# History of video games/Platforms/Amstrad GX4000
## History
### Launch

The Amstrad GX4000 was launched in 1990 as a console version of the Amstrad CPC series of 8-bit computers that cost $150 at launch. The console was to have a 15 million British pound marketing campaign.

### Legacy

The console did not sell well, and retailers tried to unload stock by selling the GX4000 as a price as low as $30. The console is often said to have sold about 15,000 units, though some sources give sales figures for the console as high as 150,000 units. The Amstrad GX4000 was discontinued in 1991.

## Technology
### Compute

The Amstrad GX4000 used a 8-Bit Z80A CPU clocked at 4MHz. The system was capable of about 0.58 million instructions per second (MIPS).
The GX4000 has 64 kilobytes of RAM and 16 kilobytes of video RAM.

### Hardware

The Amstrad GX4000 uses a General Instrument AY-3-8912 chip for audio. Though General Instrument was once a major supplier of chips in the first consoles, the GX4000 is a notable late use of such chips, owing to it's 1980's computer heritage.
The GX4000 Power Supply is among the most notorious official power supplies in any console, as it's use typically results in the console being destroyed due to it's exceptionally poor quality.

## Notable games

27 cartridges were produced for the GX4000.

## Gallery
### Controller

* The beige controller features a design similar to that of the Nintendo Entertainment System, consisting of a direction shield, a red "A" button, and a red "B" button. The classic Amstrad logo is printed in color is on the center of the controller. Notably however, there is no start or select button.
* Though the controller is mostly square, corners have been softened, especially on the bottom right and left, likely for ergonomic reasons.
* The controller cable connects at the back of the controller. A ridged protective protrusion encloses the cable near the base, preventing extreme flexing of the cable at the mounting point.
* The bottom of the controller contains holes to access 5 Philips head screws.

### Internals

* Amstrad GX4000 motherboard from the front left.
* Amstrad GX4000 motherboard from the front right.
* Amstrad GX4000 motherboard from the back left.
* Amstrad GX4000 motherboard from the back right.
* Amstrad GX4000 motherboard from the top.
* Amstrad GX4000 motherboard from the bottom.
* The casing bottom.
* The casing top.
* The controller interior.
* The controller interior.

## References

* ↑ "Amstrad GX4000 - The Amstrad CPC Games Console". Retrieved 20 May 2021.
* 1 2 3 Rignall, Jaz (3 January 2016). "Consoles You've Never Heard of: Amstrad GX4000" (in en). USgamer. https://www.usgamer.net/articles/gx4000. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
* ↑ Screen Digest. Screen Digest Limited. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
* 1 2 McFerran, Damien (March 9th, 2017). "6 games console flops that gave gaming a bad name" (in en). TechRadar. https://www.techradar.com/news/6-games-console-flops-that-gave-gaming-a-bad-name. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
* ↑ Civera, David (January 11, 2013). "21 Consoles And Handhelds That Crashed And Burned" (in en). Tom's Hardware. https://www.tomshardware.com/picturestory/611-console-handheld-fail.html.
* ↑ "Info on the Amstrad GX-4000". RetroRGB. 4 November 2019. https://www.retrorgb.com/info-on-the-amstrad-gx-4000.html.
* ↑ "Amstrad GX4000 - Game Console - Computing History". www.computinghistory.org.uk. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
* ↑ Murnane, Kevin. "From Pong To Playstation: The 40-Year Evolution Of Gaming Processing Power". Forbes. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
* ↑ "Home Page". Video Game Console Library. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
* ↑ "Amstrad GX4000 [BINARIUM]". binarium.de. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
* ↑ "OLD-COMPUTERS.COM : The Museum". www.old-computers.com. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
* ↑ "Feature: Your Beloved Games Console Is Slowly But Surely Dying". Nintendo Life. 25 December 2019. https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/12/feature_your_beloved_games_console_is_slowly_but_surely_dying.