Both the PC1512 and PC1640 could be upgraded with a NEC V30 CPU, adding Intel 80186 instruction set compatibility and providing a modest performance boost. The optional Intel 8087 math co-processor dramatically improved floating-point performance, outperforming even later 80286 systems without FPU in numerical tasks. Three full-length ISA expansion slots with tool-free thumb-push panel locks made upgrades unusually easy for the era.