Intel introduced the 8086 microprocessor in 1978.
The Intel 8086 was a 16-bit processor introduced on June 8, 1978. It established the x86 instruction-set architecture, a lineage that remains highly influential in personal computers and servers.
IBM selected a related Intel processor, the 8088, for its original IBM PC launched in 1981. The 8088 used an 8-bit external data bus while retaining the 8086’s core instruction set, making it a crucial step in the spread of x86-compatible systems.
The 8086 is sometimes confused with the 8088 because both belong to the same early x86 family. Intel was the chip’s manufacturer; AMD later became a major producer of x86-compatible processors but did not introduce the original 8086.