Original Intel Pentium PC
Intel (chip) — many OEMs (system)
Specifications
- CPU
- Intel Pentium @ 60 / 66 MHz (Socket 4, then Socket 5/7)
- Memory
- 8 to 32 MB
- Storage
- 500 MB – 1 GB IDE HDD; 4× CD-ROM
- Display
- PCI video, Super VGA 800×600 16-bit color
- OS
- Windows 3.11, then Windows 95
- Intro price
- $3,000+ at launch
The machine
The first superscalar x86 — two integer pipelines, a fast on-die FPU. PCI replaced VESA local bus on the motherboard. The original 60 MHz parts had a thermal problem so famous they shipped with their own little fans. Then in 1994 the FDIV bug forced a recall that cost Intel $475M and taught the company a permanent lesson about how loudly the internet could complain.
Why it matters
The chip that carried the PC through the rise of Windows 95 and the consumer internet.