Chronology of Microprocessors

Copyright © 2006-2017 Ken Polsson
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URL: https://processortimeline.info/

References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2017 April 29.


2006

January 10
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the Athlon 64 FX-60 processor. Price is US$999 in 1000-unit quantities. [2062.8]
March 22
  • Intel releases the 3.73 GHz Pentium Processor Extreme Edition 965 dual core processor. Price is US$999 in 1000-unit quantities. [2065.8]
January-March
  • Market share of microprocessors worldwide during January to March: Advanced Micro Devices 15.3%. [2094.72]
April
  • IBM and Rapport announce the Kilocore microprocessor, combining IBM's Power architecture with Rapport's technology. The processor is designed for small portable devices requiring high data throughput and energy efficiency. [2186.6]
May 1
  • Intel releases the 3.6 GHz Pentium D 960 dual-core processor. It features 2 MB cache, 800 MHz front-side bus, and 65 nanometre traces. Price is US$530 in 1000-unit quantities. [2065.8]
May 16
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core processor, models 4200+ energy efficient, 4400+ energy efficient, 4600+ energy efficient, and 4800+ energy efficient. Prices are US$417, US$514, US$601, and US$671 respectively, in 1000-unit quantities. [2064.10]
May 23
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the 2.8 GHz Athlon 64 FX-62 dual-core processor. It features dual 1 MB L2 cache, dual 128 kB L1 cache, 128-bit DDR2 memory controller, 2 GHz HyperTransport link, and 90 nanometre traces. Price is US$1031 in 1000-unit quantities. [2064.30] [2065.8]
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the 2.6 GHz Athlon 64 X2 5000+ dual-core processor. It features dual 512 kB L2 cache, dual 128 kB L1 cache, 128-bit DDR2 memory controller, 2 GHz HyperTransport link, and 90 nanometre traces. The processor incorporates 153.8 million transistors. Price is US$696 in 1000-unit quantities. [2064.30] [2065.8]
June 19
  • IBM announces it has built a transistor that runs at 500 GHz when cooled to near absolute zero, about 100 times faster than current chips. The transistor is built from silicon laced with germanium. [2322]
(month unknown)
  • IBM operates a prototype silicon-germanium microprocessor chip at 500 GHz, cooled to -451 degrees Fahrenheit. [2248.20]
July
  • Intel releases the Dual-Core Itanium 2 processor. It features 1.4 to 1.6 GHz clock rate, 90 nm traces, 6-24 MB L2 cache, 533 MHz front side bus. [2225.69]
July 27
  • Intel releases the Core 2 Duo E6700 processor. It features dual processing cores, 4 MB shared L2 cache, 2.66 GHz clock speed, 1066 MHz front side bus, 65 nm process. Price is US$530. Code name of the Core 2 Duo during development was Conroe. [2236.22] [2237.8] [2238.101] [2332.60]
  • Intel releases the Core 2 Extreme X6800 processor. It features dual processing cores, 4 MB shared L2 cache, 2.93 GHz clock speed, 1066 MHz 128-bit front side bus, 65 nm process, 291 million transistors, maximum addressable memory 8 GB. Price is US$999. [2236.23] [2237.8] [2252.75]
  • Intel releases the Core 2 Duo processor, models E6300, E6400, and E6600. All have 1066 MHz front-side bus and 65 nm traces. Models E6300 and E6400 have 2 MB cache, the E6600 has 4 MB cache. Clock speeds are 1.86 GHz, 2.13 GHz, and 2.4 GHz, respectively. Prices are US$183, US$224, and US$316, respectively. Code name of the Core 2 Duo during development was Conroe. [2237.8] [2238.101]
September 6
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 5200+ AM2 processor. Price is US$827 in quantities of 1000. [2237.8]
(month unknown)
  • Intel releases the Core 2 Extreme QX6700 processor. It features four processing cores, 1066 MHz front side bus, 8 MB Level 2 cache, 2.66 GHz clock speed. Code name during development was Kentsfield. [2239.26]
November 14
  • Intel releases the Core 2 Extreme Qx6700 processor. Price is US$999 each. [2388.8]
November 30
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the Athlon 64 FX-70 processor. Price is US$599 per pair. [2388.8]
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the Athlon 64 FX-72 processor. Price is US$799 per pair. [2388.8]
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the Athlon 64 FX-74 processor. Price is US$999 per pair. [2388.8]
December 12
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 5400+ AM2 processor. Price is US$485 in quantities of 1000. [2388.8]
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 5600+ AM2 processor. Price is US$505 in quantities of 1000. [2388.8]
Year
  • Forty percent of all microprocessors shipped worldwide are multicore. [2304.52]

2007

January 8
  • Intel releases the Core 2 Quad Q6600 processor. Price is US$851 in quantities of 1000. [2388.8]
January
  • At the Consumer Electronics Show, Intel releases the 2.4 GHz Core 2 Quad processor, and Xeon 3200 series in 2.13 GHz and 2.4 GHz speeds. [2301.24]
January 26
  • IBM and Intel announce a breakthrough in the production of the transistor, using halfnium to allow smaller traces at much greater energy efficiency. [2322]
(month unknown)
  • Intel shows an 80-core microprocessor. Performance is 1 teraflop, drawing 62 watts of power. Size is 275 square millimetres. The processor incorporates 100 million transistors in a 65 nanometre manufacturing process. [2387.8]
February 20
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 6000+ AM2 processor. Price is US$464 in quantities of 1000. [2388.8]
April
  • In Beijing, China, the Spring Intel Development Forum is held. Intel demonstrates a processor with 80 cores, performing at 2 teraflops. [2396.8]
May 3
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the AMD Turion TL-56 1.86 GHz processor. It features 1 MB cache, and 1.6 GHz hypertransport bus. Price is US$184 in quantities of 1000. [2388.8]
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the AMD Turion TL-60 2 GHz processor. It features 1 MB cache, and 1.6 GHz hypertransport bus. Price is US$220 in quantities of 1000. [2388.8]
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the AMD Turion TL-64 2.2 GHz processor. It features 1 MB cache, and 1.6 GHz hypertransport bus. Price is US$354 in quantities of 1000. [2388.8]
May 9
  • Intel releases the 1.8 GHz Core2Duo Mobile T7100 processor, with 4 MB cache, and 800 MHz front-sidede bus. Price is US$209 in quantites of 1000. Model T7300 (2 GHz) costs US$241; model T7500 (2.2 GHz) costs US$316; and model T7700 (2.4 GHz) costs US$530. [2390.8]
July 16
  • Intel releases the Core 2 Extreme Mobile X7800 processor, at US$851 in quantities of 1000. [2461.8]
  • Intel releases the Core 2 Duo E6540 and E6550 processors, at US$163 in quantities of 1000. Model Duo E6750 costs US$183; model Duo E6850 costs US$266; model Quad Q6700 costs US$530; model Extreme QX6800 costs US$999; model Extreme Qx6850 (3 GHz, 8 MB cache, 1333 MHz front-side bus) costs US$999. [2461.8]
July 27
  • Intel releases the 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo E6600 processor, with 4 MB cache and 1066 MHz front-side bus. Price is US$316 in 1000-unit quantities. Model E6700 (2.66 GHz) costs US$530; model X6800 (2.93 GHz) costs US$999. [2461.8]
August 20
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 6400+ processor, US$251 in quantities of 1000. [2462.8]
September 10
  • Advanced Micro Devices unveils a new Opteron server chip, with four processor cores on one die. Each processor can have its own clock speed, including idle, consuming no power. Code-name during development was Barcelona. [2402.30] [2403.1]
November 11
  • Intel unveils new processors using a 45-nanometer processor. Code name during development was Penryn. [2322]
November 12
  • Intel releases the Core2 Extreme Quad Sx9650 processor, 3.0GHz, 12MB cache, 45nm process. Price is US$999 in 1000-unit quantities. [2503.8]
November 19
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the Phenom 9500 processor, at US$251. Model 9600 costs US$283. [2463.8] [2546.59]
December 23
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the Phenom 9600 Black Edition microprocessor. Price is US$251 each in 1000-unit quantities. [2503.8]

2008

January 7
  • Intel releases the Core2 Duo E8190 processor, using a 45nm trace process. Price is US$163 each in 1000 unit quantities. Model E8200 is US$163; model E8400 is US$183; model E8500 is US$266. [2498.10]
  • Intel releases the Core2 Quad Q9300 processor, using a 45nm trace process. Price is US$266 each in 1000 unit quantities. Model Q9450 is US$316; model Q9550 is US$530; model E8500 is US$266. [2498.10]
February 19
  • Intel releases the Core2 Extreme Quad QX9770 processor, 3.2GHz, 12MB cache, 1600MHz FSB, 45 nm, for US$1399 each in 1000-unit quantities. Model Qx9775 is US$1499. [2499.8]
March 2
  • Intel announces the name for its new low-power microprocessor family: "Atom". [2322]
March 26
  • Advanced Micro Devices unveiled the "Phenom" microprocessor for desktop personal computers. [2322]
April 2
  • At the Intel Developer Forum in Shanghai, China, Intel introduces the low-power Atom microprocessor, in speeds up to 1.86 GHz. [2322]
July 3
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the Phenom 9950 Black Edition microprocessor. Price is US$235 each in 1000-unit quantities. [2501.10]
August 10
  • Intel releases the Core 2 Duo model E8600 processor; 45nm. Price is US$266 in 1000-unit quantities. [2541.10]
  • Intel releases the Core 2 Quad model Q4400 processor; 45nm. Price is US$266 in 1000-unit quantities. [2541.10]
  • Intel releases the Core 2 Quad model Q49650 processor; 45nm. Price is US$530 in 1000-unit quantities. [2541.10]
November 17
  • Intel releases the Core i7 processor. It features four processing cores, 64 KB L2 cache per core, 256 KB L2 cache, 45-nanometer circuitry, shared 8 MB L3 cache, 731 million transistors, 262 mm2 area. Code name during development was "Nehalem". Model i7-920 Extreme is 2.66 GHz and sells for US$284 in 1000-unit quantities. Model i7-940 is 2.93 GHz and sells for US$562 in 1000-unit quantities. Model i7-965 Extreme is 3.2 GHz and sells for US$999 in 1000-unit quantities. [2322] [2543.8,14]

2009

January 8
  • At the Consumer Electronics Show, Advanced Micro Devices introduces the Phenom II quad-core processor, with 6 MB L3 cache and 45nm traces. [2543.57]
February 9
  • AMD launches the AM3 Phenom II X3 and X4 processors, using 45nm manufacturing process. [2555.40]
  • Cuba issues a postage stamp for the 13th International Information Fair and Convention in Havana, depicting a microprocessor. [2591.59]
April 21
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the 40-Watt AMD Opteron EE 45nm quad-core processor, targeted at cloud computing environments. [2540.4]
May 13
  • The European Commission slaps a record 1.06 billion euro (US$1.45 billion) fine on Intel for antitrust violations, and orders it to halt illegal efforts to squeeze out Advanced Micro Devices. The antitrust fine, imposed after an eight-year investigation, is the biggest the European Union's executive Commission has imposed on a company. [2322]
December 3
  • Intel unveils a prototype processor with 48 separate processing cores. The Single-chip Cloud Computer contains 1.3 billion transistors, and is based on Intel's X86 architecture. [2501]

2010

January 7
  • Intel releases new 32-nanometer microprocessors for desktop and laptop computers, including basic graphics capabilities for the first time. [2322]

2012

October 23
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the AMD FX-8320 Eight-Core processor. Price is $169 in quantities of 1000. [2646.3]
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the AMD FX-8350 Eight-Core processor. Price is $195 in quantities of 1000. [2646.3]
November 12
  • Intel releases the Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition processor. Price is $999. [2646.3]

2013

April 30
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the AMD FX-6350 Six-Core processor. Price is $132 in quantities of 1000. [2646.3]
June 2
  • Intel releases the Core i5-4340 processor. Price is $182 in quantities of 1000. [2646.3]
  • Intel releases the Core i5-4570 processor. Price is $192 in quantities of 1000. [2646.3]
  • Intel releases the Core i5-4670 processor. Price is $213 in quantities of 1000. [2646.3]
  • Intel releases the Core i5-4670K processor. Price is $242 in quantities of 1000. [2646.3]
  • Intel releases the Core i7-4770 processor. Price is $303 in quantities of 1000. [2646.3]
  • Intel releases the Core i7-4770K processor. Price is $339 in quantities of 1000. [2646.3]
June 4
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the AMD A8-6500 Quad-Core processor. Price is $112 in quantities of 1000. [2646.3]
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the AMD A8-6600K Quad-Core processor. Price is $112 in quantities of 1000. [2646.3]
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the AMD A8-6700 Quad-Core processor. Price is $142 in quantities of 1000. [2646.3]
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the AMD A10-6800K Quad-Core processor. Price is $142 in quantities of 1000. [2646.3]
June 11
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the AMD FX-9370 Eight-Core processor. Price is $375 in quantities of 1000. [2646.3]
September 1
  • Intel releases the Core i3-4340 processor. Price is $149 in quantities of 1000. [2646.3]
September 3
  • Intel releases the Core i7-4930K processor. Price is $583 in quantities of 1000. [2646.3]
  • Intel releases the Core i7-4960X Extreme Edition processor. Price is $990. [2646.3]
October 28
  • Advanced Micro Devices releases the AMD A10-6790K Quad-Core processor. Price is $130 in quantities of 1000. [2646.3]

End of 2006-2013.

1958-1979 1980-1989 1990-1992 1993 1994 1995 1996-1997 1998-1999 2000 2001
2002 2003 2004-2005 2006-end


A list of references to all source material is available.

Other web pages of interest:

  • Chronology of Personal Computers
  • This Day in Personal Computer and Video Game History
  • This Day in History

  • Last updated: 2017 April 29.
    Copyright © 2006-2017 Ken Polsson (email: ).
    URL: https://processortimeline.info/
    Link to Ken P's home page.