---
title: "What Is an Atari Mega ST?"
section: "retro"
tags: "retro"
description: "What defines the Atari Mega ST, and why it became a popular base for retro computing projects."
layout: base.njk
parent: "/retro/"
---
<h1>What Is an Atari Mega ST?</h1>
<div class="detail-content">

<p>The Atari Mega ST is a variant of Atari's 16/32-bit ST computer line, released in 1987 and aimed at business and desktop-publishing users.</p>

<h2>What makes it different</h2>
<p>Compared to the standard 520 ST or 1040 ST, the Mega ST comes in a low, flat desktop case with the floppy drive and motherboard separated from the keyboard, similar to a classic PC tower-and-keyboard setup. It shipped with a built-in Blitter chip for fast graphics operations, which the earliest 520/1040 ST models lacked, making it noticeably better suited for GEM-based desktop publishing software of the era.</p>

<h2>Typical configurations</h2>
<p>Mega STs were sold as Mega 1 (1 MB RAM), Mega 2 (2 MB RAM) and Mega 4 (4 MB RAM), all expandable, and were commonly bundled with monochrome high-resolution monitors for DTP work with software like Calamus or PageStream.</p>

<h2>Why collectors still care</h2>
<p>The separated case design makes internal expansion and modification considerably easier than on an all-in-one 1040 ST, which is one reason the Mega ST remains a popular base for retro computing projects like the ones documented on this site.</p>

</div>