Intel 8088: The PC processor is born and Max Payne celebrates his resurrection (PCGH-Retro, June 1)

…1979: Intel’s 8086 processor, the actual founder of the x86 architecture, has been around for a year, but the platform only became a success with its little brother: the 8088, which Intel introduced on June 1, 1979. The 16-bit processor is a reduced-function 8086; its biggest limitation is the external data bus, which has been reduced from 16 to 8 bits, which reduces costs but also performance. The 8088 thus establishes a long line of slimmed-down Intel CPUs, which will continue to be used decades later under the Celeron name. The success speaks for itself: by simplifying the CPU design, the 8088 is cheap enough for use in IBM’s latest calculator, the Personal Computer, released in 1981 and soon to dominate the computer market. The PC soon made the x86 line the world’s dominant chip architecture for desktop PC systems.

…2004: On the anniversary of the x86 processor, AMD is presenting the end customer version of its “Hammer” series of 64-bit server processors with the first Socket 939 CPUs. The Socket 939 CPUs of the Athlon 64 type integrate the memory controller on the CPU. With this step, AMD is providing a powerful games processor against the Netburst family from Intel and can seriously trouble the chip giant in the retail sector.

…2012: After the indexed predecessor was removed from the BPjM’s list of media harmful to young people, “the index” for short, on February 29 of this year, the painkiller-addicted cop starts a new round of shooting in quick-time mode, interrupted by short bullet-time sequences. This time Rockstar Games are responsible for Max Payne and polish the dark shooter with some Direct X 11 features. The basic structure is the Rockstar Advanced Game Engine, Rage for short, which will probably also be used in the upcoming GTA 5. There were also problems with the launch, such as forced accounts à la Origin, Uplay or, in this case, RSG Social Club. Just in time for the launch of Max Payne 3, PC Games provides hardware benchmarks, technical analyzes and help with problems.