Buying an Original ZX Spectrum: What to Check

Which model should I look for?

Our guide to every Spectrum model covers the details. In short:

• 48K (rubber keys): the icon, and what most people picture. Runs almost all classic games.
• Spectrum+: the same machine with a better keyboard.
• 128K or grey +2: runs 48K and 128K games, with AY music. The +2 has a tape deck built in, which saves finding a cassette recorder.
• +3: has a 3-inch disk drive. Lovely, but the disks and drive belts are now harder to come by.

Questions to ask the seller

• Has it been tested recently, on a TV? Can you see a photo or video of it running?
• Do all the keys work? Have you tried typing every letter and number?
• Does it load a tape? (A +2 or +3 should be tested with its own tape deck or disk drive.)
• Which power supply comes with it, and is it the original?
• Has it been repaired, modified or "recapped" (had its capacitors replaced)?
• For boxed machines: is everything in the box original to it?

"Untested" or "sold as seen" often means it doesn't work. That can still be fine if you want a project and the price reflects it.

Common faults

Keyboard membrane

Under the keys of a 48K, Spectrum+ and 128K is a thin plastic membrane with printed tracks. Over time its ribbon tails crack, and whole rows of keys stop working. It's the most common fault, and new replacement membranes are widely sold and straightforward to fit.

Memory faults

On 16K and 48K machines, failing memory chips can stop the computer starting up, or cause odd patterns on screen. These chips can be replaced by anyone confident with a soldering iron, or by a repairer.

Heat and power regulation

The 48K's power regulator runs hot, and a machine left on for hours gets warm. Problems in the power circuit can damage other parts, so a professionally checked machine is worth paying a little more for.

Tape decks and disk drives

The +2's tape deck and the +3's disk drive both use rubber drive belts that perish with age. Replacement belts are available.

Connecting a Spectrum to a modern TV

The 48K and Spectrum+ only output an RF signal, the kind an old TV tuned like a TV channel. Many modern TVs no longer tune analogue channels, or show a poor picture. The usual solution is a composite video modification, which gives a much clearer picture through a standard video input. The 128K, +2 and +3 have an RGB output that can connect by SCART, or through an adapter to HDMI.

Where to buy a used Spectrum

• Online auctions and marketplaces have the widest choice. Read the description carefully and look at every photo, especially of the keyboard and the board if it's shown.
• Retro computing shows and fairs let you see a machine running before you pay, and traders there often test what they sell.
• Specialist refurbishers sell machines that have been cleaned, repaired and tested, sometimes with a new membrane or a video modification. They cost more, but you're buying a working computer rather than a project.

Prices depend on the model, condition and whether it's boxed, so compare several sold listings before you decide what a fair price is.

Original or restored?

Some collectors want a machine exactly as it left the factory; others want one that works reliably with a modern TV. Replacement membranes, recapping and video modifications make a Spectrum more usable but less original. Neither is wrong; just make sure the listing says which you're getting.

What you'll need to play

• The computer and a safe, correct power supply.
• A way to connect it to your TV (RF lead or a video modification for a 48K).
• A cassette recorder (not needed for a +2), or a modern tape replacement device that plays files from an SD card.
• Optionally, a joystick interface and joystick: see our joystick guide.

Or skip the old hardware

If the faults and leads sound like too much, The Spectrum and the Spectrum Next are modern machines that plug straight into a TV. And our arcade runs in your browser with nothing to buy. When you're ready, browse Spectrum hardware and spares in our shop.