Chapter 3: Microprocessor Types and Specifications ...

Chapter 3: Microprocessor Types and SpecificationsPage 1 of 158file://J:\MacmillanComputerPublishing \chapters\ 3: Microprocessor Types and SpecificationsMicroprocessorsThe brain or engine of the PC is the processor (sometimes called Microprocessor ), or central processing unit (CPU). The CPU performs the system s calculating and processing. The processor is easily the most expensive single component in the system, costing up to four or more times greater than the motherboard it plugs into. Intel is generally credited with creating the first Microprocessor in 1971 with the introduction of a chip called the 4004. Today Intel still has control over the processor market, at least for PC systems. This means that all PC-compatible systems use either Intel processors or Intel-compatible processors from a handful of competitors (such as AMD or Cyrix).Intel s dominance in the processor market had not always been assured.

Chapter 3: Microprocessor Types and Specifications Page 3 of 158 file://J:\MacmillanComputerPublishing\chapters\JW003.html 3/22/01 The 6502 was an 8-bit processor like the 8080, but it sold for around $25, whereas the 8080 cost

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