Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 1.1
Typical PC specifications from 1981 to the present day
Approximate
year of
Parallel
Serial
Standard
introduction
Processor
RAM
Cache
Floppy disk
Hard disk
Graphics
port(s)
port(s)
Clock speed
Bus
PC
1981
8088
16-256 KB
Nil
1 or 2 5¼ in.
None
Text or
1 or 2
1 or 2
8 MHz
ISA
360 KB
CGA
XT
1982
8088 or
640 KB
Nil
1 or 2 5¼ in.
10 MB
Text or
1 or 2
1 or 2
8 or
ISA
80286
360 KB
CGA
10 MHz
AT
1984
80286
1 MB
Nil
1 5¼ in.
20 MB
Text, CGA,
1 or 2
1 or 2
12 or
EISA
1.2 MB
or EGA
16 MHz
386SX
1986
80386SX
1-8 MB
64 KB
1 3½ in.
80 MB
Text, VGA,
1 or 2
1 or 2
16 or
EISA
based
1.44 MB
or SVGA
20 MHz
386DX
1986
80386DX
1-16 MB
128 KB
1 3½ in.
120 MB
Text, VGA,
1 or 2
1 or 2
25 or
EISA
based
1.44 MB
or SVGA
33 MHz
486SX
1991
80486SX
4-16 MB
256 KB
1 3½ In.
230 MB
Text, VGA,
1 or 2
1 or 2
25 or
ISA
based
1.44 MB
or SVGA
33 MHz
and VL
486DX
1991
80486DX
4-64 MB
256 KB
1 3½ in.
340 MB
Text, VGA,
1 or 2
1 or 2
33, 50, or
ISA
based
1.44 MB
or SVGA
66 MHz
and VL
PS/2
80286 or
1-16 MB
Nil
1 3½ in.
44, 70, or
Text, EGA,
1 or 2
1 or 2
8, 10, 16,
MCA
80386
1.44 MB
117 MB
or VGA
or 20 MHz
PS/1
1986
80286 or
1-16 MB
Nil
1 3½ in.
85 or
Text, VGA,
1 or 2
1 or 2
8, 10, 16,
MCA
80386
1.44 MB
130 MB
or SVGA
or 20 MHz
Early
1993
Pentium
8-64 MB
512 KB
1 3½ in.
640 MB
Text, VGA,
1 or 2
1 or 2
66 or
EISA
Pentium
1.44 MB
or 1.2 GB
or SVGA
133 MHz
and VL
Current
2004
Pentium 4,
256 MB
512 KB
1 3½ in.
60, 80, or
Text, VGA,
1 or 2
1 or 2
2.1, 2.8,
PCI
Celeron,
to 1 GB
1.44 MB
120 GB
SVGA, or
or 3.2 GHz
and USB
Athlon, etc.
XGA
