After completing the restoration of my Amiga 600, I found myself craving a deeper challenge. Sure, I could’ve gone all out with accelerators and high-end mods, but that’s expensive, and honestly, I wasn’t looking for overkill. What I really wanted was a compact machine that stayed true to its roots while still offering a touch of modern convenience—perfect for playing classic games.
Aesthetic Masterpiece
Externally, the A600 is now a thing of beauty. It’s got a two-tone paint job with a gunmetal gray top and a pearlescent candy orange bottom. If I’m being honest, it’s probably one of the nicest case customizations I’ve ever done. But as striking as it looks, internally, it was still just a stock A600. That had to change.
Exploring the 68010 Upgrade
I’d recently come across some fascinating discussions by Linux Jedi about the performance differences between the 68,000 and the 68010 processors. While the 68010 is often dismissed as offering negligible improvements, it does have some notable benefits. For example, it can exit WHDLoad sessions without rebooting the entire system and handles certain Bitmap Brothers games with noticeably better performance.
Inspired, I decided to create my own solution: an adapter to fit a 68010 in a DIP (dual in-line package) format into the PLCC socket of the A600. The process wasn’t overly complicated but involved designing a two-layer PCB to route the address, data, and control lines between the sockets. The finished adapter, which I’ve cheekily named “Well, I’ll Be Dipped,” even features capacitors for decoupling—and as a sneaky bonus, they also act as mechanical standoffs.
Assembling the board was straightforward, and once it was ready, fitting it into the Amiga 600 was a breeze. I even added holes to align with the hard drive mounting points for a secure fit. It’s these small touches that make the project feel complete.
Custom ROM Switcher
Next, I turned my attention to a ROM switcher. My A500 ROM switcher wouldn’t fit in the A600’s compact case, so I designed a new one that relocated the ROM further back in the case. While testing, I used a socket for easy debugging, but for the final version, I soldered the ROM directly to the board to ensure a perfect fit beneath the keyboard.
But what’s a ROM switcher without accessible switches? I needed a way to mount them without drilling into the pristine case. Since I wasn’t planning to use the PCMCIA slot, I repurposed it as a mounting point. My initial plan involved using a piece of plastic, but that proved too brittle for drilling. Then inspiration struck: why not use an old PCB? With a bit of ingenuity and some repurposing, I had the perfect solution.
The Final Build
With everything assembled and back in the case, the A600 is now both beautiful and functional. It’s ready for display and gaming, with custom upgrades that feel right at home in the compact design.
Links
Linux Jedi 000 vs 010
Linux Jedi Blog: https://linuxjedi.co.uk/the-hidden-power-of-the-68010/
The Inspiration for the adaptor: https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=76&t=3226
@ReesRambles Coverage of the event
The A600 Build (Sorry about the sound)
PCBWay Projects
Well I’ll be DIPped: https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/Amiga_600_DIP_64_CPU_Adaptor_I_ll_be_DIPped_1f1a8876.html
ROM Switch: https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/Simple_Amiga_600_ROM_relocator_and_switcher_751aa9b8.html