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Intel

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Intel is a huge American technology company.

Andy Grove Robert Noyce Gordon Moore 1978 edit
Andy Grove Robert Noyce Gordon Moore 1978 edit

It is based in Santa Clara, California. The company designs and sells many computer parts. These include central processing units, or CPUs. A CPU is the main chip that runs a computer. Intel also makes graphics processing units, known as GPUs. These help with pictures and video games.

Intel Core i7 vPro 2020 logo
Intel Core i7 vPro 2020 logo

Intel is a very large business. It was one of the largest United States companies in 2024. It has been on the Fortune 500 list since 2007.

Intel works by making tiny pieces of technology. These pieces are called semiconductors. In the beginning, they made memory chips. These chips help computers store information. In 1971, they made the Intel 4004. This was the first commercial microprocessor. A microprocessor is a tiny chip that acts like a brain. It can do math and follow instructions. This invention made it possible to build small machines. Before this, computers were very large.

Federico Faggin (cropped)
Federico Faggin (cropped)

Now, computers can fit on a desk or in a hand.

Three people started Intel in 1968. These were Gordon Moore, Robert Noyce, and Arthur Rock. Moore and Noyce were engineers. Rock was an investor. They first called the company NM Electronics. They quickly changed it to Intel. This name stands for Integrated Electronics. They did not want to use their own names. They thought the name "Moore Noyce" sounded like "more noise." In electronics, noise is a bad thing.

Andy Grove Robert Noyce Gordon Moore 1978 edit
Andy Grove Robert Noyce Gordon Moore 1978 edit

Andy Grove joined as the third employee. He helped lead the company for many years.

Intel has a long history of new inventions. In 1970, they released the 1103 chip. This was a type of memory called DRAM. It was the best-selling memory chip in the world by 1972. In the 1980s, the company changed its focus. They started making chips for personal computers. In the 1990s, Intel and Microsoft worked together. People called this partnership "Wintel." This helped the company grow very fast.

Intel chips 386 387
Intel chips 386 387

They also opened factories in many places. They have sites in Malaysia, Singapore, and Israel. They even have centers in China and Costa Rica.

Today, Intel is still a leader in technology. They make the x86 series of instruction sets. This is a way that computers understand commands. Most personal computers use this system. However, Intel has more competition now. A company named AMD is a major rival. AMD has taken some of the market share. Even so, Intel still leads the x86 market in the 2020s.

Intel 525 mSATA SSD
Intel 525 mSATA SSD

You might see Intel parts in your own home. Many gaming computers use Intel Core chips. They also use Intel Arc graphics chips. These parts help make modern technology work every day.

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🖼️ Images & Media (10)
File:Andy Grove Robert Noyce Gordon Moore 1978 edit.jpg
Andy Grove Robert Noyce Gordon Moore 1978 edit.jpg
File:Federico Faggin (cropped).jpg
Federico Faggin (cropped).jpg
File:Intel 8742 153056995.jpg
Intel 8742 153056995.jpg
File:Intel chips 386 387.jpg
Intel chips 386 387.jpg
File:Intel 525 mSATA SSD.jpg
Intel 525 mSATA SSD.jpg
File:Otellini Barrett Maloney.jpg
Otellini Barrett Maloney.jpg
File:Intel Costa 12 2007 SJO 105b.jpg
Intel Costa 12 2007 SJO 105b.jpg
File:Intel factory, Kiryat Gat industry zone.jpg
Intel factory, Kiryat Gat industry zone.jpg
File:Intel Core i7 vPro 2020 logo.svg
Intel Core i7 vPro 2020 logo.svg
File:"Little Bear Blue", Paddington Bear, Noel Street - geograph.org.uk - 4268839.jpg
"Little Bear Blue", Paddington Bear, Noel...
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