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IBM PS/2 Model 80

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IBM Personal System/2 Model 80
IBM PS/2 Model 80 (8580) floor-standing tower
Specifications
DeveloperIBM Entry Systems Division, Boca Raton
ManufacturerIBM
TypeFloor-standing tower personal computer / server
ReleasedApril 2, 1987
Discontinuedc. 1993
CPUIntel 80386DX @ 16 MHz (8580-041 / 071); 20 MHz (8580-111 / 311); 25 MHz (8580-A21 / A31). Optional Intel 80387DX coprocessor in adjacent planar socket
Memory1–4 MB stock (submodel-dependent); 4 × 72-pin proprietary PS/2 SIMM sockets on planar; 16 MB max on planar; further expansion via MCA Memory Adapter cards
Storage1.44 MB 3.5" diskette + ESDI hard drive: 44 MB (8580-041); 70 MB (8580-071); 115 MB (8580-111 / A21); 314 MB (8580-311 / A31) via IBM ESDI Fixed Disk Adapter/A
DisplayIntegrated VGA on planar (256 KB VRAM, 15-pin DSUB); supports IBM 8503 / 8512 / 8513 / 8514 displays
SoundPC speaker
Dimensions597 H × 166 W × 482 D mm
Weight~21.3 kg (heavier with 314 MB drive)
OS / FirmwareIBM PC DOS 3.30 / 4.00 / 5.00; IBM OS/2 1.x / 2.x / Warp 3; IBM AIX PS/2; Novell NetWare 2.x / 3.x; Windows 3.0 / 3.1
PredecessorIBM PS/2 Model 60 (286-class tower sibling)
SuccessorIBM PS/2 Model 90 XP 486 / Model 95 XP 486
Model no.8580

The IBM PS/2 Model 80 (IBM machine type 8580) was IBM's flagship Intel 80386DX-based floor-standing tower in the IBM Personal System/2 family, introduced in April 1987 with the rest of the PS/2 line. It paired a full 32-bit Micro Channel Architecture implementation with a tower chassis built for expansion, eight MCA slots, large ESDI drives and a 225 W PSU. The Model 80 is the tower counterpart to the IBM PS/2 Model 70 desktop and was IBM's primary platform for OS/2, AIX PS/2 and Novell NetWare deployments through the late 1980s and into the early 1990s.

The Model 80 chassis is the same tower used by the IBM PS/2 Model 60; the Model 80 differs from the Model 60 in the planar (32-bit MCA, 80386DX, on-planar VGA, larger ESDI drives). Restoration considerations between Model 60 and Model 80 differ mainly in the planar — the Model 80 planar is afflicted by the same surface-mount aluminium electrolyte leakage that defines the IBM PS/2 Model 70 failure mode.

Submodels

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Model 80 submodels
Submodel CPU Speed HDD Notes
8580-041 80386DX 16 MHz 44 MB ESDI Early submodel, April 1987 launch
8580-071 80386DX 16 MHz 70 MB ESDI 16 MHz with larger ESDI
8580-111 80386DX 20 MHz 115 MB ESDI 20 MHz, 115 MB ESDI (Type 1 planar)
8580-311 80386DX 20 MHz 314 MB ESDI 20 MHz, 314 MB ESDI (server config)
8580-A21 80386DX 25 MHz 115 MB ESDI 25 MHz top-end (Type 2 planar)
8580-A31 80386DX 25 MHz 314 MB ESDI 25 MHz, 314 MB ESDI (server config)

The planar revisions split into Type 1 (16 / 20 MHz, original 1987 design) and Type 2 (25 MHz, later design). Type 2 planars have a different memory subsystem and require Type 2-specific Reference Diskettes and SIMMs.

Chassis and Layout

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The Model 80 chassis is the floor-standing tower introduced with the Model 60:

  • Height × width × depth: approx 591 × 165 × 480 mm.
  • Weight (configured): approx 21.3 kg.
  • Two side panels on the tower; the larger side panel (left, when looking at the front) gives access to the MCA riser and planar.
  • Eight MCA slots on a vertical riser: 1 × 8-bit + 7 × 32-bit.
  • Four drive bays stacked vertically in the front of the tower:
    Top bay: 5.25" full-height (tape backup or second 5.25" device).
    Bay 2: 3.5" half-height (1.44 MB floppy).
    Bay 3: 3.5" half-height (ESDI hard drive).
    Bay 4: 3.5" half-height (spare or second hard drive on server configs).
  • PSU: 225 W at the top of the chassis (above the drive cage). Same PSU rating as the 8560-071.
  • Planar mounts on the floor of the chassis.

Planar

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The Model 80 planar carries:

  • CPU: 80386DX, PGA-132, socketed. 16, 20 or 25 MHz depending on submodel.
  • Optional 80387DX coprocessor in a socket adjacent to the 80386DX.
  • Memory: 4 × 72-pin SIMM sockets accepting 1, 2 or 4 MB modules. Maximum 16 MB (4 × 4 MB) on planar. Up to 64 MB system memory with MCA Memory Adapter cards. PS/2 72-pin SIMMs are proprietary to IBM PS/2.
  • RTC: Dallas DS1287 / DS12887 (24-pin DIP marked "DALLAS") with integrated lithium cell.
  • Onboard VGA: IBM VGA implementation with 256 KB of dedicated VRAM. Same VGA implementation as the Model 70.
  • MCA bus controller: 32-bit MCA implementation providing one 8-bit and seven 32-bit slots.
  • Floppy controller integrated on the planar.
  • Surface-mount aluminium electrolytic capacitors for IC bypassing throughout the planar — the same SMD electrolytics that leak on the Model 70.

SMD Electrolyte Leakage

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The Model 80 planar (along with the Model 70 planar) is the source of the famous PS/2 plague. Surface-mount aluminium electrolytic capacitors — 10 µF / 16 V and 47 µF / 16 V — leak after 30+ years and produce progressive corrosion of the planar's traces and IC pins.

Symptoms:

  • Brown / green residue near a SMD cap base.
  • Crusty deposits on nearby PCB traces.
  • Intermittent POST faults; system passes POST cold but fails when warm.
  • Random reboots.
  • Specific functional area (onboard VGA, RTC, serial, ESDI controller) becomes intermittent.
  • Eventually, planar dies completely.

The Model 80 planar typically carries 40–50 SMD electrolytics (more than the Model 70 because of the additional MCA slot count and server-class memory subsystem). Full recap is a substantial undertaking — see IBM PS/2 Model 80 Capacitor Replacement Guide.

Display

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Like the Model 70, the Model 80 has VGA on the planar. The VGA chip and 256 KB of dedicated VRAM are on the planar; no display adapter card is required.

For higher resolution, the IBM 8514/A MCA display adapter card provides 1024 × 768 with a matching IBM 8514 16" display.

Drive Architecture

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The Model 80 uses the PS/2 single-cable drive interface for the floppy drive and the IBM ESDI Fixed Disk Adapter/A for the hard drive. The 8580 server configurations (-311, -A31) accept two ESDI drives — primary in Bay 3, secondary in Bay 4.

ESDI drives in the 8580:

  • 44 MB — 8580-041, 16 MHz submodel.
  • 70 MB — 8580-071, 16 MHz submodel.
  • 115 MB — 8580-111, 8580-A21.
  • 314 MB — 8580-311, 8580-A31 (server configurations).

The 314 MB ESDI drive is a full-height 5.25" form factor and requires the top drive bay; on the 8580-311 / A31 the top drive bay is occupied by the 314 MB drive and is not available for a 5.25" tape backup unit.

Reference Diskette

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The Model 80 requires a Model 80-specific Reference Diskette. The Type 1 planar (8580-041 / 071 / 111 / 311) uses one Reference Diskette image; the Type 2 planar (8580-A21 / A31) uses a different Reference Diskette image with extensions for the 25 MHz memory subsystem. Reference Diskettes are not cross-compatible between Type 1 and Type 2 planars.

Used for:

  • SETUP (drive types, date, time, memory size).
  • MCA Auto Configuration.
  • Advanced Diagnostics (Ctrl-A from Reference Diskette menu).
  • Reading and writing CMOS configuration.

Software

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  • PC DOS 3.30 / 4.00 / 5.00 — the contemporary DOS releases.
  • OS/2 1.x (and IBM's later OS/2 2.0 / 2.1 / Warp 3) — the Model 80 was IBM's premier OS/2 platform for several years.
  • AIX PS/2 — IBM's Unix for PS/2.
  • Novell NetWare 2.x / 3.x — the Model 80 tower with ESDI drives was a common NetWare server platform.
  • Windows 3.0 / 3.1 run on DOS on the Model 80.

Common Faults

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Specifications Summary

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Model 80 stock specifications
Spec 041 071 111 311 A21 A31
CPU 80386DX-16 80386DX-16 80386DX-20 80386DX-20 80386DX-25 80386DX-25
RAM stock 1 MB 2 MB 2 MB 4 MB 4 MB 4 MB
RAM max on planar 16 MB 16 MB 16 MB 16 MB 16 MB 16 MB
FDD 1.44 MB 3.5" 1.44 MB 3.5" 1.44 MB 3.5" 1.44 MB 3.5" 1.44 MB 3.5" 1.44 MB 3.5"
HDD 44 MB ESDI 70 MB ESDI 115 MB ESDI 314 MB ESDI 115 MB ESDI 314 MB ESDI
Coprocessor 80387DX (opt.) 80387DX (opt.) 80387DX (opt.) 80387DX (opt.) 80387DX (opt.) 80387DX (opt.)
Video Onboard VGA Onboard VGA Onboard VGA Onboard VGA Onboard VGA Onboard VGA
PSU 225 W 225 W 225 W 225 W 225 W 225 W
MCA slots 8 (1 × 8-bit, 7 × 32-bit) 8 8 8 8 8
Bays 4 4 4 4 (top occupied by 314 MB drive) 4 4 (top occupied by 314 MB drive)
Planar type Type 1 Type 1 Type 1 Type 1 Type 2 Type 2

Pricing

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Launch pricing (April 1987):

  • 8580-041: $6,995 USD.
  • 8580-071: $8,495 USD.
  • 8580-111: $10,995 USD.

These were 1987 prices for high-end IBM business towers. The Model 80 was IBM's flagship PS/2 system and was priced accordingly. Server configurations (-311, -A31) commanded substantial premiums above these base prices.

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  • IBM PS/2 Model 80 (8580) floor-standing tower
    IBM PS/2 Model 80 (8580) floor-standing tower
  • Front-bezel "Model 80 386" badge
    Front-bezel "Model 80 386" badge
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References

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