website/content/museum/matra-max-90.md

---
title: Matra MAX 90
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Professional Computer
origins:
- France
years:
- '1984'
cpus:
- Intel 8088
params:
  name: MAX 90
  image: /media/museum/photos/matra_max90_system_1.jpg
  company: /companies/matra
  company_name: Matra
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: MAX 90
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Matra
  - label: TYPE
    value: Professional Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: France
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1984'
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: None
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Full stroke 92 keys with numeric keypad and arrow keys
  - label: CPU
    value: Intel 8088
  - label: SPEED
    value: 8 Mhz
  - label: CO-PROCESSOR
    value: Optional 8087 math coprocessor
  - label: RAM
    value: 128 KB or 256 KB (up to 1 MB)
  - label: ROM
    value: 2 Kb
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 80 char X 24 lines
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: 640 x 288 dots with an optional graphic card
  - label: COLORS
    value: Monochrome green
  - label: SOUND
    value: Built-in speaker
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: 42 (W) x 51 (D) x 38 (H) cm
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: Parallel, 2 x Serial, Game port, 5 x 8-bit ISA extension slots. Optional network and high resolution cards.
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: 2 x 5''1/4 disk-drives (2,7Mb each) or 1 x 5''1/4 disk-drive and 5 Mb hard disk
  - label: OS
    value: MS DOS, CP/M 86 in option
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Built-in 65W switching power supply unit
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: Printers, modem, graphic card
  - label: PRICE
    value: Between 4500 and 7600 according to versions
  tabs:
  - photos
  forum_thread: 936
  photos:
  - title: LARGE VIEW
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/matra_max90_system_2.jpg
  - title: TOP VIEW
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/matra_max90_topview_1.jpg
  - title: RIGHT SIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: Nice profile, isn't it?
    image: /media/museum/photos/matra_max90_rightside_1.jpg
  - title: LEFT SIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/matra_max90_leftside_1.jpg
  - title: KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP
    subtitle: ''
    text: The keyboard was made in Japan, by Cherry.
    image: /media/museum/photos/matra_max90_keybcloseup_1.jpg
  - title: REAR SIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      (1) Reset button\
      (2) Serial/Modem connector\
      (3) Serial/Terminal connector\
      (4) Joystick connector\
      (5) Network connector from the optional network card\
      (6) Parallel printer connector\
      (7) Video connector. The connector also supplies the power to the monitor.
    image: /media/museum/photos/matra_max90_rearside_2.jpg
  - title: INSIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      **(1)** The keyboard comes from Cherry, in Japan\
      **(2)** Two expansion cards are installed in this machine. The bottom one is a LAN card\
      **(3)** The upper one is a 256 Kb RAM card\
      **(4)** Fan\
      **(5)** 65W switching power supply unit. Comes from Astek, Hong-Kong\
      **(6)** Housing for dual 5.25" floppy drive units\
      **(7)** Two holes allow the user to easily take off the upper part of the case.
    image: /media/museum/photos/matra_max90_inside_1.jpg
  - title: MAINBOARD
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      The mainboard has a classic design with no custom chips. The majority of the components come from NEC.

      **(1)** This card supports 5 ISA slots. Extension cards are inserted horizontally.\
      **(2)** Intel 8088 processor. A socket is available for an 8087 math coprocessor\
      **(3)** 256 KB RAM chips in four banks of 64 KB (8 x 6164 chips + 1 parity chip). On this version, all the chips are soldered, some other versions of the board featured 128 KB of soldered chips and two additional banks of empty sockets for an optional 128 Kb of RAM
    image: /media/museum/photos/matra_max90_mainboard_1.jpg
  - title: FLOPPY DRIVES
    subtitle: ''
    text: The very high-capacity floppy drives (2.7 Mb) are labelled BASF, but these models were manufactured in Japan, by Canon
    image: /media/museum/photos/matra_max90_fddrives.jpg
  oc_id: 960
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20221205023353/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=960
    date: '2022-12-05'
---

Like the [MAX 20](/museum/matra-max-20/), the MAX 90 was derived from the [AX 25](/museum/axel-ax-25/), a computer designed by Axel, a small and innovative French company.

It was an almost PC-compatible system including some rare features at that time: 8 MHz 8088 processor, high resolution capability, and especially one or two 5.25" floppy disk drives of 2.7 MB capacity each. To our knowledge, it's the highest capacity ever seen for a 5.25" floppy drive unit.

A few thousand systems were sold to the French civil services, but this computer didn't become a success with private companies.

<table> <tr> <td></td> <td>We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.</td> <td></td> </tr> </table>