How to build a modern-day PC into a replica
of the world’s bestselling computer
Many people wax poetic about the polite
'50s, the radical '60s, or the wild '70s, but for nerds, the 1980s was the best
decade. A full-on war raged in the new category of “personal computer,” no one
operating system ruled the world, and, man, you could walk into a Toys
"R" Us and buy the world’s all-time bestselling PC: the Commodore 64.
Whether you want to relive the golden age
of PCs or you weren’t alive for it, Commodore USA (no relation to Jack
Tramiel’s original Commodore International) offers its Commodore 64x to
recreate that 1980s experience.
The main difference between the original
C64 and this replica is the latter's ability to take standard PC industry
components. Is the Commodore 64x case/keyboard a perfect recreation of the
original? No, it’s damn close. I'm not judging this by my faded memories of the
C64 I owned in 1982, either. See how closely the inset shot of the original
resembles the new C64x?
C64x
What’s inside the new C64?
I had envisioned using a Core i7-2600K with
a notebook GeForce graphics card in the C64x, but I quickly realized that heat
would be a serious issue in this thermally constrained PC, which has one puny
4cm fan handling all its airflow. I also considered a mobile Core i7, but the
cost and scarcity of parts made me ditch that approach. In the end, I decided
that an AMD E-350 Fusion APU would be the most cost-effective and reliable
route.
Is the best candidate for the job? Zotac’s
Fusion I0N-ITX T Series. The board features AMD’s E-350 Fusion chip, built-in
Wi-Fi, and, best of all, a 90-watt external power brick. Because the C64x
doesn’t have much room, running an internal power supply is out of the
question. Pico-ITX PSUs are an option for standard boards, but that would
require cutting a hole into the chassis to route the wiring. The Fusion ION-ITX
T Series takes care of that in one swoop. Thermals also shouldn’t be an issue with
its integrated heat pipe and heat sink. My previous experience has taught me
that the E-350 runs super cool for an 18-watt part.
For storage, I opted for Seagate's Momentus
XT hybrid drive. It gives the C64x some SSD-like performance but is cheap enough
that I can afford to give the machine 750GB of storage space. A Silverstone
slot-fed DVD burner rounds out the package, but we did have to add an NZXT
internal USB expansion module and an old-style MolexY power splitter.
For tools, a standard Phi lips-head
screwdriver and a small jewelers Philips-head screwdriver are required for the
build. I also had to round up a set of system screws, as well as a set of
screws that are typically used to mount an internal 5.25-inch optical drive.
1. Open the case
Open the case
You’ll need to unscrew six screws along the
perimeter of the C64x first. Then carefully remove the keyboard and place it
aside. Now, find a cassette tape player and put in your favorite mix tape of
Olivia Newton-John, Survivor, Joan Jett, the J. Geils Band, and the Human
League. Yes, all the top artists of 1982.
2. Remove the drive tray
Remove the drive tray
Unscrew the four screws under the C64x.
Note: You will probably have to loosely hold the four nuts inside the case to
get them loose. Once the screws are out, remove the tray and mount the 2.5-inch
drive. The drive tray is countersunk to fit countersunk screws. Since Commodore
USA doesn’t include these parts (when they say bare-bones, they mean it), we
used four fine screws of the type that comes with a 5.25-inch optical drive to
hold the drive in place. This will cause the tray to ride a little higher than
it should but don't worry: The loosely-goosey build quality of the drive
opening means the tray.
3. Install the optical drive
Install the optical drive
We couldn't find a 170KB 5.25-inch floppy
drive, so we settled for this Silverstone slot-fed DVD burner. It comes with
four tiny screws. Place the drive in the cage and screw it in place with the
jeweler's screwdriver. Now plug in the HDD power and SATA cable as well as the
ODD power and data cable.
4. Install the all-in-one motherboard
Install the I/O shield by sliding it into
the slots at the rear of the C64x. Now gently slide the Zotac motherboard into
place, making sure the two Wi-Fi antennas feed out the holes in the I/O shield.
Take four screws from your spare parts box (because why would Commodore USA
bother to include them in the box?) and gently screw the board in place. The
board doesn't have metal standoffs, so you'll be boring the screws into
plastic. Do not over-torque the screws or you will strip out the mounts.
Feed out the holes in the I/O shield
Gently screw the board in place
