Quadra · The Beige Era · 1993
Macintosh Quadra 840AV
The peak of the 68040 era: an onboard DSP enabled video capture, text-to-speech and early speech recognition. "AV" was for audio-visual.
Fastest 68k Mac, with a DSP for audio/video and telephone-quality speech recognition.
Macintosh Quadra 630 (1994)
Macintosh Quadra 840AV: key facts
When was the Macintosh Quadra 840AV released?
The Macintosh Quadra 840AV arrived on July 29, 1993. Apple discontinued it in July 1994.
How much did the Macintosh Quadra 840AV cost?
The Macintosh Quadra 840AV launched at $4,680 in 1993, about $10,202 in today’s money (approximate, US CPI).
What specs stand out?
Key specs: Motorola 68040 at 40 MHz, 4 MB RAM, 230 MB storage, External colour + video in/out display.
Why does the Macintosh Quadra 840AV matter?
Fastest 68k Mac, with a DSP for audio/video and telephone-quality speech recognition.
Full specifications
| CPU | Motorola 68040 · 40 MHz |
|---|---|
| Cores | 1 |
| Memory (RAM) | 4 MB (up to 128 MB) |
| Storage | 230 MB |
| Display | External colour + video in/out |
| GPU | Built-in video |
| Ports | SCSI, ADB, ethernet, AV, NuBus |
| Weight | 11 kg |
| Dimensions | Desktop case |
| Operating system | System 7.1 |
| Released | July 29, 1993 |
| Discontinued | July 1994 |
| Launch price | $4,680 |
How the Macintosh Quadra 840AV compares to today
A 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro has about 4,100× more memory than this device shipped with.
At 40 MHz, the clock is roughly 80× slower than a single performance core of a 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro, and that is before counting cores, width and IPC.
All of this storage holds about 58 modern phone photos.
Launched at $4,680 in 1993, about $10,202 in today’s money (approx., US CPI).
Method note: clock comparisons use frequency only; price conversions use US CPI.
Sources
Specs checked against Apple technical specifications archive, EveryMac, Mactracker, Wikimedia Commons image credits.
Did you know?
It could read your documents aloud and take dictation, in 1993.
Related Quadra models
Open the Macintosh Quadra 840AV in the interactive archive →
Last updated: 2026-08-11