In his latest video, Chris from Retronaut walks through a clean, no-nonsense upgrade for the Commodore 1541 disk drive—one that gives it a serious boost in speed and convenience without compromising compatibility.
The project centers on a dual-ROM adapter, sourced from PCBWay, that allows two ROM chips to sit side by side inside the 1541. The clever bit? A physical switch lets the user toggle between a JiffyDOS ROM for faster operation, or the stock Commodore KERNAL ROM for those times when an original setup is necessary. It’s a straightforward modification that adds flexibility and speed to one of the most widely used drives in the Commodore lineup.
JiffyDOS is well known for accelerating disk operations dramatically—something any longtime user of the 1541 can appreciate after sitting through countless load times. But since not every piece of software plays nicely with JiffyDOS, having an easy fallback to the original ROM avoids potential issues.
Chris takes viewers through each step of the install process, from prepping the board to wiring the switch, offering practical tips for anyone interested in doing this themselves. It’s a smart upgrade for users who want modern speed without giving up the quirks of vintage compatibility.
