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The 386 Microprocessor

No technology is more incredible than the microprocessor. Every second, trillions of switch openings and closings occur all within a thousandth of an inch below the surface. The older 386 chip is shown here because it contains a mere 275,000 transistors, and you can see some slight detail. Contemporary chips contain hundreds of millions of transistors, which at this magnification would show up only as a sea of gray. (Image courtesy of Intel Corporation.)

The First 25 Years of Evolution

In 25 years, the number of transistors on a microprocessor chip grew from a couple thousand to more than five million. By the turn of the century, the number routinely exceeded 100 million on top-of-the-line chips.

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