Amiga 3000T

Released: October 1991 Original Price: $4,295

Gallery

Amiga 3000T
Amiga 3000T The Amiga 3000T in its full tower configuration, showing its professional design.
A3000T interior
A3000T interior The spacious interior of the A3000T with multiple expansion slots and drive bays.
A3000T Workbench
A3000T Workbench Workbench 3.1 running on the A3000T's high-resolution display.

Amiga 3000T (A3000T)

“The 3000T was our answer to professional users who needed more than what the desktop 3000 could offer. With its full tower case, we could finally provide the expandability that serious Amiga users had been clamoring for. It was built like a tank and could be configured with just about any expansion card you could imagine. For video production and 3D rendering, it was simply unmatched in its price range.” - Dave Haynie, Commodore Engineer

The Amiga 3000T (A3000T) was a high-end tower version of the Amiga 3000 workstation computer, released by Commodore in October 1991. Designed for professional users who required maximum expandability, the A3000T featured a spacious full-tower case that could accommodate multiple expansion cards, hard drives, and other peripherals. It was powered by a Motorola 68030 processor running at 25 MHz, with the option to upgrade to a 68040 or 68060, and included the Enhanced Chip Set (ECS) for improved graphics capabilities. The A3000T was particularly popular in the video production, 3D animation, and audio production industries.

The Professional’s Amiga

The A3000T was designed from the ground up to meet the needs of professional users who required more expandability than the desktop A3000 could provide. Its tower case offered numerous drive bays and expansion slots, making it ideal for high-end applications.

Key Features

  • Motorola 68030 CPU: 25 MHz (upgradeable to 68060)
  • AmigaOS 2.04: Later upgradeable to 3.1
  • ECS Chipset: Enhanced Chip Set for improved graphics
  • Zorro III Bus: 32-bit expansion architecture
  • Full Tower Case: For maximum expandability
  • SCSI-2 Interface: For fast storage devices

Technical Specifications

Technical Specifications

CPU
Motorola 68030 @ 25 MHz (upgradeable to 68060)
Memory
2 MB Chip RAM (expandable to 18 MB), 4 MB Fast RAM (expandable to 256 MB), 512 KB ROM
Graphics
ECS (Enhanced Chip Set) - 1280×512, 4,096 colors (HAM)
Sound
Paula - 4× 8-bit PCM channels, 28 kHz stereo
Storage
100 MB SCSI-2 hard drive, 3.5" HD floppy drive (1.76 MB)
Ports
SCSI-2, RS-232, RS-422, Centronics, 2× mouse/joystick, audio in/out, video out, floppy, Ethernet (optional)
Operating System
AmigaOS 2.04 (Kickstart 2.04/Workbench 2.04)

Design and Features

Case Design

  • Form Factor: Full tower
  • **Dimensions”: 48 × 60 × 20 cm (19 × 23.6 × 7.9 in)
  • “Weight”: 25 kg (55 lb)
  • “Drive Bays”:
    • 2× 5.25" external
    • 1× 3.5" external
    • 3× 3.5" internal
  • “Expansion Slots”: 5× Zorro III, 1× video, 4× ISA

Expansion

  • **Zorro III Slots”: 5× 32-bit expansion slots
  • “Processor Slot”: For CPU upgrades
  • “Video Slot”: For graphics cards
  • “Memory Slots”: 8× 30-pin SIMM slots (up to 256 MB)
  • “Drive Bays”: For additional storage

Storage

  • **Hard Drive”: 100 MB SCSI-2 (upgradeable)
  • “Floppy Drive”: 3.5" HD (1.76 MB)
  • “Tape Backup”: Optional SCSI tape drive

The A3000T Experience

For Professionals

  • **Video Production”: Video Toaster 4000
  • **3D Rendering”: LightWave 3D
  • **Graphic Design”: High-end DTP and CAD
  • **Audio Production”: Professional audio work

For Enthusiasts

  • **Gaming”: With graphics cards
  • **Demoscene”: High-end demos
  • **Collecting”: Rare and valuable
  • **Upgrading”: Extensive options

Operating System

  • **Workbench 2.04”: Original OS
  • **Workbench 3.1”: Popular upgrade
  • **AROS”: Modern open-source alternative
  • **NetBSD”: Unix-like operating system

Technical Deep Dive

CPU and Memory

  • **68030 Processor”: With MMU and FPU
  • **Cache”: 256 KB L2 cache (optional)
  • **Memory Bus”: 32-bit, 25 MHz
  • **Fast RAM”: Up to 256 MB
  • **Chip RAM”: 2 MB (upgradeable to 18 MB)
  • **ROM”: 512 KB (Kickstart 2.04)

Graphics System

  • **Chipset”: Enhanced Chip Set (ECS)
  • **Resolutions”:
    • 320×200 to 1280×512 (interlaced)
    • 640×400 to 1280×512 (productivity)
  • **Colors”:
    • 32 on screen (from 4,096 palette)
    • 4,096 colors (HAM mode)
  • **Copper”: Programmable video controller
  • **Blitter”: Fast graphics operations

Audio System

  • **Paula Chip”: 4× 8-bit PCM channels
  • **Sample Rate”: Up to 28 kHz
  • **Stereo Output”: 2× RCA phono
  • **Input”: Stereo audio in
  • **Filtering”: Programmable audio filters

The A3000T Legacy

Commercial Performance

  • **Release”: October 1991
  • **Discontinuation”: 1992
  • **Price”: $4,295 (without monitor)
  • **Markets”: Worldwide, especially US and Europe

Why It Was Special

  • **Professional Build”: Industrial quality
  • **Expandability”: Tower design
  • **Performance”: Top-tier Amiga
  • **Rarity”: Limited production

Collector’s Item

  • **Rarity”: Very rare
  • **Price Range”: $2,000-$15,000+
  • **Sought-After Items”:
    • Boxed systems
    • Original monitors
    • Accelerator cards
    • Video Toaster 4000

Notable Software

Professional

  • **LightWave 3D”: 3D rendering
  • **Video Toaster 4000”: Video production
  • **ImageFX”: Graphics
  • **Final Writer”: Word processing

Games

  • **Alien Breed 3D”: FPS
  • **Gloom”: 3D shooter
  • **Super Stardust”: Space shooter
  • **Worms”: Strategy

Demos

  • **State of the Art”: By Spaceballs
  • **Hardwired”: By Crionics & The Silents
  • **NovaCoder”: By Andromeda

Technical Notes for Enthusiasts

Common Issues

  • **Battery Leakage”: Damages motherboard
  • **Capacitors”: May need replacement
  • **SCSI Termination”: Can cause issues
  • **Power Supply”: Aging components

Restoration Tips

  • **Recap Motherboard”: Replace capacitors
  • **Clean Contacts”: On expansion cards
  • **Battery Removal”: Prevent leakage
  • **Case Restoration”: Clean and maintain

Modern Upgrades

  • **CPU Accelerators”: 68060 upgrades
  • **Graphics Cards”: Picasso IV
  • **Memory”: SIMM to DIMM adapters
  • **Storage”: SCSI to SD/CF adapters
  • **Networking”: Ethernet cards
  • **RTG”: ReTargetable Graphics

The A3000T Today

Emulation

  • **WinUAE”: Most accurate emulation
  • **FS-UAE”: Cross-platform
  • **Amiga Forever”: Commercial package

Community

  • **Forums”: Amiga.org, English Amiga Board
  • **User Groups”: Local meetups
  • **Preservation”: Hardware and software

Uses

  • **Retro Computing”: Classic experience
  • **Demoscene”: High-end productions
  • **Collecting”: Rare hardware
  • **Preservation”: System documentation

Did You Know?

  • The A3000T was the first Amiga to feature a tower case
  • It was used in professional video production studios
  • Some units were used as servers in the early 1990s
  • The A3000T was the last Amiga designed before Commodore’s bankruptcy
  • Only a few thousand units were produced
  • Featured in computer magazines of the early 1990s
  • Appears in documentaries about computer graphics
  • The subject of YouTube restoration videos
  • Mentioned in books about computer history