Generative Art Timeline · Chapter 6: Personal Computer Era (1980s)
1989
Intel introduces the 80860 microprocessor chip-equivalent power of a Cray 1 supercomputer
The introduction of Intel’s 80860 microprocessor marked a paradigm shift in processing power, with capabilities comparable to the formidable Cray 1 supercomputer. This microprocessor represented a significant advancement in computational efficiency and performance. The integration of Cray-level power into a single chip changed the computing landscape, opening up new possibilities for a wide range of applications, including in the visual arts.
Text by Peter Bauman. Generative Art Timeline, Le Random, fact-checked September 2026.
Sources
Movements
Technology and Art
Filed under
- Ideas
- computation, computing history, performance, Technology and Art
- Technologies
- Cray-1, Intel i860, microprocessor, Processing
- Organisations
- Intel
Echoes across time
- 1938 · Konrad Zuse Creates the Z1
- 1968 · The Art of Computer Programming by Donald E. Knuth
- 1941 · Konrad Zuse Completes the Z3