--- title: Commodore C64C categories: - Computers types: - Home Computer origins: - U.S.A. years: - '1987' cpus: - 6510A params: name: C64C image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_1_s.jpg company: /companies/commodore company_name: Commodore specs: - label: NAME value: C64C - label: MANUFACTURER value: Commodore - label: TYPE value: Home Computer - label: ORIGIN value: U.S.A. - label: YEAR value: March 1987 - label: END OF PRODUCTION value: Unknown - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: Commodore Basic V.2.0 - label: KEYBOARD value: Full-stroke 65 keys with 4 function keys - label: CPU value: 6510A - label: SPEED value: 0.985 MHz (PAL) / 1.023 MHz (NTSC) - label: CO-PROCESSOR value: VIC II (Video), SID (Sound) - label: RAM value: 64 KB - label: ROM value: 20 KB - label: TEXT MODES value: 40 columns x 25 lines - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: 'several, most used : 320 x 200' - label: COLORS value: 16 + 16 border colours - label: SOUND value: 3 voices / 9 octaves, 4 waveforms (sound output through TV) - label: SIZE / WEIGHT value: 41.4 (W) x 24.3 (D) x 5.9 (H) cm / 1710 g - label: I/O PORTS value: RGB (composite, chroma/luma and sound in/out), 2 x Joystick plugs, Cardridge slot, Tape interfarce (300 bps), Serial, User Port, TV RF output - label: BUILT IN MEDIA value: Cassette unit. Provision for 170 KB 5.25'' floppy disc unit (1541C) - label: OS value: GEOS - label: POWER SUPPLY value: External power supply unit - label: PRICE value: $229 tabs: - photos - hardware - emulators - links - videos forum_thread: 972 photos: - title: COMMODORE 64C subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_1.jpg - title: LEFT SIDE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_2.jpg - title: FRONT subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_front.jpg - title: DETAIL subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_detail.jpg - title: REAR subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_rear.jpg - title: 'REAR #2' subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_rear_2.jpg - title: GREY CASE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_system_s2.jpg - title: KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_keyboard_s1.jpg - title: RIGHT SIDE subtitle: '' text: |- From left to right:\ Dual joystick connector, power switch and socket. image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_rightside_s1.jpg - title: REAR SIDE subtitle: '' text: |- From left to right:\ • Cartridge slot\ • TV chanel selector\ • TV modulator output\ • Audio, video DIN socket\ • Serial DIN socket\ • Tape recorder connector\ • User I/O connector image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_rearside_s1.jpg - title: COMMODORE LABEL subtitle: '' text: Commodore label and warranty seal (intact!) image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_labels_s1.jpg - title: MAINBOARD subtitle: '' text: Can you help us in describing the function of each chip? image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_mainboard_s1.jpg - title: 'BOX #1' subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_64c_box_1.jpg - title: 'BOX #2' subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_c64c_box_2.jpg - title: 'BOX #3' subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/commodore_c64-2_box_3.jpg hardware: - title: 1530 C2N subtitle: Tape-recorder text: The classic Commodore tape-recorder ! image: /media/museum/hardware/commodore_c64_tape-recorder-1530-c2n_1.jpg - title: CMD SUPERCPU subtitle: '' text: |- The SuperCPU by Creative Micro Devices is an accelerator cartridge for the Commodore 64. It contains an W65C816S processor running at 20 MHz, providing 20 times the performance of the stock 6510 processor! CMD later added a SuperRAM Card option that could include up to 16 MB of additional memory. There is also a v2 version that offers native 128 mode support (also called SuperCPU/128). It is one of the most sought-after Commodore peripherals. Thomas Conté image: /media/museum/hardware/c64_supercpu.jpg - title: CMD RAMLINK subtitle: '' text: |- This RAM expansion unit by Creative Micro Devices was intended to be used as a RAM drive to accelerate disk access. It is externally powered, and thus will preserve the data even when the computer is turned off. Thomas Conté image: /media/museum/hardware/c64_cmd_ramlink.jpg - title: FLOPPY DISK UNIT 1540-1541 subtitle: '' text: |- It is connected to the C64 via a serial link.\ It is very very slow and can store 170 kb per disk. image: /media/museum/hardware/commodore-diskdrive_1540_1.jpg - title: QUICK DATA DRIVE subtitle: '' text: |- **Cheaper and faster than diskettes.** This Quick Data Drive from Dean Electronics is dedicated to Commodore 64 and <$252$>Vic 20 systems. It uses a special tape called 'Wafer', of 16, 64 or 128 Kb capacity. This wafer was also used by a product marketed for the <$223$>Sinclair Spectrum, called Wafadrive. Various tests proved that the Q.D.D. was approximately 20 times faster than a normal cassette recorder and 2 or 3 times faster than the Commodore 1541 disk drive. The reason : data transfer routines (called QOS) much more efficient than those of Commodore, and a file management operating system (FMU) much more modern and powerful. The Q.D.D. is however not more than an advanced tape recorder using a magnetic tape, and the delay to access a specific file still remains higher than with a normal disk drive. Despite its qualities, the Q.D.D. did not meet success because most C64 software was sold on disks or tapes and users had to acquire both Commodore peripherals before investing in a third powerful storage system. image: /media/museum/hardware/commodore_64_quick_data_1.jpg - title: CMD HD-20 subtitle: 20Mb hard-drive text: This is a hard drive for the C64 or 128. SWAP-Devicenumber-Buttons let the HD become drive 8 or 9. It can create sub-directories and partitions, including 1541 emulation. image: /media/museum/hardware/commodore_c64_cmd-hd20_1.jpg - title: VICMODEM subtitle: Advert text: You could already send emails !! image: /media/museum/hardware/commodore_vicmodem_pub_1.jpg - title: WERSIBOARD MUSIC 64 subtitle: '' text: Thomas Conté image: /media/museum/hardware/c64_wersiboard.jpg - title: MODEL 1525 subtitle: '' text: It can print all the semi graphic characters of the C64. (30 characters per second) image: /media/museum/hardware/commodore_printer_1525_1.jpg emulators: - title: CCS64 url: http://www.ccs64.com/ platform: Windows text: The best C64 emulator for the PC - title: Free64 url: http://www.umr.edu/~bmartin/ platform: Windows text: A Freeware emulator for MS DOS - title: MESS url: http://www.mess.org platform: Windows text: This fantastic emulator can emulate the mlost of the 8-bit Commodore systems - title: Win 64 url: http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Park/6558/win64.htm platform: Windows text: The Best C64 Emulator for Win95 / WinNT - title: Win64 url: http://www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/park/6558/win64.htm platform: Windows text: Good Commodore 64 for Windows - title: Mac Frodo url: http://internetter.com/titan/macfrodo/ platform: Apple text: The MAC OS version of Frodo, one of the best C64 Emulator - title: Power 64 url: http://www.infinite-loop.at/Power64/index.html platform: Apple text: Emulator for PPC Macintoshes - title: SID PLay url: http://stud1.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426444/sidplay/ platform: Apple text: A player for C64 Musics - title: ccs url: http://www.funet.fi/pub/cbm/crossplatform/emulators/unix/ platform: Unix / Linux text: C64 emulator for Unix - title: Frodo for Amiga OS url: http://www.uni-mainz.de/~bauec002/FRMain.html platform: Amiga OS text: The best C64 Emulator for Amiga - title: VICE for Amiga OS4 url: http://amidog.se/amiga/vice/ platform: Amiga OS text: This AmigaOS4 version is ported by Mathias "AmiDog" Roslund - title: c64.gr url: http://www.c64.gr/ platform: Other platform text: C64 online emulator. Play favorite games in your browser! - title: C-ONE url: http://c64upgra.de/c-one/ platform: Other platform text: Hardware emulator (re-configurable computer) - title: Frodo for PalmOS url: http://frodopalm.sourceforge.net/ platform: Other platform text: Frodo for PalmOS - title: VICE url: http://viceteam.bei.t-online.de/ platform: Other platform text: Emulates the C64, C128, VIC20, all the PET models and the CBM-II under Unix, MS-DOS, Win95/NT, OS/2, Acorn RISC OS or BeOS !! - title: Web C64 url: http://www.dreamfabric.com/c64/ platform: Other platform text: The 64 as a Java applet in your Browser. Excellent ! - title: C=64 Emulator for OS/2 Full Screen url: http://home.hccnet.nl/w.m.brul/emulator/index.html platform: OS2 text: Freeware emulator for OS/2 links: - title: C64.COM url: http://www.c64.com/ text: Excellent and beautifully designed site, full of games to download. A must - title: c64.gr url: http://www.c64.gr/ text: C64 online emulator. Play favorite games in your browser! - title: 'c64files.com :: the ultimate C64 portal!' url: http://www.c64files.com/ text: News, Gaming, Music, Museum, Links etc. - title: Commodore 64 - url: http://folkvagn.commodore64.org text: Info about the C64 and successors, C64 emulators and the SID chip. Also contains C64 programs and a forum. In Swedish only. - title: Commodore 64 Game Endings url: http://www.c64endings.co.uk/ text: All your fave C64 game endings under one roof. - title: Commodore 64 Nostalgia url: http://www.staggs.pair.com/c64/ text: '' - title: Commodore Scene Magazine and Importing Service url: http://www.commodorescene.org.uk/ text: New publications, hardware and software for the Commodore 128/128d and C64 - title: Commodore Service Manuals url: http://www.devili.iki.fi/Computers/Commodore/ text: Commodore Service Manuals & other stuff - title: Commodore-64 Programmer's Library url: http://home.comcast.net/~c64proglib text: many of Robert Baker's early original magazine articles, programs and programming tips (not free) - title: Commodore-related Net Resources url: http://www.hut.fi/~msmakela/cbm/netresources.html text: '' - title: Good Old Games url: http://speccy.altervista.org/ text: Many games with screenshot comparisons, download and magazines - title: Greg and David's C64 Web page url: http://www.ozemail.com.au/~gvincent/ text: '' - title: HV C64 CD's - The ultimate CD set full of software for the C64 url: http://www.talent.demon.co.uk/64/ text: '' - title: LEMON 64 url: http://www.lemon64.com/ text: The source for all Your Commodore 64 Gaming and News needs ! Quite impressive !!! - title: Mayhem64 url: http://www.mayhem64.co.uk/main.htm text: For all your C64 cartridge needs... and more! - title: Remixes of music from C-64 games url: http://remix.kwed.org text: Hear the tunes from your fav C64 games like you've never heard them before! - title: Stadium 64 url: http://s64.emuunlim.com/ text: Are you a sportgaming fan? Then this site is definitely for you! Over 1000 sportgames available for download. Lots of manuals, reviews, covers, adverts, screenshots, hints&tips, world records + a lot more! - title: The Commodore 8-bit WWW server url: http://www.hut.fi/~msmakela/cbm/ text: '' - title: The Secrets Weapons of Commodore url: http://www.floodgap.com/retrobits/ckb/secret/ text: Awesome website ! Presents all the weird systems imagined by Commodore. - title: The Star Commander homepage url: http://sta.c64.org/sc.html text: '' - title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com text: This is a bulletin board run on a Commodore 64! videos: - title: Commodore 64c commercial url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pST-xHh7pGc text: 'Length: 29 s' - title: C64 assembly line pictures! url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vzfJLVS2YI text: 'Length: 6 min 56 s' related: - /museum/commodore-c128-c128d - /museum/commodore-c64 - /museum/commodore-c64-aldi - /museum/commodore-c64-golden-jubilee - /museum/commodore-c64g - /museum/commodore-educator-64 - /museum/commodore-lcd - /museum/commodore-sx-dx-64-executive-computer - /museum/commodore-vic-1001 - /museum/eds-c64-edc oc_id: 998 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230530055621/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=998 date: '2023-05-30' --- The Commodore 64C was simply the original [C-64](/museum/commodore-c64/) repackaged in in a beige [C-128](/museum/commodore-c128-c128d/) style case. Internally, Commodore integrated most of the hardware onto a single VLSI chip. The new model did not differ much from its predecessor, the only innovation was the flatter case, which made the keyboard (which had off-white keys) more ergonomic (it looked like the C128 case), not as high as than the old one. But the new case did not only have advantages: due to its low profile and additional metal screening, some of the numerous hardware expansions did not fit anymore. This was changed with the [C64G](/museum/commodore-c64g/). The official name for this model was "C=64 C", but nevertheless the German 64'er magazine decided to call it "C64-II" (because the first units didn't have the new name on the label at the bottom), the badges on most of the 64 C's just says "Commodore 64". They pointed out that this name was only valid for the 64'er magazine, but since the 64'er was the magazine for the C64 for a long time, the name was widely accepted and so this model is mostly known as "C64-II" in Germany. Commodore took advantage of the launch of the 64C to improve its range of peripherals. The machine could be delivered with:\ • the **1541C** disk drive, internally the same as the previous 1541, but with a beige case,\ • the **1541-II** disk drive, a smaller 1541 with external power supply and a beige case\ • The **1351** two-button mouse which could operate in either proportional or joystick mode,\ • The **1802** color monitor which accepted both composite and RGB video signals,\ • The **1764** RAM expander which plugged into the expansion port and boosted the system RAM to 256 KB. First 64C were bundled with **GEOS**, developed by Berkeley Software, a good window and icon opating system, considering that it ran on a 8-bit processors and 64 KB of RAM. Sadly, the 64C was launched at the wrong time, at a wrong price (about $80 more than the C64). At that time the competition was hard with the new [Atari](/museum/atari-520-st-st-stm/) and [Amiga](/museum/commodore-amiga-1000/) 32-bit computers. The 64C thus didn't meet a large success, except in some European countries.