would say go with a 4-slot and make sure to get a Wells-Gardner K7000, that was the original monitor that was in MVS25- 4, they are still easy to come by.
 

hatmoose

Kuroko's Training Dummy
Joined
Dec 3, 2021
Posts
79
I'm in the middle of 2 slot / 4 slot hell over here on arcade projects.
https://www.arcade-projects.com/thr...e-a-perfectly-sensible-idea.18823/post-292709

If you can get a working 4 slot that would be ideal, but make sure its fully working - 4 slots seem to have lots of weird problems
My experence is that 2 slots are are easy to work on because they are all on one board - you can probe it while running to your hearts content.

4/6 slot are a pain to work on because they are sandwich, either you solder all your test leads in advance, or you randomly swap components until it starts working :-) also those 245's which are responsible for the comms between boards are a massive PITA and fail in annoying an non-obvious ways.
 
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