website/content/museum/amstrad-pc-1512.md

---
title: Amstrad PC 1512
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Professional Computer
origins:
- United Kingdom
years:
- '1986'
cpus:
- Intel 8086
params:
  name: PC 1512
  image: /media/museum/photos/amstrad_pc1512_2s.jpg
  company: /companies/amstrad
  company_name: Amstrad
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: PC 1512
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Amstrad
  - label: TYPE
    value: Professional Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: United Kingdom
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1986'
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Full-stroke professional keyabord, with function keys, numeric keypad and editing keys
  - label: CPU
    value: Intel 8086
  - label: SPEED
    value: 8 MHz
  - label: RAM
    value: 512 KB (up to 640 KB)
  - label: ROM
    value: 16 KB
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 40 x 25 / 80 x 25
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: 'CGA graphic modes : 320 x 200 / 640 x 200 + Amstrad specific mode : 640 x 200 / 16 colors'
  - label: COLORS
    value: 4 (CGA colors) / 16 (Amstrad Mode)
  - label: SOUND
    value: bipper
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: Centronics, RGB, RS232, Mouse (proprietary), Joystick, 8 bit ISA slots (3)
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: One or two 5.25'' disk-drives
  - label: OS
    value: MS-DOS or DR-DOS
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: PSU built-in
  - label: PRICE
    value: |-
      Monochrome 1FD: $799 - 2FD: $899 - 10 MB HD: $1299\
      Colour versions: add $200 (USA, March 1987)\
      From £490 to £1090 (UK)
  tabs:
  - photos
  - adverts
  - hardware
  - links
  - videos
  forum_thread: 193
  photos:
  - title: AMSTRAD PC-1512
    subtitle: ''
    text: Model with color monitor and double disk drive (2 x 360 KB)
    image: /media/museum/photos/amstrad_pc1512_2.jpg
  adverts:
  - title: UK ADVERT (1986)
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      November 1986 price list:\
      Monochrome - Single drive: **£399** + VAT\
      Monochrome - Dual drive: **£499** + VAT\
      Colour - Single drive: **£549** + VAT\
      Colour - Dual drive: **£649** + VAT

      Optional 10 MB hard disk: **£300** + VAT
    image: /media/museum/pubs/amstrad_pc1512_ukadv_1.jpg
  - title: FRENCH ADVERT (APRIL 1987)
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      "Compatible with you know who.\
      Equiped like nobody.\
      Priced like Amstrad".

      Single drive, monochrome monitor = 4997 FF + VAT\
      Double drive, monochrome monitor = 6290 FF + VAT\
      Single drive, colour monitor = 6890 FF + VAT\
      Double drive, colour monitor = 8190 FF + VAT\
      Single drive, 20 MB hard-disk, monochrome monitor = 9990 FF + VAT\
      Single drive, 20 MB hard-disk, colour monitor = 11890 FF + VAT
    image: /media/museum/pubs/amstrad_pc1512_pub-fr_1.jpg
  hardware:
  - title: DMP 2000/3000 PRINTERS
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/hardware/amstrad_pc1512_dmp2000-3000_1.jpg
  links:
  - title: The Amstrad 1512DD home page
    url: http://www.amstrad1512.co.uk/
    text: Site is dedicated to the Amstrad 1512DD and other Amstrad 1512's.
  videos:
  - title: Amstrad PC Finnish commercial (1987)
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrQfi8iG-Gk
    text: 'Length: 10 s'
  related:
  - /museum/amstrad-pc-1640
  - /museum/amstrad-ppc-512-640
  - /museum/ibm-pc-at
  - /museum/ibm-pc-model-5150
  - /museum/ibm-pc-portable-model-5155
  - /museum/ibm-pc-xt-286
  - /museum/ibm-pc-xt-model-5160
  - /museum/ibm-ps-1
  - /museum/micronique-hector-xt
  oc_id: 183
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230608143035/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=183
    date: '2023-06-08'
---

The Amstrad PC 1512 was launched in 1986. After the Amstrad [CPC 464](/museum/amstrad-cpc-464/), the [CPC 664](/museum/amstrad-cpc-664/) and the [CPC 6128](/museum/amstrad-cpc-6128/) (three home computers based on the Z80) and the [PCW 8256](/museum/amstrad-pcw-8256-8512/) and the [PCW 9512](/museum/amstrad-pcw-9512/) (both dedicated word processing computers based on the Z80 as well), Amstrad decided to make its first low-cost PC clone. It was a great European success, capturing more than 25% of the European computer market (impressive now and phenomenal then).

This cheap computer was, however, complete and offered more than some others did. The small power supply (57 W) was integrated into the monitor.

Eight models were offered: The PC 1512 SD/DD (with one or two 5.25" floppy disk drives) and two models with hard disk (HD10 with 10 MB hard disk and HD20 with 20 MB hard disk). FD and HD versions could be acquired with a monochrome or colour monitor.

The Amstrad used an "enhanced" CGA graphic mode, which could display 640x200 pixels with 16 colors (or grayscale). It was sold with MS-DOS 3.2, DR-DOS plus 1.2 (an operating system from Digital Research), GEM (a graphic interface, also used in the Atari [ST](/museum/atari-520-st-st-stm/), [TT](/museum/atari-tt-030/) & [Falcon](/museum/atari-falcon-030/)), GEMPAINT and GEM BASIC.

The mouse port, although using 9 pins like a COM port, is proprietary to Amstrad ... The port is female and is only for use with an Amstrad mouse. The special PC-CM monitor provides power to the system unit by a large 14-DIN connector.

**Charles Da Silva** adds:\
Digital Research brought all its support to the Amstrad PC with its DR-DOS, expecting it to know the same success as the CPC and PCW series. The problem is that, near to the launch, Sugar decided to also include MS-DOS, destroying all D.R. hopes to get even on Microsoft...

**Andrew Balls** comments:\
The PC-1512 was CGA-compatible software wise, but the display had a round DIN connector instead of 9-pin D and the signals were different: I vaguely recall that they were analogue instead of digital and perhaps had composite sync. It has been many, many years since I looked at these. The PC-1640 had proper TTL EGA on a 9-pin D.

**Rond Ofstad** adds:\
On the earliest versions of the 1512 model SD/DD you could get a HardCard. It was a controller card with onboard 10 or 20 MB HD.