== The 464 ==
[[Image:464.png|right|thumb|200px250px|Amstrad CPC [[464]] with colour monitor]]
First came the CPC464, during the summer of 1984 (with production ceasing in 1990). This model used an integrated tape recorder and used 64KB or RAM. It sold around 2 million units in Europe and, technologically-wise, was quite higher than the ZX Spectrum and on a similar level with the Commodore c64 (with the notable exception of the sound chip; while the c64 employed the splendid SID chip, Amstrad opted for a generic sound chip - AY-3-8912 - with unremarkable features). At its core one would find a [[Z80]] clocked at 4MHz while the display was managed by the 6845 CRTC along with a gate-array chip.