PROCESSORS

The CPU, or Central Processing Unit, is the core of any computer, and, through the latter half of the 20th and into the 21st century, it has arguably been fundamental in revolutionising the way that mankind lives and works.

The real anchor point was perhaps the 1978 introduction of Intel's 8088 microprocessor to IBM's first PCs. Developments since then have been truly extraodinary, often pushing at the boundaries of science.

Architecture

Behind the complexity, learn the basic, fundamental principles in the make-up and operation of a CPU. >>

Pentium CPUs

Intel's Pentium chips set the computer market alight in the 1990s. Find out the reasons for this chip family's long lasting success. >>

Celeron CPUs

Originally developed to compete with other "budget" level CPUs in 1998, over time the Celeron succesfully carved a useful place in the CPU market. >>

Intel Core CPUs

All good things must come to an end, and in the summer of 2006 Intel's Netburst microarchitecture and Pentium processor dynasty was finally superseded by a new generation of CPU. >>

Cyrix CPUs

Once an innovative challenger in the CPU race of the 1990s, the legacy of Cyrix CPUs has been in more than lowering processor costs. >>

AMD Technology

AMD are undoubtedly in the shadow of Intel still, but they have been far more than a chip cloning operation. Their work is often underrated, and has many times given a real challenge in performance compared to Intel's more pricy market equivalents. >>