Cyrix Memorabilia

Company:  Cyrix, Inc.
Based: Richardson, Tx.
Founded: 1988, merged with National Semi in 1997. Bought by VIA in 2000.
Founder: Jerry Rogers and Tom Brightman.
Specialty: Fabless chip company. Reverse-engineered many Intel chip designs with product releases that were often higher performing. Products included math co-processors for 286 and 386 compatible microprocessors, 386/486/Pentium upgrade microprocessors, Pentium microprocessor clones, various upgrade CPU replacements for many 1980-90's Intel designed sockets.

 

Cyrix 6x86 Processor logo (1996)

 

Cyrix Cx 486 SLC/e Low Power Notebook CPU Keychain (1992)

Item #605

This Lucite keychain has a real Cyrix Cx486SLC/E Microprocessor embedded inside. Reads "Next Generation Notebook Computers".

The Cyrix Cx486SLC was Cyrix's first CPU release after years of selling math coprocessors that competed with Intel and offered better performance at a comparable or lower price. The Cyrix SLC/e was a low power version of the Cx486SLC designed for use as an upgrade CPU in Intel 386 based notebook computers.

The Cx486SLC CPU was available in speeds of 20, 25, 33, and 40 MHz.  It featured an internal 32-bit data path (with 486 integer instruction set), but with a 16-bit external data path (386SX interface), a 1 kB cache, but no coprocessor.

Although this CPU was designed by Cyrix, it was actually manufactured for Cyrix by Texas Instruments using there 0.8 micron CMOS technology, incorporating 600,000 transistors.

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Close-up of the Cyrix 486 CPU

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