NEWS, EDITORIALS, REFERENCE

Commodore Hardware Information

This post is divided into three sections. The first gives the CPU, memory, video and audio specifications for all models of C64 and C128. The second provides a list of common storage devices with information about their transfer speed, physical interface and software loader. The last section is a list of common storage devices along with their media type, capacity and additional usage notes.

Contents

• Basic Information: C64 and C128
• Storage Solutions, Approximate Speeds
• Drive Sizes and Capacities

Basic Information: C64 and C128

Storage Solutions, Approximate Speeds

Due to the C128's faster CPU and hardware burst mode, it may perform better than a C64. Quoted speeds are for a stock C64, unless otherwise noted. Speeds can vary depending on the software load routines, disk format, drive model, and the quality and kind of media.

The C64's stock KERNAL ROM includes datasette and IEC load routines that are notoriously slow. The IEC routines pass through standard vectors which can be wedged to access certain types of non-IEC-based devices. The KERNAL can be replaced by alternatives, such as JiffyDOS, fastloading routines can be added via plug-in cartridge to speed up software that uses the standard KERNAL routines, and software can also bypass the KERNAL altogether by writing their own faster routines.

Drive Sizes and Capacities

Thanks and Credits

The source of most of the information on this page, and the inspiration to reproduce and update it here, comes from Vanessa Dannenberg's General Commodore Information page.

Information about SD2IEC comes from Mingo's CommodorePage.

1. The original C64 is often called the "breadbin" or "breadbox." [↩]
2. Filtering circuitry improved with the 8580 SID. Uses a smaller mainboard, called the shortboard. Has a sleeker, sexier case than the original C64. [↩]
3. The cassette port was removed and the KERNAL ROM was updated to make the built-in 1541 drive, device 8, the default device. [↩]
4. The regular C128 is somtimes called the "flat 128." All modes on the VIC-IIe are identical to the C64 except that a few more tricks are possible using 2MHz fast mode. The VDC's modes are mildly extendable and mostly don't require active software tricks. [↩]
5. The C128D, sold in Europe, has a plastic shell. In C128 mode, the built-in 1571 becomes the default LOAD device. All modes on the VIC-IIe are identical to the C64 except that a few more tricks are possible using 2MHz fast mode. The VDC's modes are mildly extendable and mostly don't require active software tricks. [↩]
6. The C128DCR, sold in North America, has a metal shell. In C128 mode, the built-in 1571 becomes the default LOAD device. All modes on the VIC-IIe are identical to the C64 except that a few more tricks are possible using 2MHz fast mode. The VDC's modes are widely extendable and mostly don't require active software tricks. [↩]
7. The SX-64's built-in power supply cannot easily be upgraded. The original PSU does not have enough power for a SuperCPU or a Commodore 17xx REU. The SX-64 can be used with a CMD RamDrive or RamLink, however, as these devices are externally powered. [↩]
8. All C64s and C128s have a VIC-II. Many visual tricks can be accomplished by using the CPU to manipulate the VIC-II's registers while it is in the process of drawing a frame. [↩]
9. The C128 and C128D which have only 16 KB of VDC RAM can be upgraded to 64 KB using a plug-in module or a permanent modification. [↩]
10. In the C64, the VIC-II has a static ram chip on a dedicated bus for color information. This memory has a 10-bit address bus (for 1024 addresses,) but only a 4-bit data bus (for 16 colors.) The VIC-II uses up to 16 KB of base memory. One of four possible 16K banks of memory the VIC-II can see is selected using b0 and b1 of CIA 2's Port A. [↩]
11. Like the C64, the VIC-IIe uses a dedicated color RAM chip plus part of base memory, plus there is an extra register in the machine that controls which of the two 1024-nybble segments of color RAM is visible to the VIC. The VIC-II can also access, via a register, the entire 128 KB address space of the C128. [↩]
12. All C64 and C128 computers feature one SID chip. Additional SID chips can be added, by mapping their registers to unused address space. In theory, there is enough free addressing space for 31 additional SID chips, for a total of 96 voices. In practice, most people add one additional SID, for stereo output and a total of 6 voices, 3 voices per channel. [↩]
13. The VDC has native support for color cell sizes from 8x2 to 8x32. By using the CPU to manipulate the VDC registers with careful timing, the VDC can display 8x1 color cells. [↩]
14. The internal RAM upgrades for the C128 are discussed in full detail, including programming information, in articles originally published in the Finnish home computer users' magazine, MikroBITTI, in 1987. The information is now available, in English, here. [↩]