Atari PC5

Atari PC5
	Atari PC5
Specifications
Manufacturer	Atari Corporation
Type	IBM PC/AT Compatible
Released	1989
Discontinued	1990
CPU	Intel i386DX @ 16 MHz or 20 MHz (switchable to 8 MHz)
Memory	2 MB or 4 MB RAM
Storage	1× Epson SD-680L 5.25" 1.2 MB floppy drive; Seagate ST-277R 66 MB RLL hard drive; optional 1.44 MB 3.5" floppy
Display	Western Digital WD VGA Plus 16 (256 KB)
Sound	PC Speaker
OS / Firmware	MS-DOS 3.3, GW-BASIC 3.2, Microsoft Windows/386 v2.0 (or Eurix Unix System V/386)
Predecessor	Atari PC4
Successor	Atari ABC 386

The Atari PC5 was Atari Corporation's most powerful entry in the original Atari PC line of IBM-compatible computers. Equipped with an Intel i386DX processor, it was the first 386-class system Atari produced and represented the high end of the Atari PC range before the company transitioned to the ABC (Atari Business Computer) series.

Overview

Unlike the PC4, which used an Atari-designed motherboard, the PC5 was built around a third-party American Megatrends (AMI) 386XT Series-4 motherboard. This was a practical decision, as designing a 386-class motherboard in-house would have been costly. The AMI board featured a socket for an Intel 387 co-processor and supported CPU upgrades up to a 386DX-25.

The PC5 was notable for being the only Atari PC offered with a Unix-based operating system option: "Eurix", a German-localised version of Unix System V/386 Release 3.2, was available as an alternative to the standard MS-DOS and Windows/386 configuration. This positioned the PC5 as potentially suitable for business and technical workstation applications.

One downside of the AMI motherboard was its lack of onboard RAM expansion slots — all memory was handled through a 32-bit memory expansion card, which was typically limited to 2 MB on the 16 MHz model and 4 MB on the 20 MHz model.

Specifications

Component	Details
Processor	Intel i386DX, 16 MHz or 20 MHz (switchable to 8 MHz)
Co-processor socket	Intel 80387
Motherboard	American Megatrends (AMI) 386XT Series-4
RAM	2 MB (16 MHz model) or 4 MB (20 MHz model), via 32-bit memory expansion card
Graphics	Western Digital WD VGA Plus 16, 256 KB VRAM
Storage	1× Epson SD-680L 5.25" 1.2 MB floppy drive; optional 1.44 MB 3.5" floppy; Seagate ST-277R 66 MB RLL hard drive
Hard drive/floppy controller	Adaptec ACB-2372B floppy/hard drive controller
Multi-I/O	Kouwell KW-524F Multi I/O card
Expansion	PS/2-style expansion slots
Ports	Monitor port, RS-232 serial port, Centronics parallel port, keyboard port
Keyboard	Mitsumi KPQ-E99YC AT keyboard
Mouse	Mitsumi 2-button serial mouse
Sound	PC Speaker

Bundled Software

Standard Configuration

Microsoft MS-DOS 3.3
GW-BASIC 3.2
Microsoft Windows/386 Version 2.0

Alternative Configuration

"Eurix" — German-localised Unix System V/386 Release 3.2

Upgrades

Intel 80387 co-processor (socket provided)
CPU upgrade to Intel 386DX-25 (the AMI Series-4 motherboard supports this)
Memory expansion via the 32-bit expansion card

Legacy

The PC5 was the last model in the original numbered Atari PC series. Atari continued producing IBM-compatible computers with the ABC (Atari Business Computer) line, beginning with the ABC 286/30 in 1990 and culminating in the ABC 386 SX and DX models in 1991. These later systems used completely off-the-shelf components and bore little resemblance to the earlier, more distinctively Atari-branded PC line.

External Links