Apple Macintosh Quadra 840AV

Apple Macintosh Quadra 840AV was introduced in 29 July 1993 as Apple's fastest 68K Macintosh and combined a 40MHz 68040 with a dedicated digital-signal processor. It used a Motorola 68040 at 40 MHz with AT&T 3210 DSP with 8MB standard; expandable to 128MB. 40MHz full 68040 was the fastest processor fitted to a production 68K Mac.

Integrated audio and video capture made the 840AV a landmark multimedia workstation immediately before the PowerPC transition.

Notable Features

• 40MHz full 68040 was the fastest processor fitted to a production 68K Mac.
• AT&T DSP accelerated audio, telecommunications and multimedia tasks.
• Built-in composite and S-video input/output supported desktop video.

Historical Significance

• Integrated audio and video capture made the 840AV a landmark multimedia workstation immediately before the PowerPC transition.
• Its place in the range reflects Apple's progression from the original compact Macintosh toward broader professional, educational and portable markets.

Collector’s Notes

• AV breakout cables, microphones and original video hardware are important parts of a complete system
• Original keyboards, mice, storage devices and model-specific accessories help document a complete period configuration.

Specifications

Technical Information
Name	Apple Macintosh Quadra 840AV
Manufacturer	Apple
Launched	Thursday, July 29, 1993
Country	United States
CPU	Motorola 68040 at 40 MHz with AT&T 3210 DSP
Units Sold
Operating System	System 7.1 through Mac OS 8.1
I/O	Video in/out, S-video, SCSI, serial, ADB, audio, Ethernet and three NuBus slots
Keyboard	External ADB keyboard and mouse
Storage	1.44MB floppy, SCSI hard disk and optional CD-ROM
Sound	16-bit stereo input/output with digital signal processor
Graphics	High-resolution colour graphics with video input/output support
Display	Built-in accelerated colour video
ROM	2MB ROM
RAM	8MB standard; expandable to 128MB
CPU Speed	40 MHz with AT&T 3210 DSP