Apple II 4164 RAM & Language Card Adapter

Description

Product Description

Shipping, Customs & Duties Notice

For the logistics services we use, shipments to most major developed countries are delivered door to door, and the shipping fee includes customs clearance, dutie…

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Shipping, Customs & Duties Notice

For the logistics services we use, shipments to most major developed countries are delivered door to door, and the shipping fee includes customs clearance, duties, and taxes. If a destination, route, or carrier requires the buyer to pay import duties/taxes separately or provide customs information, we will contact you before shipment and will only ship after confirming the details.

Important Supply and Compatibility Notice

Reliable vintage DRAM is becoming increasingly difficult to source. The original 48 KB Apple II motherboard configuration requires 24 x 4116 DRAM chips, arranged as three rows of eight. This upgrade replaces that set with only 8 x 4164 DRAM chips and adds the required conversion/control circuitry plus Apple II Language Card functionality.

Both genuine 4116 and suitable 4164 parts are finite vintage supplies, and we cannot guarantee long-term availability. If you are planning a build, restoration, or future repair, early ordering is recommended.

This is not a universal drop-in replacement for every Apple II clone or every third-party memory modification. DRAM speed, timing characteristics, motherboard revision, and existing adapter circuitry can affect operation. Please contact us before purchasing if the module will be used with hardware not supplied by us. Send the motherboard revision, clear photos of the RAM area, the installed DRAM part numbers, and details of any previous modifications.

For customers who previously purchased our Apple II Rev 0 Reproduction Kit or assembled system, compatibility is normally straightforward. Please still contact us if your board has been modified or uses a different memory configuration.

What is it?

This is a fully assembled and tested Apple II memory conversion and Language Card adapter set developed by innoelement. It is intended primarily for our Apple II Rev 0 reproduction products and for compatible Apple II restoration projects.

The complete solution uses eight matched 4164 DRAM chips in place of the original twenty-four 4116 chips. The adapter circuitry handles the required memory selection and integrates standard Language Card behavior through the Apple II's Slot 0. The exact installation arrangement is shown in the product photos and will also be documented in our GitHub instructions.

What does the Language Card do?

A fully populated original Apple II motherboard provides 48 KB of RAM. A standard 16 KB Language Card expands the usable system memory to 64 KB by bank-switching RAM into the upper address space normally occupied by ROM.

This extra memory is important for software and operating systems that expect a 64 KB Apple II configuration. It supports the classic Language Card memory map used by Apple DOS, ProDOS, Pascal, and software that loads or switches BASIC/language environments. Slot 0 is used because standard Apple II software expects the Language Card there.

Why use this upgrade?

Replaces 24 aging 4116 DRAM chips with only 8 matched 4164 chips

Provides a practical replacement when original RAM has failed

Adds 16 KB Language Card functionality for a 64 KB system configuration

Reduces dependence on scarce, failure-prone 4116 inventory

Uses 4164 DRAM, which operates from a single +5 V supply

Simplifies future maintenance and RAM replacement

Offers a lower-cost, more reliable path for our earlier Apple II customers

What is included?

One assembled and tested 4164 conversion/control adapter set

One integrated Slot 0 Language Card assembly

Eight matched and tested 4164 DRAM chips

Required interconnect and adapter parts as shown in the product photos

The Apple II motherboard, case, power supply, keyboard, and other accessories are not included.

Installation and support

Power must be completely disconnected before installing or removing any board, DRAM, cable, or adapter. Never hot-plug Apple II expansion cards or memory components. Follow the orientation markings and the GitHub installation guide carefully.

If you are unsure whether your motherboard, DRAM chips, or another conversion solution uses compatible timing and control signals, contact us before ordering. A superficially similar 4164 modification is not necessarily electrically or timing compatible with this design.