The First Microprocessor Turns 40 Today – Intel 4004

On November 15, 1971 Intel created the worlds first first customer-programmable microprocessor: the Intel 4004. The microprocessor has been the engine of the digital revolution that has changed our society dramatically over the past few decades, democratizing access to information and making for a more equalitarian world. The Intel 4004 microprocessor ran at just 740 kilohertz! Keep in mind that the current 2nd generation of Intel Core processors runs at nearly 4GHz or 4,000,000 kilohertz!

Compared to Intels first microprocessor, the 4004, Intels current 32nm CPU runs almost 5000 times faster and each transistor uses about 5000 times less energy. In the same period, the price of a transistor has dropped by a factor of about 50,000. The die of the 4004 processor consisted of 2,300 transistors. The current 2nd gen Intel Core processor has almost one billion transistors. How times change!