The enduring legacy of Gordon Moore
Connect with top gaming leaders in Los Angeles at GamesBeat Summit 2023 this May 22-23. Register here.
Gordon Moore, the elder statesman of the technology industry, passed away today at the age of 94.
He was one of the nation’s greatest citizens as a pioneer of the semiconductor industry and chairman emeritus of Intel, which he cofounded in 1968. He was known for formulating Moore’s Law in 1965. He predicted that the number of components on a chip would double every couple of years or so.
That prediction has held up remarkably well for about 58 years. In 1965, chip makers could fit about 64 transistors on a chip. By 1971, Intel could fit 2,300 transistors on its first microprocessor, the Intel 4004. Nvidia can now put 80 billion transistors on a graphics processing unit (GPU), and Cerebras can put 2.6 trillion transistors on a pizza-size silicon wafer.
That is the power of exponential growth. And it was the reason why Silicon Valley became a global hub of technology and why America led the tech industry. It’s a sad commentary that Moore died the same month that Silicon Valley Bank declared bankruptcy.
GamesBeat Summit 2023
Join the GamesBeat community in Los Angeles this May 22-23. You’ll hear from the brightest minds within the gaming industry to share their updates on the latest developments.
Moore died at his home in Hawaii, surrounded by his family, Intel said in a statement.
Moore and his longtime colleague Robert Noyce founded Intel in July 1968 (Andy Grove was considered an employee, but he was often honored as a cofounder as well). Moore initially served as executive vice president until 1975, when he became president. In 1979, Moore was named chairman of the board and chief executive officer, posts he held until
Read more on venturebeat.com
