website/content/museum/ncr-pc4.md

---
title: NCR PC4
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Professional Computer
origins:
- Germany
years:
- '1985'
cpus:
- Intel 8088-2
params:
  name: PC4
  company: /companies/ncr
  company_name: NCR
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: PC4
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: NCR
  - label: TYPE
    value: Professional Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: Germany
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1985'
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: None - NCR GW-Basic on diskette
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Full stroke 95 keys with cursor keys, numeric keypad and functions keys
  - label: CPU
    value: Intel 8088-2 (16 bit)
  - label: SPEED
    value: 4,77 Mhz
  - label: CO-PROCESSOR
    value: Socket for a 8087 math coprocessor
  - label: RAM
    value: 128 KB expandable to 640KB on the main processor board.
  - label: VRAM
    value: 32 KB
  - label: ROM
    value: 16 KB
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 40 or 80 columns x 25 lines
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: 640 x 400 (Colour version), 720 x 348 (Monochrome version, Hercules Graphics emulation)
  - label: COLORS
    value: 16 colours or grey shades
  - label: SOUND
    value: Built-in speaker. 1 channel
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: 46 W) x 36 (D) x 38 (H) / 23 kg
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: 8 x ISA compatible slots, Serial and Parallel ports
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: 6 configurations, typicaly one 5.25'' 360 KB disk drive and one 10 MB hard-disk
  - label: OS
    value: NCR-DOS operating system, MS-DOS
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Built-in PSU
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: Any 8-bit PC-compatible extension cards, and peripherals
  - label: PRICE
    value: 'Monochrome, 1 drive, 128 KB: $2400 - 2nd drive: $425 - 64K RAM: $90 - 10 MB HDD: $2195'
  tabs:
  - photos
  - adverts
  photos:
  - title: LARGE VIEW
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: COLOUR VERSION
    subtitle: ''
    text: Colour system running NCR-DOS user interface.
    image: null
  - title: MONOCHROME VERSION
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: LEFT SIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: TOP VIEW
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: FRONT SIDE CLOSE-UP
    subtitle: ''
    text: The 360K floppy drives came from NEC. They were the best FD drives of the time.
    image: null
  - title: REAR SIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      **(1)** Serial DB25 connector\
      **(2)** Keyboard DIN plug\
      **(3)** Parallel DB25 connector\
      **(4)** Oddly enough, the video cable comes out of video side to be connected to the video card
    image: null
  - title: INSIDE THE COLOUR VERSION
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      **(1)** A vertical drawer holds the logic part of the computer, mainboard and expansion cards\
      **(2)** Video circuitry\
      **(3)** Switching power supply unit
    image: null
  - title: NCR LABEL
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: PC4 MANUALS
    subtitle: ''
    text: NCR binders hold diskettes and complete explanation about NCR-DOS (MS-DOS 2.11), NCR User Interface, GW-BASIC (V.3.21), Getting Started, NCR TUTOR, NCR PAL, On-line NCR HELP, and User Diagnostics.
    image: null
  adverts:
  - title: NEW-ZEALAND ADVERT (OCT. 1985)
    subtitle: ''
    text: from Bits & Bytes magazine
    image: null
  comments:
  - author: Dave (United States)
    date: Thursday 17th December 2020
    text: My first computer was an NCR PC4. I was in a mom/pop store of some sort. Behind the counter sat the PC4. It was obvious they were getting rid of it. I offered $250. They gave it to me. It had one floppy and an aftermarket 30 MB hard drive. Obsolete even then (1990), but absolutely reliable and great for the college student that I was at the time.
  - author: Sebastian Blanco (uruguay)
    date: Thursday 22nd September 2016
    text: I am currently in process of restoring one of this system, have already installed a new vga monitor inside the case but the motherboard have a DB15 connector for the power supply i need the pinout of this connector or the shematics.
  - author: Fred (ohio)
    date: Friday 5th August 2016
    text: I have a DMV/ color monitor/prtr intfc/ expan mem/ all manuals /cables. I would like to sell.
  - author: Chris (NJ/USA)
    date: Wednesday 12th September 2012
    text: I have a spare PC4, mono, that likely doesn''t work. But all the components, except the tube, are likely standard, so if anyone wants one they can have that much more fun fixing it! 25$ + shipping from NJ.
  - author: Larry (South Carolina, USA)
    date: Friday 7th May 2010
    text: As one of three engineers responsible for the design of the PC4 I would like to clarify a few data points. The DMV, designed at our facility in Augsburg, Germany, won the German industrial design award. The DMV ran CPM and MSDOS but was not hardware compatible with the IBM PC. The PC4 was the first fully IBM PC compatible computer from NCR. It was designed and manufactured at the NCR plant in Liberty, South Carolina, USA.
  - author: Matthew (Ohio, US)
    date: Friday 11th June 2004
    text: |-
      This was the very furst computer that was totally mine as a kid. I simply loved it at the time, and now seeing it again, I almost want to track one down for old times sake.

      The all-in-one build was such a pain to work on for even the simplest of things, but other than that, it was one hell of a little computer. This brings me back to days of Hero's Quest in whopping CGA graphics, hopping around bbs's, Norton Commander, and programming black jack in gwbasic.

      The big block of manuals were fantastic. I literally always had one with me, going thru page after page of dos commands. A true delight for a geek of a kid.
  oc_id: 539
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230605040710/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=539
    date: '2023-06-05'
---

When NCR discontinued the [Decision Mate V](/museum/ncr-decision-mate-v/), they released the PC4.

This was more or less a 8088 based IBM PC/XT clone. It came in six variations: monochrome or colour screen, one or two 5.25" DS-DD floppy disk drive or a half-height 10 MB hard disk in place of the second floppy drive.

It did support the IBM ISA bus, but also had an NCR proprietary expansion bus for memory and some adapters to integrate with other NCR proprietary banking and retail products. It ran a separately licensed version of MS-DOS called NCRDOS.

The later versions were called **PC4/i**, for (really) IBM compatible.

The PC4 won the German International Forum Design award, in 1985.

---

**Jon Andre Finnerud** from **Norway** writes us:\
As the local bank in my town were replacing their old computer systems, a lot of PC4's were just thrown away. I got mine from a friend working there. It was actually a PC4i, It had an internal 12" graphics display, capable of hi-res CGA-graphics. In adittion it had a standard 5,25" floppydrive and a 10MB Harddisk. The sound was the traditional beeper, with a knob in the front to adjust the volume(!) The main processor was a 8086-16bit running at 4Mhz, and i also believe i had a Z80 processor (after it failed i studied the mainboard firmly). My friend at the bank also told me that they where running CP/M on them while in use at the bank. (i never tested it myself) Sadly the internal display went dead, and since it was impossible to get a replacement, i started fiddling with the idea of somehow replace the internal display with an old IBM 12" VGA monitor i had laying. But it never happened, and i somehow managet to throw it in the garbage :-( Now i regret it, and have even been looking around for a "new" one.

**Siva Balendran** clarifies:\
I used to work for NCR in London (UK); it was called PC4i.\
The reason Jon Andre Finnerud could not connect the IBM monitor was it used a hi-res CGA-graphics card developed by NCR.\
I could remember it was used there up until 2000, for running some applications.