Amstrad PC8486

The Amstrad PC8486 was the 486DX member of Amstrad’s later PC desktop catalogue. It represented a shift toward increasingly conventional IBM-compatible hardware as Amstrad competed in the fast-moving early-1990s PC market.

Sold in a variety of memory, storage and processor-speed configurations, the PC8486 supported DOS and Microsoft Windows software with full 486-class processing and standard VGA-compatible display hardware.

Notable Features

• Only widely documented model in Amstrad’s PC8000 desktop series.
• Used a full 486DX-class processor.
• Configurations varied in processor speed, memory, hard-disk capacity and monitor bundle.

Historical Significance

• Reflected Amstrad’s move toward standard commodity PC designs.
• Bridged the earlier numbered desktop families and the later PC9000 range.

Collectors Notes

• Surviving configurations may differ substantially, so component labels should be recorded.
• Original documentation for this model is scarce.

Specifications

Technical Information
Name	Amstrad PC8486
Manufacturer	Amstrad
Launched	Friday, January 1, 1993
Discontinued	Mid-1990s
Country	United Kingdom
CPU	Intel 80486DX family processor
Units Sold
Sound	PC speaker; optional sound expansion
Form Factor	Desktop PC
Display	VGA colour monitor support
Keyboard	AT or PS/2-style keyboard, depending on configuration
Operating System	MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows compatible
Expansion	ISA expansion
Storage	3.5-inch high-density floppy drive and IDE hard disk
Graphics	VGA-compatible graphics
RAM	Configuration dependent
CPU	Intel 80486DX family