Computing · 1974
Intel 8080
The 8-bit chip that launched the home computer.
The 8080 ran at 2 MHz with about 4,500 transistors, powerful enough for a general-purpose computer. It powered the Altair 8800 and the CP/M operating system.
What it built on 1
What it led to 2
Related measurements
The dashed line marks when it first worked.
Transistors per microprocessor Latest: 58.2B transistors (2021) Source: Our World in Data
Computation per constant dollar, 1850-2006 Latest: 7.3B million units of computer power per 2006 $ (2003) Source: Nordhaus 2007, Two Centuries of Productivity Growth in Computing, J. Econ. Hist. 67(1), Table 6