Pentium CPU celebrates 10th anniversary

[NFS4]

http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/2003Mar/bch20030331019393.htm

The original Pentium was fabbed on a .8 micron BICMOS process, operated on 5 volts, contained 3.1 million transistors, and ran at 60 and 66MHz speeds. Unlike the 486, all Pentiums came with a built-in Floating-Point Unit (FPU). Intel realized that current buses would be a bottleneck to the Pentium's performance, and therefore introduced the PCI bus. The 60 and 66MHz chips were expensive and hot, and were never produced in huge numbers.

:Q:Q

 

[JHeiderman]

AND they were all recalled due to a error in the math tables of the cpu's. On the plus side, a P66 could double as a space heater with the side of the case off.

- J

 

[fkloster]

Originally posted by: JHeiderman
AND they were all recalled due to a error in the math tables of the cpu's. On the plus side, a P66 could double as a space heater with the side of the case off.

- J

WT hell? All P66 were recalled for bad math tables?

😕

 

[Sunner]

Originally posted by: fkloster

Originally posted by: JHeiderman
AND they were all recalled due to a error in the math tables of the cpu's. On the plus side, a P66 could double as a space heater with the side of the case off.

- J

WT hell? All P66 were recalled for bad math tables?

😕

I didn't know it affected all of them, but don't you remember the big recall of...what...94?
🙂

Was all over every computer magazine back then.

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: Sunner

Originally posted by: fkloster

Originally posted by: JHeiderman
AND they were all recalled due to a error in the math tables of the cpu's. On the plus side, a P66 could double as a space heater with the side of the case off.

- J

WT hell? All P66 were recalled for bad math tables?

😕

I didn't know it affected all of them, but don't you remember the big recall of...what...94?
🙂

Was all over every computer magazine back then.

I thought that was the Pentium Pro (P6 core)

 

[sharkeeper]

I thought that was the Pentium Pro (P5 core)

P5 core IS Pentium. P6 is Pentium Pro. Pentium Pro had the DAN411 bug.

The bug people are referring to was present in thousands of Pentium 90's we had here in 1994. That was ugly.

Cheers!

 

[JHeiderman]

FPU Bug info from Intel themselves

 

[sharkeeper]

Q20: What happens if I replace my CPU and my system doesn't work?

A20: Assuming the right chip and installation procedure were used, the system should work as it did previously. Contact Intel or your system vendor if you have any questions.

LOL at Intel's CYA/CTA tactics! :Q

Cheers!

 

[EdipisReks]

Q21: What will Intel do with the returned parts?

A21: We have received a number of suggestions and requests for the returned chips, however there are a couple of reasons why we can't make the processors available. First, most of the chips will likely be mechanically damaged during the replacement process and will not function properly.

heh, they don't exactly have a lot of faith in the end user 😀

 

[DanStp]

I remember my P90 from just after that was recalled. A guy from a little college in Lynchburg, VA found the bug.