upgrading 464 costs.

[Carnivius]

Ok, ok I'm considering upgrading my 464 a bit.   I don't have much money for such things though so what is the minimum I'm likely gonna have to pay for 128k?   And what's the best method for loading disk games these days onto a CPC (i mean do you even still use disks or do you use form of USB stick thingy with tons of .dsk files on them.  I'd really rather not have to use disks if I can avoid them.  I'm not a fan of physical media these days). 

So what are the best items for all that and how much would it cost me?

[mr_lou]

You could buy one of these:
AMSTRAD ,CPC 464,DK`TRONICS, 64k MEMORY EXPANSION,BOXED,INSTRUCTIONS,CASSETTE |

Then you'll have 128k

And then buy a HxC for DSK loading. (DSK files needs to be converted to HFE files first).
http://lotharek.pl/product.php?pid=18

[CraigsBar]

You could buy one of these:
AMSTRAD ,CPC 464,DK`TRONICS, 64k MEMORY EXPANSION,BOXED,INSTRUCTIONS,CASSETTE |

Then you'll have 128k

And then buy a HxC for DSK loading. (DSK files needs to be converted to HFE files first).
http://lotharek.pl/product.php?pid=18

A 464 would still need a modern ddi1 interface to use the hxc (unfortunately)

[mr_lou]

A 464 would still need a modern ddi1 interface to use the hxc (unfortunately)

Oh right, I forgot about that. Thanks.

Yea, the total cost becomes rather high.....

[steve]

Cheapest option is to buy a 6128.

[TFM]

Cheapest option is to buy a 6128.

Cheapest and IMHO best option. 

[Carnivius]

  I'm gonna say this calmly...

I do not want a 6128.   I am enquiring about giving some extra capabilities to my 464 that I have owned for 30 years and have a strong sentimental attachment to and that using it makes me feel pretty good and nostalgic and reminds me of times before life turned to shit.   I do not like owning many things, and I certainly haven't the space for another computer and if you think I'd chuck out my 464 I have looked after well for 30 years and got me through some rough times to make space for a 6128 I have absolutely no attachment to then you are damn wrong.  Now please just stick to actual helpful answers about adding extra memory and fast loading to my 464.  Thank you.

[mr_lou]

Now now, calm down Carnivac. No one said you should buy a CPC6128. All they said was that it was the cheapest solution, and that's true.

I know exactly what you mean though.
It was exactly the same reason why I upgraded my own CPC464, with one of those 64k RAM expansions, in order to be able to run STarKos on my CPC464 so I could compose music.
Then I got the HxC, and had to have my DDI modified before it worked with the HxC.
So it's all quite possibly. It's just a bit expensive.

And it was great using it like that for a long time.
But as time went by, I got slightly tired of all the external parts, and not-so-stable connection between the RAM expansion and DDI.

Lining up the HxC + DDI + RAM expansion next to a CPC6128.... you're not saving that much space by upgrading your CPC464 rather than getting a CPC6128 instead.

But I totally get it, when you say that it's your CPC464 you want to stick with.

[Bryce]

I'd recommend an x-mem. And you get a Flash ROMBoard as a bonus. Very happy with mine. It's about to be incorporated into my 6128+ Laptop

Bryce.

[TFM]

Right. And nobody told to get rid of the 464. And nobody can make me believe to live in a place that small, that not an additional CPC keyboard (464 or 6128) can fit in. 


So yes, as Mr. Lou told. Alternative: Ask Bryce to build it all into the 464 keyboard.

[Bryce]

My original 464 from my childhood is still "virgin", but only gets taken out on special occasions (Usually enjoying some tape games). But I have a 6128+ as my most used (Modded to the limit ).

Bryce.

[steve]

Ok, ok I'm considering upgrading my 464 a bit.   I don't have much money for such things though so what is the minimum I'm likely gonna have to pay for 128k?   And what's the best method for loading disk games these days onto a CPC (i mean do you even still use disks or do you use form of USB stick thingy with tons of .dsk files on them.  I'd really rather not have to use disks if I can avoid them.  I'm not a fan of physical media these days). 

So what are the best items for all that and how much would it cost me?

I'm gonna say this calmly...

In your first post you said "I don't have much money" you did not say "I do not want a 6128", therefore the most cost effective way of getting an upgraded 464 was to get a 6128, I did not tell you to get rid of your 464.
I have my original 464 and it has been joined by many more 464s, 664s, 6128s, pluses, PCWs and NCs, so I understand your attachment to your 464.

[dcdrac]

Off topic completly I had a Multiface 2 that had that speckled screen effect because sometimes the 6128 rom was faulty, got the rom replaced and all was well.

with my original 464 I replaced its rom with a 6128 rom, add a DKtroniks 64K ram pack and the DD1 with floppy so had a 6128 in all but name, I do not recall if it needed the DD1 but just used it

How to convert a Amstrad CPC464 into a CPC6128. | Retro Computers

[Carnivius]

Now now, calm down Carnivac.

I was calm.  Hence the word 'calmly' in the first line.  My original comment was much more full of frustration and annoyance.

I'm just a bit tired of the all the snarkiness towards the 464 I often see here from 6128 owners (or at least CPC owners with 128k and above).

In your first post you said "I don't have much money" you did not say "I do not want a 6128", therefore the most cost effective way of getting an upgraded 464 was to get a 6128, I did not tell you to get rid of your 464.

I've often said on this forum I don't like owning too many possessions as I don't like clutter and I like to keep things to a minimum when I have to move (I'm never really settled).  It's one of the many reasons I've almost completely given up on physical media preferring to contain hundreds of games on a small memory device instead.   Now even if I was to break that rule and buy another bulky computer (which would then likely need another desk to put it on adding more cost and taking away more space) and buy a 6128 and use it for gaming then what would happen to my poor 464?  I want my trusty 464 to remain as my only CPC to game on.  So yeah my question had nothing to do with the 6128 and everything to do with asking about add-ons for the 464.  I don't want a 6128, I don't want a Plus or anything.  Just 464-compatible add-ons. 

I'd recommend an x-mem. And you get a Flash ROMBoard as a bonus. Very happy with mine. It's about to be incorporated into my 6128+ Laptop

Bryce.

I tried reading the X-Mem topic but I couldn't make much sense of any of it or find the cost.   Also where does it plug in and does it stick out the back too much (limited desk space).  I don't really know what a Flash ROMBoard is.

[steve]

You don't have much money AND you don't like clutter, get a 6128.

[Carnivius]

...

[steve]

I have added a picture to my previous post to show you what an upgraded 464 looks like.

[Carnivius]

And what is all that?  And actually that stuff can fit on my desk fine.
It doesn't matter anyways.  I do not want a 6128.  Please just understand that.  I actually love using my 464 and a large part of that is because I've had it for most of my life.  I don't know why it's so hard to get help here to a question I actually asked...

[steve]

You can upgrade your 464 but it costs money you say you don't have.

memory expansion: Dk'Tronics 64k or 256k hard to find and expensive, best option is X-Mem and mother x4.
DDI-! clone made by piotr as well as an adaptor to plug it into the mother x4, I do not know the cost of these items.
HXC 2001 about £80.
maybe £200 to £300 altogether.

[Carnivius]

Ok cool.  I don't expect to do it all in go (I'll potentially have a lot more money next year when some of my projects finally get completed and hopefully bringing in the money).   Let's start with the memory.    I think the X-Mem will probably be first.  What's "mother x4" mean? 

[steve]

Mother X4 is a 4 slot motherboard that X-Mem plugs into, you would use 1 slot for x-mem and another slot for the DDI clone adaptor board, leaving two slots for other expansion posibilities.

[Carnivius]

Mother X4 is a 4 slot motherboard that X-Mem plugs into, you would use 1 slot for x-mem and another slot for the DDI clone adaptor board, leaving two slots for other expansion posibilities.

What if I don't need other expansions?  Is there a mother x2?    And does the X-Mem need the mother thing to even connect to the CPC to begin with or is the mother just for additional expansions?

[steve]

What if I don't need other expansions?

There is a new sound card that adds 6 additional sound channels, new software may be wriitten to use it, you have the option to use a spare slot for it in future.

Is there a mother x2?    And does the X-Mem need the mother thing to even connect to the CPC to begin with or is the mother just for additional expansions?

No, Yes and No.

[steve]

And what is all that?  And actually that stuff can fit on my desk fine.

The first board is the X-Mem, the second board is the playcity (6 channel sound card + interrupts) the last board is the DDI clone with lead going to the HxC 2001.

[CraigsBar]

There is a new sound card that adds 6 additional sound channels, new software may be wriitten to use it, you have the option to use a spare slot for it in future.No, Yes and No.

Not strictly true. You can connect a x-mem with just a ribbon cable and 2 connectors but this way provides no through connector for the ddi1.
So yes you can connect it as is without the mother 4x, but you will need the mother 4x once you have the ddi1 as well.