<img src="https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/p/?c1=2&amp;c2=10055482&amp;cv=4.4.0&amp;cj=1"> Skip to main content
PC Gamer PC Gamer THE GLOBAL AUTHORITY ON PC GAMES
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
  • Games
  • Hardware
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Guides
  • Video
  • Forum
  • More
    • PC Gaming Show
    • Software
    • Movies & TV
    • Coupons
    • Magazine
    • Newsletter
    • Community guidelines
    • links
    • Meet the team
    • About PC Gamer
PC Gamer Magazine Subscription
PC Gamer Magazine Subscription
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe to the world's #1 PC gaming mag
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$32.49
View
Popular
  • PC Gaming Show
  • Summer Game Fest
  • TES4: Oblivion
  • Elden Ring: Nightreign
  • GTA 6

Recommended reading

Ashtf DIY PDA
Hardware I never thought I'd want a '90s PDA but this little DIY project has totally changed my mind
The Atarino Pico
Hardware Sneeze and this incredibly tiny postage-stamp-sized Atari computer recreation is a goner
Ayaneo Retro Mini PC AM01S
Hardware This flip-screen mini PC looks like an original Apple '80s Macintosh and comes with all kinds of want
Silverstone FLP02 retro PC case on display at Computex trade show
PC Cases This retro PC case has a big red button and a turnkey and it hits me square in the chest with nostalgia
A young Bill Gates sitting among various computer hardware.
Hardware 'We coded day and night for the two months to create the software we had said already existed': The history of Microsoft reminds me how far we've come in just 50 years
An image of a corpse with the text &quot;You&#039;ve been re-educated.&quot;
Adventure I played the lost videogame sequel to 1984, and came away more nostalgic than ever for gaming's awkward adolescence in 1999
Windows 95 logo (no text)
Operating Systems The Windows 95 start-up sound and the Minecraft soundtrack have been added to the US Library of Congress list of nationally significant recordings
  1. Hardware
  2. Gaming PCs

The Personal Computers of the 1980s

Features
By Maximum PC ) published September 26, 2014

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an commission. Here’s how it works.

Hands up if you owned a computer in the 80s! After making some tentative steps in the late 70s, the 1980s saw home computing really take off. Back then, no young adult’s bedroom was complete without a computer, tape deck, and trusty joystick on display.

Home computing proved to be so popular it seemed like every company wanted a slice of the digital pie, with model after model released on an annual basis, all vying for dominance in the ultra-competitive marketplace.

Some efforts, such as the Commodore 64 and Spectrum, were hugely successful and went on to sell millions. But for every success story there were many more that failed to make the grade, with some models even being released and then going out of business the same year.

Here, Maximum PC presents 25 of the most memorable and noteworthy computers of the 1980s. us as we relive the golden age of home computing.

1981 - IBM PC

Page 1 of 25
Page 1 of 25

Page 2 of 25
Page 2 of 25

Page 3 of 25
Page 3 of 25

Page 4 of 25
Page 4 of 25

1982 - Sinclair ZX Spectrum

Page 5 of 25
Page 5 of 25

1982 - Commodore 64

Page 6 of 25
Page 6 of 25

1982 - Jupiter Ace

Page 7 of 25
Page 7 of 25

Page 8 of 25
Page 8 of 25

Page 9 of 25
Page 9 of 25

1982 - Sord M5

Page 10 of 25
Page 10 of 25

1983 - Epson QX-10

Page 11 of 25
Page 11 of 25

1983 - Acorn Electron

Page 12 of 25
Page 12 of 25

Page 13 of 25
Page 13 of 25

1983 - Apricot PC

Page 14 of 25
Page 14 of 25

1983 - Camputers Lynx

Page 15 of 25
Page 15 of 25

Page 16 of 25
Page 16 of 25

1983 - Oric 1

Page 17 of 25
Page 17 of 25

1984 - Apple Macintosh / II

Page 18 of 25
Page 18 of 25

Page 19 of 25
Page 19 of 25

1985 - Atari ST

Page 20 of 25
Page 20 of 25

Page 21 of 25
Page 21 of 25

1985 - Commodore 128

Page 22 of 25
Page 22 of 25

Page 23 of 25
Page 23 of 25

Page 24 of 25
Page 24 of 25

Page 25 of 25
Page 25 of 25
Mark Pilkington
Read more
Ashtf DIY PDA
I never thought I'd want a '90s PDA but this little DIY project has totally changed my mind
The Atarino Pico
Sneeze and this incredibly tiny postage-stamp-sized Atari computer recreation is a goner
Ayaneo Retro Mini PC AM01S
This flip-screen mini PC looks like an original Apple '80s Macintosh and comes with all kinds of want
Silverstone FLP02 retro PC case on display at Computex trade show
This retro PC case has a big red button and a turnkey and it hits me square in the chest with nostalgia
A young Bill Gates sitting among various computer hardware.
'We coded day and night for the two months to create the software we had said already existed': The history of Microsoft reminds me how far we've come in just 50 years
An image of a corpse with the text &quot;You&#039;ve been re-educated.&quot;
I played the lost videogame sequel to 1984, and came away more nostalgic than ever for gaming's awkward adolescence in 1999
Latest in Gaming PCs
Cobratype Pilot gaming PC on a blue background
I wouldn't up this gaming PC deal: the latest AMD components and 32 GB of RAM for way under $2000
A gaming PC lit up with neon-style lighting and using an RX 9070 XT graphics card.
The RX 9070 XT might not be the truly mid-range graphics card I'm still dreaming of but it turned my latest sci-fi PC build into a frame rate menace
MSI Codex R2 deal
Snag yourself an RTX 4060 gaming PC for a whisker under $800 with this nifty Memorial Day deal
iBuyPower Slate 9 Black gaming PC
I'm all-in for this all-AMD gaming PC, sporting the best gaming U of last generation, the mighty RX 9070 XT, and a $400 price cut
Skytech Azure gaming PC with RX 9070 XT inside on a blue background
I can't recommend Nvidia when this AMD RX 9070 XT gaming PC is $300 off right now
An image of a Skytech Azure desktop gaming PC against a teal background with a white border
Rip and tear into Doom: The Dark Ages with $300 off this easily upgradeable RTX 5070 gaming PC
Latest in Features
Deltarune
Deltarune's new chapters defy every rule of RPG logic
007 First Light Bond revealed
James Bond doesn't need an origin story: IO's game looks great, but why has it turned 007 into a baby-faced Nathan Drake?
A Nintendo Switch 2, in mouse mode, playing Cyberpunk 2077
Having spent time testing the Switch 2 mouse controls I no longer think it's a gimmick, but it just cannot compare to a gaming mouse
Joana Dark close up in neon light with gun
Xbox Games Showcase 2025 preview: The big games and developers to expect on Sunday's livestream
Summer Game Fest logo
How to watch the Summer Game Fest livestream
EVE Frontier promo image - Omo
This MMO can run Doom: EVE Frontier is so moddable, players are building entire games within its space survival sandbox, and the devs say it's just the beginning
  1. Annapro carrying case, GameSir Nova Lite controller, SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds, and Asus ROG Falchion RX Low Profile keyboard on a blue background with PC Gamer Recommended logo
    1
    Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads
  2. 2
    Best graphics card for laptops in 2025: the mobile GPUs I'd want in my next gaming laptop
  3. 3
    Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most
  4. 4
    Best 14-inch gaming laptop in 2025: The top compact gaming laptops I've held in these hands
  5. 5
    Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I've tested
  1. Asus ROG Strix XG27UCG
    1
    Asus ROG Strix XG27UCG review
  2. 2
    Corsair Nautilus 360 RS review
  3. 3
    Cooler Master MasterLiquid 360 Core II review
  4. 4
    Corsair iCUE Link Titan 360 RX LCD review
  5. 5
    NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB (2024) review

PC Gamer is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • Future's experts
  • and conditions
  • Cookies policy
  • with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please or to comment

Please wait...