Power Macintosh · The Beige Era · 1996
Power Macintosh 6400
The 6400 was a home-focused Power Mac tower with multimedia options and a surprisingly punchy built-in subwoofer.
Consumer mini-tower with integrated subwoofer.
Power Macintosh 6500 (1997)
Power Macintosh 6400: key facts
When was the Power Macintosh 6400 released?
The Power Macintosh 6400 arrived in August 1996. Apple discontinued it in August 1997.
How much did the Power Macintosh 6400 cost?
The Power Macintosh 6400 launched at $2,400 in 1996, about $4,888 in today’s money (approximate, US CPI).
What specs stand out?
Key specs: PowerPC 603e at 180 MHz, 16 MB RAM, 1.6 GB storage, External display display.
Why does the Power Macintosh 6400 matter?
Consumer mini-tower with integrated subwoofer.
Full specifications
| CPU | PowerPC 603e · 180 MHz |
|---|---|
| Cores | 1 |
| Memory (RAM) | 16 MB (up to 136 MB) |
| Storage | 1.6 GB |
| Display | External display |
| GPU | Integrated / NuBus video |
| Ports | SCSI, ADB, serial |
| Weight | Varies by configuration |
| Dimensions | Mini-tower |
| Operating system | System 7 |
| Released | August 1996 |
| Discontinued | August 1997 |
| Launch price | $2,400 |
How the Power Macintosh 6400 compares to today
A 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro has about 1,020× more memory than this device shipped with.
At 180 MHz, the clock is roughly 18× 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 400 modern phone photos.
Launched at $2,400 in 1996, about $4,888 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.
Related Power Macintosh models
Open the Power Macintosh 6400 in the interactive archive →
Last updated: 2026-08-11