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Microprocessor History and Background

Intel chipsThe CPU ("central processing unit," synonymous with "microprocessor," or even simply "processor") is often referred to as the "brain" of the computer.

Choosing the correct processor is vital to the success of your homebuilt computer project.

Here's a little background about the history of microprocessors.

 

In the beginning (sort of), there was Intel

It all began in 1971, when Intel invented the microprocessor.

Intel's first microprocessor contained as much processing power as the most powerful computer that existed in the world at the time: the ENIAC, which filled an entire room. The world's first microprocessor was dubbed the Intel 4004. It was quickly succeeded less than a year later by the 8008, which was twice as powerful.

In 1978, Intel released the 16-bit 8086 processor. The 8088, also a 16-bit chip, followed less than a year later. The 8088 incorporated technologies designed to make it backward-compatible with the 8-bit chips that were still in wide use at the time. IBM chose the 8088 chip to power their original Personal Computer.

And so it was that IBM, Intel, and a little startup company called Microsoft brought computing to the masses.

In the early 1990's, Intel released the i386 processor. The 386 was the first commercially available 32-bit microprocessor. For the first time, it made multitasking (running more than one program at a time) possible on desktop computers. The i486 added an onboard math coprocessor, improved data transfer, and an onboard memory cache, all of which were stunning advances in technology in that era.

The Intel Pentium processor, released in 1993, was the first commercially available microprocessor capable of executing two instructions for every clock cycle. More recent releases in the Pentium line have revolutionized everything from the way data is moved about on the chips, to the way that multimedia content is handled.


Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)


AMD chipIn the years since Intel released the first microprocessor, a number of additional players have entered the microprocessor arena. Today, Intel's most serious competitor is AMD (Advanced Micro Devices).

Once regarded as a manufacturer of cheap chips for low-end machines, AMD's more recent releases, such at the Athlon XP processor, have earned the company credibility as a manufacturer of reasonably priced, high-quality processors.

AMD is also on the forefront of 64-bit computing with it's high-end Athlon 64 processors and its economy-class Sempron 64 processors that have Intel scrambling to play catch-up with "upstart" AMD.

AMD's chips are very popular with home computer builders because they are reasonably priced, perform well, and are well-supported both by AMD and by a host of motherboard manufacturers.

If you are interested in learning more about the finer points of microprocessors, we suggest you also check out Marshall Brain's excellent article: How Microprocessors Work, which can be found here.

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