The 10 most important Intel processors in history

With the recent launch of the sixth generation of Intel Core, PCWorld magazine has wanted to review the 10 most important Intel processors that marked the history of the brand and computing in general, let's see what they are.

10 Intel processors that made history: Intel 4004

• Launched in 1971, it was the first single-chip microprocessor to be marketed to the masses, it was 4-bit and operated at a speed of 740 Khz.

Intel 8008

• Intel 8008 is released the following year and it was originally going to be part of the Datapoint 2200 computer but ultimately this was not the case. The Intel made the i8008 which was 8 bits and three to four times more powerful than the 4004 but it was not until the Intel 8080 that it began to be used in most computers.

Intel 8080

• Intel 8080 is considered the first truly "usable" microprocessor to be marketed to the general public, it was 8bit and operated at 2MHz, it was launched in 1974.

Intel 8086 and 8088

• Intel 8086 and 8088 marked a before and after in computing, were the first 16 - bit processors and inaugurated the x86 architecture that we have today. Both processors were launched between 1978 and 1979.

80386 (i386)

• Arriving on the market in 1985, the 80686 (i386) was the first 32-bit processor. It was the Compaq Deskpro 386 computer that started using this chip and ushered in the era of PC clones.

Intel Pentium

• After the i386 and i486, in 1993 Intel Pentium microprocessors were launched, which represent a qualitative leap in performance and catapulted the company to several years of supremacy in processor sales.

Intel Xeon 64bits (Nocona)

• In 2004 Intel released the first 64-bit processor for its Xeon line (Nocona), the 64-bit x86 architecture is the one used in all CPUs today.

Intel Core 2 Duo

• Intel Core 2 Duo processors in 2006 ushered in the era of dual-core and quad-core chips, which greatly improved the performance of previous Pentium 4s.

Intel ATOM

• Intel launches in 2008 the first ATOM processors specially dedicated for ultra-laptops and smartphones.

• Identified as Intel's latest great innovation at the microprocessor level, the company launched in 2010 the first chips with integrated graphics in the same package. Since then the graphics of the Intel Core processors have been improving remarkably, replacing the low-end graphics cards.

What do you think will be the next big breakthrough in terms of processors?