Sharp X68000 ACE

The Sharp X68000 ACE was the first major revision of the X68000 platform, introduced in March 1988. It retained the original machine’s 10 MHz 68000-class processor and celebrated twin-tower design while revising the internal layout and I/O arrangement.

The standard ACE used dual floppy drives, while the ACE-HD added a factory 20MB hard disk. Both ran Human68k 1.01 and remained closely compatible with the original X68000 software library.

Notable Features

• Revised internal design and rear I/O arrangement.
• ACE-HD configuration included a 20MB hard disk.
• Retained the original 10 MHz processor and custom multimedia chipset.

Historical Significance

• Refined the first-generation X68000 into a more practical production design.
• Preserved strong compatibility while beginning Sharp’s annual model progression.

Collector's Notes

• ACE-HD hard disks are now unreliable and are often replaced with solid-state emulation.
• Inspect the power supply and backup battery before prolonged operation.

Specifications

Technical Information
Name	Sharp X68000 ACE
Manufacturer	Sharp
Launched	Sunday, January 3, 1988
Country	Japan
CPU	Hitachi HD68HC000 at 10 MHz
Units Sold
Form Factor	Twin-tower desktop
Input	Keyboard, mouse and two joystick ports
Display	Multi-frequency RGB monitor support
Expansion	Two expansion slots
Operating System	Human68k 2.0
Storage	Two 5.25-inch floppy drives; EXPERT-HD included 40MB hard disk
Sound	Yamaha YM2151 FM and OKI MSM6258 ADPCM
Graphics	Sharp X68000 custom graphics chipset
RAM	2MB standard, expandable to 12MB
CPU Speed	10 MHz