IBM PS/2 Model 30 8086 Disassembly

Nix McRetro // 24th September 2012 // IBM PC, Repairs

Forgot I uploaded this giant video…

This IBM PS/2 Model 30 sure was a fun beast to disassemble and reassemble.

Despite wearing the PS/2 badge, this original 8086-based Model 30 is a little unusual within the family because it uses an 8-bit ISA expansion bus rather than Micro Channel.

The video above is the complete disassembly and reassembly, so if you have an hour to spare you can watch the whole thing.

Be sure to watch all sixty minutes!

Ahhh… optional viewing, I guess.

The photographs below show some of the more interesting parts of the machine without requiring quite that level of commitment.

IBM PS/2 Model 30 8086: External Overview

Sources

IBM Files - PS/2 Model 25 and Model 30 - documents the original Model 30’s 8-bit ISA expansion architecture.

AI-assisted revision: This post was reviewed and edited with OpenAI GPT-5.6 Sol on 29 September 2026 for fact-checking, sourcing, and editorial cleanup. Final editorial responsibility remains with the author.

IBM PS/2 Model 30 8086 Disassembly

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