Macintosh IIvx
The Macintosh IIvx is a desktop Macintosh introduced by Apple on 19 October 1992 and discontinued on 21 October 1993.[1] It is the faster version of the Performa 600: the same case and basic logic board, with a 68882 FPU and a 32K cache soldered to the board. Macworld measured it 25 to 35 per cent faster than the Performa 600.[2] With the Performa 600 it was the first Macintosh in a metal case and the first with a built-in CD-ROM drive; the case and power supply were used again for the Centris 650, Quadra 650 and Power Macintosh 7100.[3][4] Apple's service manual and developer note cover it with the Macintosh IIvi and Performa 600.[5][6]
 | |
| Macintosh IIvx (All About Apple museum) | |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Apple Computer, Inc. |
| Type | Desktop personal computer |
| Released | 19 October 1992 |
| Discontinued | 21 October 1993 |
| Intro price | US$2,949-3,319 at introduction |
| CPU | Motorola 68030 at 32 MHz (31.3344 MHz), 16 MHz bus |
| Memory | 4 MB soldered plus four 30-pin SIMM sockets, 68 MB maximum (80 ns) |
| Storage | Internal SCSI hard drive, 40-400 MB; optional internal CD-ROM |
| Display | — |
| Sound | Mono output through the speaker, stereo CD audio at the headphone jack; mono sound input |
| Graphics | Built in (DB-15), 512 KB or 1 MB VRAM on two VRAM SIMMs |
| ROM | 1 MB |
| FPU / coprocessor | Motorola 68882 |
| Media | Internal 1.4 MB floppy drive |
| Ports / interface | Two ADB, two RS-232/RS-422 serial (mini DIN-8), SCSI (DB-25), video (DB-15), headphone and microphone jacks |
| Expansion | Three NuBus slots, one 120-pin accelerator slot, one 5.25-inch bay |
| Power | 85-270 V AC auto-ranging; 112 W DC maximum |
| Dimensions | 6 × 13 × 16.5 in (150 × 325 × 412 mm) |
| Weight | 25 lb (11.3 kg) |
| OS / Firmware | System 7.1 to Mac OS 7.6.1 |
| Successor | Macintosh Centris 650 |
| Codename | Brazil, Lego |
| Model no. | M1350 (Gestalt ID 48) |
History
editMacworld reported in April 1993 that the IIvx belonged to Apple's new Centris mid-range line, but that Apple's lawyers had not finished the trademark check on the Centris name before it was released; Apple said it would not rename it.[7] The 68040 Macintosh Centris 650 arrived in the same case in February 1993, and Apple cut the IIvx's base price from US$2,949 to US$1,899.[4] Low End Mac found the IIvx slower than the Macintosh IIci, because its 32 MHz processor runs on a 16 MHz bus.[4]
Specifications
edit| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Processor | Motorola 68030 at 31.3344 MHz with built-in MMU; 68882 FPU at the same speed[6] |
| Cache | 32K static RAM on the logic board; no bus snooping[6] |
| RAM | 4 MB soldered (eight 1M × 4 DRAMs); four 30-pin SIMM sockets, all four filled with identical 80 ns SIMMs of 256K to 16 MB; 68 MB maximum[6] |
| ROM | 1 MB, two 256K × 16 chips soldered to the board[6] |
| VRAM | 512K (two 256K VRAM SIMMs) or 1 MB (two 512K SIMMs), 100 ns, fitted in identical pairs[6] |
| Video modes | 512K: 512 × 384 at up to 16 bits per pixel, 640 × 480 at up to 8. 1 MB: 640 × 480 at up to 16[5] |
| Drives | 1.4 MB floppy drive; 3.5-inch SCSI hard drive, 40-400 MB; optional 5.25-inch CD-ROM drive[5][6] |
| Expansion | Three NuBus slots (13.9 W each, 41.7 W total); one 120-pin accelerator slot (5 W, 1 A at +5 V)[6] |
| Serial | Two RS-232/RS-422 ports, 230.4 kbaud maximum, 0.92 Mbit/s with an external clock[5] |
| SCSI | DB-25; up to six external devices[5] |
| Power supply | 85-270 V AC, automatic; 112 W maximum, 130 W peak; switched monitor outlet, 3 A[6] |
| Environment | Operating 10-40 °C; storage -40 to 47 °C; 5-95 % relative humidity; 0-3,048 m[5] |
| Case | Painted sheet metal with plastic front and back bezels; 325 × 412 × 150 mm (13 × 16.5 × 6 in)[6] |
The Service Source prints the machine's A/C line input as 100-120 V AC at 200 W, and the monitor outlet as 100-240 V AC, 3 A.[5] The developer note gives the supply's input as 85-270 V AC, selected automatically.[6] Low End Mac lists the supply as 230 W; Apple's figure is 112 W, and Macworld's review gives the same.[4][6][2]
| Order number | RAM | VRAM | Hard drive | CD-ROM | US list price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1355LL/A | 4 MB | 512K | 80 MB | No | $2,949 |
| M1371LL/A | 4 MB | 512K | 230 MB | No | $3,319 |
| M1373LL/A | 5 MB | 1 MB | 80 MB | AppleCD 300i | $3,219 |
Hardware
editLogic board
editThe VASP chip combines video, memory mapping, sound, clock generation and glue logic, and is similar to the V8 of the Macintosh LC. A 68HC05 microcontroller, as in the Macintosh IIsi, runs ADB, the clock, parameter RAM and soft power.[6] Apple's logic board part is 661-0759 for the IIvx (661-0760 IIvi, 661-0761 Performa 600).[5]
Because RAM is tested and sized before video starts, the screen stays blank for a while at start-up, longer with more RAM fitted.[6] The IIvx does not support 1-bit mode on Apple's 12-inch RGB monitor.[6]
Accelerator slot
editThe 120-pin slot is for accelerator cards, much like the IIci cache slot. Apple warns that it is not compatible with processor-direct cards for other Macintosh models; the connector is the same but the signals differ, and fitting one may damage the card and the computer. Cards must stay within 5 W.[6] A IIvx could be upgraded to a Centris 650 by exchanging the logic board, and Apple's Service Source refers the Power Macintosh 7100 upgrade to the 7100 manual.[5]
SCSI and CD-ROM
editAn active terminator on the logic board terminates the internal bus when no external device is attached, and switches off when a terminated external device is connected. The 3.5-inch hard drive must be terminated; a device in the 5.25-inch bay must not be. Apple's internal CD-ROM uses SCSI ID 3, and its audio goes to a four-pin connector on the logic board.[6] Apple's parts list shows AppleCD 300, 300i and 600i drives.[5]
Power supply
editApple part 661-0758, the same as the Centris 650's.[5] Apple Rescue of Denver lists it as Apple 614-0009, 112 W, made by Delta (SMP-120EB) or Astec (AA16870).[3] Its 80 mm fan cools the whole machine.[6]
| Load | +5 V | +5 V trickle | +12 V | -12 V | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | 1.5 A | 0 A | 200 mA | 0 A | 9.9 W |
| Maximum | 15 A | 1 mA | 2.5 A | 600 mA | 112 W |
| Peak | 15 A | 1 mA | 6 A (12 s maximum) | 600 mA | 130 W |
The trickle output is live whenever the machine is plugged in and runs the clock, parameter RAM and the ADB power-on circuit; the +12 V peak rating covers every internal drive spinning up at once.[6] Apple publishes no rail tolerances and no adjustment.[5]
Battery
editA 3.6 V lithium cell keeps the clock and PRAM when the machine is unplugged.[1][6] Apple's test: measure on the 10 V DC range, positive probe on the end marked "+" on the logic board, and replace the battery below 2.8 V.[5] See Macintosh IIvx General Maintenance.
Capacitors
editThe IIvi board Recap-a-Mac documents has six 47 µF 16 V surface-mount electrolytics and two 220 µF 16 V axials, and Console5 sells one logic board kit for the IIvx, IIvi and Performa 600. See Macintosh IIvx Capacitor Replacement Guide.[8]
Maintenance and repair
edit- Macintosh IIvx General Maintenance: opening the case, battery, power supply, drives and memory.
- Macintosh IIvx Troubleshooting: Apple's symptom charts.
- Macintosh IIvx Capacitor Replacement Guide: logic board capacitors and take-apart.
Documentation
edit- Macintosh IIvx/IIvi/Performa 600 Service Source: Apple's service manual.[5]
- Macintosh IIvx IIvi and Performa 600 Developer Note: Apple's developer note, with the power supply ratings and slot power budgets.[6]
Related pages
edit- Macintosh IIvi, the 16 MHz version
- Macintosh Performa 600
- Macintosh Centris 650, the 68040 machine in the same case
- Macintosh IIci
- Sad Mac Error Codes
References
edit- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Apple Macintosh IIvx Specs, EveryMac—link(accessed 2026-09-30) Introduced 19 October 1992, discontinued 21 October 1993; model M1350, Gestalt ID 48; order numbers M1355LL/A (4 MB, 512K VRAM, 80 MB), M1371LL/A (4 MB, 512K VRAM, 230 MB), M1373LL/A (5 MB, 1 MB VRAM, 80 MB, 2X CD-ROM); 3.6 V lithium battery; 25 lb.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Charles Seiter, "Macintosh IIvx: The latest desktop Mac is a faster version of the Performa 600", Macworld, December 1992, pp. 206-207, archive.org. Same case, logic board, CD-ROM option and I/O as the Performa 600; 68882 and 32K cache added; 35 per cent faster at some processor-intensive tasks and 25 per cent at others; three NuBus slots and a 112 W supply; prices US$2,949 (4 MB, 80 MB, 512K VRAM), US$3,319 (230 MB), US$3,219 (AppleCD 300i, 1 MB VRAM, 5 MB); IIvi for Europe and the Pacific at 16 MHz, no 68882 but a socket for one, no cache, US$2,900.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Quadra 650, IIvi, IIvx, Power Mac 7100, Performa 600 – Power Supply, Apple Rescue of Denver—link(accessed 2026-09-30) Apple 614-0009, 661-0758, 112 W; original to the Centris and Quadra 650, IIvi, IIvx, Power Macintosh 7100 and Performa 600; Delta SMP-120EB or Astec AA16870.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Mac IIvx, Low End Mac—link(accessed 2026-09-30) 32 MHz CPU on a 16 MHz bus; slower than the IIci; first Macs with a built-in CD-ROM drive and a metal case; base price cut from US$2,949 to US$1,899 when the Centris 650 appeared; code names Brazil and Lego; power supply given as 230 W.
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 Apple Computer, Macintosh IIvx, Macintosh IIvi, Performa 600 Service Source, File:Macintosh iivx.vi.perf 600.pdf; see Macintosh IIvx/IIvi/Performa 600 Service Source. Page numbers are the PDF's: Specifications pp. 5-13; Symptom Charts pp. 16-24; Take Apart pp. 26-51; Upgrades pp. 53-66; Battery Verification pp. 68-69; Battery Replacement pp. 70-72; Reset/Interrupt Switch pp. 73-74; Exploded View p. 76.
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 6.17 6.18 6.19 6.20 Apple Computer, Macintosh IIvx Developer Note (1992), also covering the Macintosh IIvi and Performa 600, File:Macintosh IIvx IIvi and Performa 600 Developer Note.pdf; see Macintosh IIvx IIvi and Performa 600 Developer Note. Printed page numbers: features pp. 2-3; compatibility (cache, accelerator slot, SCSI termination, video modes) pp. 4-5; VASP p. 6; ROM, RAM, VRAM pp. 9-10; ADB, clock, soft power pp. 19-20; accelerator slot power p. 25; enclosure and power supply pp. 27-28; internal drives pp. 29-32; software p. 35.
- ↑ Galen Gruman, "Centris 610 & 650", Macworld, April 1993, pp. 106-113, archive.org.
- ↑ Macintosh IIvi, Recap-a-Mac—link(accessed 2026-09-30)