Intel 486 CPU announced April 10, 1989

4 hours ago

Intel introduced the 486 CPU on April 10, 1989, at a high price of $950 each in bulk quantities.
Initial media reactions were mixed, with predictions about speed increases and the necessity of the chip for desktops, though these were later proven inaccurate as CPU speeds grew significantly.
The 486 integrated key components like the 386, math coprocessor, cache controller, and 8K cache, offering performance two to three times faster than the 386 at the same clock rate.
Early systems were very expensive, ranging from $10,000 to $15,000, with production starting in June 1989 and the first PCs shipping by September.
Demand for the 486 increased with Windows 3.0 and 3.1, and applications like Doom and later versions of Microsoft Word drove the need for faster processors.
Alternatives like the Cyrix Cx486SLC and IBM SLC2 used 386 sockets and buses with less cache, offering performance around 50-80% of a real 486, often bottlenecked by the 16-bit interface.
Upgrade cards, such as the I-O Data PK-X486S50-3, allowed 286 systems to be upgraded to 486-like performance, though compatibility and driver support were considerations.

Hasty Briefsbeta