Inside an Intel i486-DX CPU

The intel i486--DX was initially released sometime in 1989. The 33MHz version, which is what this one is, was later released in 1990. Further improvements would be made, which resulted in this particular version of the silicon chip from 1992.
This CPU had approximately 1,200,000 transistors, and was made using the 0.8 micron process node.

[@JorisPauws]

This already looks very complicated and its only 1,2mil transistors. Its insane how they can fit billions of transistors on something the same size nowadays.

[@ld2048]

In a other decade or two, we will be matching or passing the number of neurons in our brains

[@furnacego2164]

How big does that make the traces? 100 atoms wide maybe? I'm really curious, if you can answer that

[@taktoa1]

​@@furnacego2164Minimum metal pitch at the 0.8 μm process node was around 2 μm, and about half that for trace width. The minimum distance between atoms in silicon is 0.2 nm, so a trace was ballpark 5000 atoms wide.

[@taktoa1]

But nowadays traces are 20-30 nm wide at narrowest. So 100-150 atoms.

[@furnacego2164]

@@taktoa1 amazing

[@BubblegumCrash332]

That CPU ran my childhood. Photoshop 2.0, 3D studio 2.0, WingCommader , Doom, DukeNukem 3D , Dark Forces etc etc

[@orsonstarbuck]

So many memories. This was around the time my dad bought a PC that replaced the Apple IIe

[@neil1997]

We had a DX2-66... And all the same games still needed serious config.sys and autoexec.bat fiddling to get enough memory 😂

[@knivesron]

Gaming stopped there too. We topped with doom and duke 3d 😢

[@BubblegumCrash332]

@@knivesron I spent so much time making custom Doom WADs. I still have them on 3.5 discs. I have to dig them out one day

[@knivesron]

@@BubblegumCrash332 that would be awsome. I have a doom map myself its in the ramp 2023 pack check it out

[@Brave2standalone]

That was my first CPU; 486DX-33 back in 1990 I believe! The machine cost $2,200 with 120mb HD and 4mb memory.

[@maurodemello6078]

wow... I had the I286 in a Schneider Euro PC and my dream after that was to have a computer with that processor, but obviously my father couldn't buy it at that time because yes, was crazy expensive for him

[@beverlychmelik5504]

Same

[@huberthumphry280]

same, i486DX, 129mb hd, 4 mb ram but mine cost $1200 in 1991, that's what you got with Dell "quality"

[@pamdemonia]

My first was a 486 DX2-50 which ran at a blazing 50mHz .

[@AutisticThinker]

Was my 2nd. I needed to wait several years for the prices to go down.

[@Hopeless_and_Forlorn]

After a deadly mid-air collision over Cerritos, CA in 1986, the decision was made to equip commercial aircraft with an airborne collision avoidance system with the best technology available at the time. The TCAS system was activated in 1992 and has been protecting fliers ever since, even though its operations are rather primitive compared to the technology. available today. The first TCAS processor units installed in aircraft were based upon two 486 CPUs.

[@EpicTyphlosionTV]

I'm a pretty big plane enthusiast, and not even I knew that!

[@MajorCaliber]

Do you know which avionics vendor that was? Even back then there were SO many better chips for *embedded real-time* apps such as TCAS, than the klugey x86 family. :(

[@2jpu524]

@@MajorCaliber which processors did you have in mind?

[@MajorCaliber]

@@2jpu524 AMD 29k family, Motorola 68k line, MIPS, Hitachi/Zilog 64180, etc., basically standalone microCONTROLLERS vs. motherboard type microPROCESSORS such as the 486, the latter requiring all kinds of support chips, e.g. Northbridge, Southbridge, etc... not to mention the x86 CPUs have always been power-hungry, which means more HEAT to get rid of... things you might not want in a small expensive box, stacked like bricks amongst other avionics, all 8 inches from the pilot's knees.

[@D0Samp]

@@MajorCaliber Convenience in programming is a big factor. Even though the timeframe likely misses the i486SL (first to run on 3.3V core voltage) as well as the i386EX (bundling all the support chips in a SoC package), this is still the era of single digit watt SBCs that you can shove into a box with a heatsink.

[@agentdevil2096]

This needs more recognition than those foolish podcasts.

[@Floris_VI]

I dont think its the same audience

[@DrakeOola]

??

[@jaredloveless]

Which foolish podcasts?

[@michaels8607]

yYou are right but then we have 2,343,567,499 people walking around confused..Most of them do not even know where their local library is located ,much less know about CPU chips...

[@prestonfisher2632]

​@@Floris_VII can affirm that it is. Though I don't think their content is mutually exclusive, I have been looking for this content for years.

[@phillyphakename1255]

Fun fact, they stopped making the i386, the predecessor, in September 2007. The chip came out in 1985.

[@Dhalin]

A lot of tech is used in places that aren't PCs; there were probably some Point-of-Sale, ATMs, etc running those kinds of processors. I just recently got a new job back in September and the previous place I worked at was still using machines from the early-to-mid 00's for the two PoS units, and also the server in the back was almost as old.

[@phillyphakename1255]

@@Dhalin yeah, it's all the weird industrial stuff that used 'em for that long. I saw it when I was repairing an MRI magnetic field trim controller. Had an '06 date code, and I was absolutely shocked, had to look at the Wikipedia. I guess if you used a 20 year old part on a 20 year old piece of equipment, it'll be 40 years old high technology still in use. Kinda cool to see computing history still chugging along. Still though, I would have thought an FPGA would have been cheaper.

[@derekddanderson1]

I had a pc with that as the processor

[@JoaoPedro-ki7ct]

How much were they costing in the 2000s? What was their availability like in comparison to microcontrollers and other microprocessors of the time?

[@smoguli]

Fun fact: the MOS 6502 processor was created in the mid 70’s and is still produced commercially to this day

[@Flashjacks]

I am privileged to have precisely one entire silicon wafer of this processor.

[@raylopez99]

The entire wafer was defective? Unusual.

[@Flashjacks]

@@raylopez99 some chips are marked with a dot as defective but not all. There are a few healthy ones.

[@raylopez99]

@@Flashjacks Don't they sell the healthy ones? Or was this a wafer they decided to keep as a memento despite it having chips you could sell? An expensive paperweight.

[@Flashjacks]

@@raylopez99 Well, it is a whole wafer, uncut. I bought it many years ago. It is designed to be framed together with the complete CPU, which I also have. I don't know how much this could cost now, honestly.

[@raylopez99]

@@Flashjacks it's priceless ;)

[@ratnadas7659]

I still get fascinated by how humans even made these beautiful objects, such tiny details and how far we have came from this.

[@saito125]

And yet we still can't stop killing each other for the most mundane reasons.

[@agnisinatria3520]

It is from terestrial being, taught us to make a silicon chip.

[@pbettselectric134]

Microscopic

[@markissboi3583]

Always good to see inside chips its a city so small you cant see the atom people working 24/7

[@Sphyxx]

Intel = illuminati confirmed

[@usern90210]

Illuminintel?

[@usern90210]

Wait 486 is (6-2)(6+2)(6-0) 😮 666 😈 Why -2 +2 -0? It's because the 'minatii love chaos 🤔

[@mrflamewars]

That's 🎈🤡💩

[@Justin-bn2ob]

came here for the illuminati comment

[@ugraltnbilek]

Intelluminati

[@ctbsancho2516]

Mind boggling. I want to see the machines that build these things.

[@TheMrTape]

Look up "microchip lithography" and there's many videos that will show you.

[@robbdudeson346]

There are videos about it, look for silicon Photolithography

[@robertherman58]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/momcdHqIj9x3Y9ksi=lsXHDfL-3Gv_t6-e

[@roycun5013]

my first pc runs on that CPU.. still keping the CPU for old days memory.

[@NotMe-ej9yz]

I sold my first gaming computer to a guy I knew in highschool and we lost touch shortly after. A couple months ago I got back in touch with him because my best friend died (who he also knew) AND HE STILL HAD THE COMPUTER YEARS LATER! And it all still works! I bought it back from him just for the sentimental value. Thing is though the motherboard and the GPU were both parts I bought from my best friend that had died so they really mean a lot to me now that he's gone. I spent countless hours with him playing videogames on that computer so it's really nice to have it back again. I'm thinking about turning it into some sort of art piece for my wall (non-destructively of course since I might want to use it again later). Might put it in a big shadow box or something but I'm not sure yet. If anyone has any ideas lmk!

[@JoaoPedro-ki7ct]

​@@NotMe-ej9yzI am sorta against the idea of letting any functional hardware being kept powered off for years and years in a row. I am unaware how much electricity that particular machine of yours consumes, but whatever you do I think it would be more interesting if you let it running at least for some amount of time with some frequency, especially if it can be used by trustworthy people who never touched a computer from that period, or who wants to relive their experience. In a nutshell, let the machine happily live throughout the coming years for as long as it can.

[@microdesigns2000]

​@@NotMe-ej9yzyou can construct a picture frame with an LCD on it so your artwork can be played. If you have a photo of you two playing a game, that would be a nice addition to the frame. I would lay out all necessary pieces flat on a board. Everything doesn't need to be original. For example you can find a much smaller modern power supply and hard drive if you can get into work. Compatibility will be a problem. I would focus on keeping the motherboard and video card. If none of that will work, then I would power the motherboard and fan but hide an entirely new (and very small) computer that can run the project with modern hardware. You can run your old games in a virtual machine. When you construct this exhibit, be careful it doesn't turn into idolatry. Your friend is very important, but don't let your mind get caught in a trap because the people you still have are also important. That sounds religious because it is, but I mean it as a warning for your own mental health. Sorry you lost your best friend. :(

[@lGuileWilliamsl]

I still have my i486 DX-4 100 MHz CPU. still works

[@owenkegg5608]

Beautiful chip layout

[@youuuuuuuuuuutube]

This CPU was a monster and a game changer at the time.

[@Xingularity]

Many, Many of these early CPUs have amazing details that can only be seen under a microscope..

[@TheBlaert]

We had 286, 386 and 486's in our computer lab at school. Everyone rushed in to get to the 486's first. Long time ago but we learned so much on those machines

[@DuchalvanWyngaard]

I'm from South Africa, I remember when this CPU was launched in 1992, I camped out at our computer shop for two days in order to be 1st in line to get my hands on it. What leap of technology it was back then.

[@philippelhaus]

Had this in 25Mhz with 4MB of RAM, loved the machine.

[@JulianSortland]

Same here! Did have a few people say that they did not realise that they existed.

[@adammoss5284]

Daily driver back in the 90’s then went dx2 and dx4 after

[@jordansean18]

Over 30 years later I still have to support x86 architecture in all my apps 😅

[@qwertytheone]

Had a Compaq with a 486 DX2/66. Great computer for tweaking and adding components for performance.

[@tubegor]

That was my first PC, pure nostalgia with 4 MB RAM later retrofitted with a sound card and CD (with a proud 4X:) drive. Operating system with DOS 6.22 and Norton Commander. HDD 160MB and a hundred 3.5" flopies (drilled through to double capacity). My first and last game was Wolfenstein (wolf3d) and can even be played today with Raspberry PI 5 and DOSbox.

[@peanutheadrules]

who else finds it absolutely beautiful we, humans, can build things on such a small yet technical scale??

[@rickmccl71]

I remember when the 486 DX2/66 came out they sent me a sample, the HEATSINK WAS AS TALL AS IT WAS WIDE WOW MAN LOOK AT THAT HOLY COW

[@Fighter4Street]

yeah, I believe I replaced my original 486 33, to a 486 66.

[@paulvild]

I worked at the plant that made the PGA that you popped that out of. Alcoa Electronic Packaging. This is pre-Pentium.

[@kenloughman6384]

It’s now 30 years since I bought my first PC which had this as the CPU!

[@user-xi4zn4ly3o]

Congratulate for engineer and architect all around this world your works has been one place completely, amazing…

[@christ2290]

My first new-bought PC from my parents when I was a kid was a 486DX2/66. So, so many memories made with that machine. Lots of games, BBSes, learning the nuts and bolts of what make computers tick at the hardware and software level. Back when computers required knowledge to operate and repair.

[@RobEspinoRealEstate]

This is simply amazing.

[@MisterHolaMan]

the level of complexity here is beyond what my mind can fathom

[@N4CR5]

I have the DX2 in my collection. Beautiful to know it can look so amazing.

[@controlfreak1963]

My first really stable computer was running Windows NT on a Dell i486-DX2 66Mhz with whatever maxed out memory was back in the day. I was astounded at having such a stable platform for engineering work.

[@fefnireindraer144]

It is so cool to look at chips so up close.

[@HepauDK]

My first "IBM compatible" PC had the i486 DX2-66. :) I bought it back in November '94.

[@ReadieFur]

I find it crazy how much detail of things there are in something that small, as in all the x y and z planes

[@Ceagon]

had this chip, growing up. was really solid for the time!

[@datathunderstorm]

This was the exact same CPU in my first ever computer. That machine was a hand built computer that cost me £1,200 including a 14 inch colour monitor. The PC had the 486 DX-33 CPU, a 252 Megabyte HDD, CD-ROM drive, a humongous 4MB RAM and a 1MB VESA Local Bus Graphics Card - the latter which was the icing on that digital cake. It came with Windows 3.1 pre-installed, and was the machine that catapulted me into my life long IT career. It was not a brand name machine. It was expertly cobbled together by an experienced Computer builder who knew exactly what he was doing; the machine never failed on me once, and kept running faithfully even after I upgraded and gave it away. The 486 DX-33 chip had a maths coprocessor which made it a great CPU back in the day. It handled all the games of the day that I threw at it and was also excellent for desktop publishing apps of the era. That CPU opened a whole new world for me! I remember it most fondly.

[@IT10T]

Appreciate the focal length changing, that really helps me understand the depth since I never seen once IRL that magnified.

[@antigravity2206]

I have one of these. kept it for the memories of those days .

[@imambargahhaidria8607]

This was my 1st cpu in 1992. Everyone was amazed by its performance. It had 4 Mb of ram with 260Mb of hard drive. With dos 6 and windows 3.1.

[@joshstucki4349]

Great memories. My dad got a 486DX2/66 CPU with 8MB of memory and a hard drive controller that actually had a tiny bit of solid state memory that gave him down to 0.9ms access time in certain scenarios. Combined with a Tseng Labs ET6000 graphics card, it was an incredible computer that could do anything. I inherited his Northgate 386DX/20 at the time. I had a Tseng Labs ET4000 card and I believe 5MB of memory. I could play Doom but only at the smallest graphics window. :)

[@deanlawson6880]

I totally had my first self-built tower PC running a 486dx50 processor! That thing was a screamer at the time! I still have that box in my old systems closet!!

[@En1337Rich]

its so beautiful looking, my first computer was a 486DX2 66Mhz

[@timypp2894]

I remember when CPU first out with 1 million transistors , I thought then that it was truly amazing piece of engineering ..

[@RusparD]

My first "IBM Compatible" computer had one of those in it. Before that our family computer was a Commodore 64. I miss both, honestly.

[@karlm9584]

My first real CPU... 8088 before that one. So sweet. Soundblaster with MKEP optical drive. Doom. Good times.

[@wendy12354]

It still amazes me how complex and intricate these things are, and this is a 35 y o chip

[@channelfunnygoose163]

Chips are so beautiful. I wish I could open different ones up all day long. Amazing things at such a tiny scale.

[@TheDiosdebaca]

It definitely wasn't my first processor (MOS 6502, Commodore 128 y'all!), but I have fond memories of building PC's with the 486DX 33/66 and 368 w/math coprocessor. I miss when computing was simple, games were made for fun not flash, and the world was simpler.

[@donniev8181]

Absolutely amazing!

[@sypoth]

I used to have one of these back in the day, it was my second personal computer I could call my own right after a 386 I bought used. I eventually upgraded to the 66mhz version through allot of work. Both was honestly nice considering that at the time the only other computers in the house were my sisters 8088, a TI 99 that no longer worked, and the family computer which was built in an era before hard drives were common meaning you had to boot from a 5 1/4" floppy and the only software we had for it were for Taxes, a Word processor, and a couple of primitive games that are nearly impossible to play today without emulating the slower speeds of the 386. Alley Cat was very much a favorite, there was also a helicopter one where you had to take out certain targets then evacuate people from a building.

[@jaxnaturals]

The first computer I built was a 486 dx4 with 428mb hard drive and Windows 3.1. This was the last chip made before Pentium

[@ericneering6357]

Every time you show a picture like this, it’s all I can think of it. Look at the gold look at the gold.

[@isaacjjones]

The CPU in the first PC I built was the slightly newer i486DX2-66. That chip was amazing. Surprisingly, I think I still have it.

[@sumansaha295]

That focus tracking on the varying layers of metal contacts is awesome.

[@alantripp6175]

The laminated ceramic package was an amazing component itself.

[@Dhalin]

I used to own one of those, it was actually my very first PC. A DX 486/33 running Win95. Couldn't tell you anything about the rest of the PC though as I don't remember what else it had in it. I eventually got that upgraded to a 66 and then eventually a 100Mhz, and I remember the day I had the 100Mhz put in it, the difference while running Warcraft: Orcs and Humans, how suddenly the whole game ran at nearly twice the speed. Night and day difference!

[@HongVanKhangTruong]

⁰⁰

[@Brave2standalone]

Maybe Windows 3.0 or 3.1 and DOS 6.0? Win 95 came 5 yrs after CPU 486dx-33 was released.

[@Dhalin]

@@Brave2standalone It was definitely Win95. I was on a budget at the time as I didn't have a lot of money and wanted a PC, and at the time, Pentiums were out, but I was buying a used 486 because it was like half the price of a new Pentium-based system.

[@orsonstarbuck]

Omg. I loved that game!! Thanks for reminding me of that!

[@SeersantLoom]

I still own a 486DX4 100 computer, simply because it is a bit different (not a normal MB but has CPU on a card), MB is just a backplane with ISA slots. Has GUS audio, internal UPS card, HD controller card, ethernet and, I vaguely recall, Trident video. Runs Win95, had some games on it (XCom, HMM, Doom...) I also have 286 laptop somewhere, 10MB HDD. Don't recall make and model ATM. Not much on it, just DOS and some serial terminal emulator.

[@wipeout97]

Damn I had one of those back in the day, cool video bro and RIP Packard Bell.

[@wallpaperroll3904]

this is what people spent their time on before Factorio came out

[@Scapularbore]

33 and a pyramid now that is not a coincidence.

[@tbas8741]

But it has no meaning or reference to actual pyramids or any conspiracy like the illuminate as the latter is not even a real thing.

[@rundmk00]

@@tbas8741 he says, guessing

[@michaelrivard4879]

I find what you do is fascinating, please keep up the excellent work

[@Premier-Media-Group]

Man, that was top of the line with the built-in math coprocessor...

[@JasonKaler]

ahh yes, the coprocessor. That chip was great. I had the 486DX2 and it was faster than the first gen pentiums.

[@pbettselectric134]

Photo etching circuits and before that bread brooding . We have come a long, long way!

[@reecep4016]

I’d love a documentary on the invention of the micro chip, how they work how they’re made. Etc.

[@alfredshort3]

Those of you that have these, keep them. Something big is coming that will make these extremely valuable.

[@rohitlkv]

I still have this processor ❤

[@shix13]

I love all the little icons that mask designers included on the old chips. One of them has a cactus too :)

[@bigjack470]

Such a workhorse cpu, that and the dx2 at 66mhz were phenomenal!

[@GalbadrakhDuna]

still wonderful this old cpu ❤

[@changedpepe7745]

Damn, there is so much going on inside these small chips. Also this microscope shows some sick details. I'm just amazed how people came to this point and come up with all these amazing things. Texting from a phone while watching youtube. Astonishing if you ask me

[@EvilmonkeyzDesignz]

I agree! It's amazing how far we've come, and just how much is abstracted away that you don't need to think about when using a modern electronic device.

[@TurboTronics11]

I always wonder how something so complicated yet so small in size works that good! This is not but seems like a magic!

[@fiuhh9873]

My first ever interaction with computer. Running dos and lotus 123 using floppy disk

[@swinde]

One of my older computers that I no longer have was a 486-DX2-66 at the time I thought it was so fast!. After a couple of heathkit IBM style computers, ALL of my computers , I have built from scratch, that is, case , motherboard and supporting boards bought and then assembled by me, and I bought Windows and other programs to use with them. It cost a little more, but I got the hardware I wanted. Ready built PCs usually have a few cards that are substandard to lower their selling price.

[@Littlestrawberryfox]

Ahhh what a flashback, this was my first chip I ever had, that with a companion Math-coprocessor what a power house it was back in the day love it. I think I still have the chip somewhere.

[@pjmorgan]

I had a DX4. I forget the clock speed but 100MHz rings a bell.

[@evextechreviews]

Whoooa… I‘ve never seen into a CPU like this before…

[@hammabuckshot5062]

I still have the same one among others from 90's .looking back feels weird given how far this technology has evolved

[@JosephArmbruster]

I remember my old 486 had one of these... I still have some of these chips around.

[@KyleRuggles]

My first CPU! Got it with my first PC, a Dell 486 DX 33mhz with 8 mb of ram a 512k cirrus logic video card and a 14 inch monitor that is at 640x480 but if I lowered the color to 16 bit I could go up to 800x600! I miss those days.

[@azharcassim2795]

This stuff amazes me.

[@coopbossman]

Yippeeeeeee this is so cool there's so much there and it's silly that there's lil Easter eggs in these too.

[@nagume]

It looks like a complicated futuristic city and i think it looks pretty

[@michwashington]

I really pushed the limits of what that CPU could handle ❤

[@defaultHandle1110]

I needed one of these for such a long time. Those laggy graphics in MK2/3.

[@scoobysteven]

Thank you for the information!

[@TooMushRoom]

HOW ?!! HOW THIS CAN FIT INTO THIS LITTLE CHIP 😱

[@Viki-zo1bc]

That thing is like a metropolitan city when you zoom in.

[@YellowSky99.9]

These dimensions are unbelievable

[@1980VINZ]

That CPU… WAS THE BEST ERA OF PC. Period.

[@spacepolice3227]

Just bought every single one of the coins and 5' 003 from your website because they're just fucking cool and so is this content keep going man!

[@peterhayden7136]

Its the machines that make the machines that amazes me

[@YoungBars26]

Crazy i never knew this existed. Cool videos i learned something new!!

[@catalinnicolaevici2061]

That was a beast back in its day

[@mustaa34]

Even the fonts reflects 80's era.

[@paulstubbs7678]

I have one here, been running 24/7 for 30 odd years running 'stuff' around my house, nice and reliable.

[@EvilmonkeyzDesignz]

That's impressive its lasted that long!

[@golbez3794]

what an amazing feat of engineering

[@eTraxx]

I bought a 486DX2 at the PX at Ferris Barracks, Gr -- my friend took one look at my new machine and he ditched his 386SX .. and traded up in a couple day. Ahh the memories ...

[@xenuburger7924]

Thanks for showing the pyramid. It looks like the bond pads are like 150um, a little on the big side now.

[@ShreddedWheat305]

Brings back memories...had a 486SX-33, bought a cache module for another $200 and later upgraded to a 486DX4-133mhz...was still slower than my friends Intel Pentium 60mhz.

[@jagmarc]

One of the great things about being a Designer, is can put little Easter Eggs in.