Processor Development

The following slides track three developments in microprocessors since 1971.

Clock Speed – the speed at which the processor can carry out instructions

Data Bus Width – the amount of data contained in each instruction

Cores – the number of individual processors built on to the microprocessor

1 THz

1 GHz

1 MHz

1 KHz

1Hz

1971512 bit

32 bit

16 bit

8 bit

1 bit

64 bit

128 bit

256 bit

Intel 4040

Number of Cores 1

1 THz

1 GHz

1 MHz

1 KHz

1Hz

1974512 bit

32 bit

16 bit

8 bit

1 bit

64 bit

128 bit

256 bit

Intel 8080

Number of Cores 1

1 THz

1 GHz

1 MHz

1 KHz

1Hz

1975512 bit

32 bit

16 bit

8 bit

1 bit

64 bit

128 bit

256 bit

Intersil 6100

Number of Cores 1

1 THz

1 GHz

1 MHz

1 KHz

1Hz

1979512 bit

32 bit

16 bit

8 bit

1 bit

64 bit

128 bit

256 bit

Intel 8088

Number of Cores 1

1 THz

1 GHz

1 MHz

1 KHz

1Hz

1987512 bit

32 bit

16 bit

8 bit

1 bit

64 bit

128 bit

256 bit

MB86900

Number of Cores 1

1 THz

1 GHz

1 MHz

1 KHz

1Hz

1993512 bit

32 bit

16 bit

8 bit

1 bit

64 bit

128 bit

256 bit

Intel Pentium

Number of Cores 1

1 THz

1 GHz

1 MHz

1 KHz

1Hz

1995512 bit

32 bit

16 bit

8 bit

1 bit

64 bit

128 bit

256 bit

Intel Pentium Pro

Number of Cores 1

1 THz

1 GHz

1 MHz

1 KHz

1Hz

1996512 bit

32 bit

16 bit

8 bit

1 bit

64 bit

128 bit

256 bit

Intel Pentium II

Number of Cores 1

1 THz

1 GHz

1 MHz

1 KHz

1Hz

1999512 bit

32 bit

16 bit

8 bit

1 bit

64 bit

128 bit

256 bit

Intel Pentium III

Number of Cores 1

1 THz

1 GHz

1 MHz

1 KHz

1Hz

1999512 bit

32 bit

16 bit

8 bit

1 bit

64 bit

128 bit

256 bit

AMD Athlon

Number of Cores 1

1 THz

1 GHz

1 MHz

1 KHz

1Hz

2001512 bit

32 bit

16 bit

8 bit

1 bit

64 bit

128 bit

256 bit

Intel Celeron

Number of Cores 1

1 THz

1 GHz

1 MHz

1 KHz

1Hz

2005512 bit

32 bit

16 bit

8 bit

1 bit

64 bit

128 bit

256 bit

AMD Opteron

Number of Cores 2

1 THz

1 GHz

1 MHz

1 KHz

1Hz

2006512 bit

32 bit

16 bit

8 bit

1 bit

64 bit

128 bit

256 bit

Intel Core Duo

Number of Cores 2

1 THz

1 GHz

1 MHz

1 KHz

1Hz

2007512 bit

32 bit

16 bit

8 bit

1 bit

64 bit

128 bit

256 bit

AMD Phenom

Number of Cores 4

1 THz

1 GHz

1 MHz

1 KHz

1Hz

2009512 bit

32 bit

16 bit

8 bit

1 bit

64 bit

128 bit

256 bit

Intel Core i5

Number of Cores 2

1 THz

1 GHz

1 MHz

1 KHz

1Hz

2009512 bit

32 bit

16 bit

8 bit

1 bit

64 bit

128 bit

256 bit

Intel Core i7

Number of Cores 4

1 THz

1 GHz

1 MHz

1 KHz

1Hz

2012512 bit

32 bit

16 bit

8 bit

1 bit

64 bit

128 bit

256 bit

Intel Core i7

Number of Cores 6