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Apple Macintosh II vs Apple Macintosh IIx

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

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AppleMacintosh IIAppleMacintosh IIx
Overview
ReleasedMay 1987September 1988
Performance
Processor68020 16 MHz (Macintosh II)68030 16 MHz (Macintosh IIx)
CPU cores11
Memory1 MB1 MB
Storage40 MB40 MB
CPUNominal 16 MHz 68020 with 68881 floating-point coprocessor and optional 68851 paged memory management unit; 0.25 KB L1 cache, no L2 cache or second processorNominal 16 MHz 68030 with integrated paged memory management unit and 68882 floating-point coprocessor; 0.5 KB L1 cache, no L2 cache or second processor
GPUNo integrated video output; one NuBus video card is needed for a display. Apple offered colour or monochrome cards and monitors separatelyNo integrated video output; a separately sold NuBus video card is required
Memory typeEight 30-pin SIMM slots in banks of four, 120 ns or faster; Apple lists 1–20 MB across revisions, using 256 KB, 1 MB or 4 MB modules. A 4 MB module cannot go in Bank A without the SuperDrive upgrade; 256 KB ROMEight 30-pin SIMM slots populated in groups of four, 120 ns or faster; Apple's support sheet certifies 1–32 MB with 256 KB, 1 MB or 4 MB modules. Larger third-party configurations are not represented as maker-supported; 256 KB ROM
Storage typeOne or two 800 KB floppy drives; Apple lists 40–80 MB internal SCSI hard drives. The two configurations represent the independently documented 1 MB floppy-only and 1 MB/40 MB factory systems; no RAM and 80 MB drive pairing inferredOne or two 1.44 MB high-density floppy drives; optional 40–80 MB internal SCSI hard drives. Factory configurations shown are the 1 MB floppy-only system and Low End Mac's separately priced 1 MB/40 MB system; no 80 MB/RAM pair inferred
Expansion slotsSix 32-bit NuBus slots, one occupied when a display video card is installedSix NuBus slots, one occupied when a display video card is installed
Display
ScreenNone built inNone built in
Connections
PortsHeadphone jackHeadphone jack
Back portsTwo Apple Desktop Bus ports, DB-25 SCSI, printer and modem serial ports and stereo sound output; no built-in Ethernet or video socketTwo Apple Desktop Bus ports, DB-25 SCSI, printer and modem serial ports and stereo sound output; no built-in Ethernet or video socket
External displaysRequires a separately purchased NuBus video card; supported resolution and colour depth depend on that card, so no fixed display capability is assertedRequires a NuBus video card; available resolutions and colour depths depend on the card
SpeakersBuilt-in speaker and stereo 8-bit sound outputBuilt-in speaker and stereo 8-bit sound output
Design and power
TypeCompactCompact
Weight10.9 kg10.9 kg
Width × depth × height475 × 366 × 140 mm475 × 366 × 140 mm
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
Size and weight detailApple's reference dimensions are 5.5 × 18.7 × 14.4 inches and 24 lb; metric fields are rounded conversionsApple's reference dimensions are 5.5 × 18.7 × 14.4 inches and 24 lb; metric fields are rounded conversions
Power supplyMaximum 230 W; 90–270 V AC, 48–62 Hz, 1.9 A; soft power and monitor power pass-throughMaximum 230 W; 90–270 V AC, 48–62 Hz, 1.9 A; 3.6 V lithium clock battery and soft power
In the boxOriginal System Software 2.0. Apple introduced the Macintosh II on 2 March 1987; contemporary reporting expected May shipments, and Wikipedia cites an 8 May Wall Street Journal report of their startOriginal System Software 6.0.1. Apple introduced the IIx on 19 September 1988; an independent model chronology records September availability, without an exact first-sale day

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