The Intel 80486, commonly known as the 486, is a microprocessor introduced by Intel in 1989. It was the first x86 processor to integrate a floating-point unit and a cache memory on the chip, significantly improving performance over its predecessor, the Intel 80386. The 80486 was widely used in personal computers during the early 1990s. The 80486 supported 32-bit processing and could handle multitasking more efficiently. It came in various versions, including the 486SX and 486DX, with the latter offering enhanced features. This processor played a crucial role in the evolution of computing, paving the way for more advanced processors in the x86 architecture.