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Rise of the Centaur

A Documentary About Processors and the People Who Make Them

Trust me, we'll deliver a low-cost microprocessor.

“We’re four guys working out of our kitchen, and we want ten million dollars and to be left alone for two years. Trust me, we’ll deliver a low-cost microprocessor compatible with Intel.

This was former IBM Fellow and Dell Senior VP Glenn Henry’s 1995 pitch to start a microprocessor company focused on low-cost Intel-compatible processors (“x86”). This improbable start led to the twenty years (and counting) success story of Centaur Technology, a small Austin company focused on low-cost x86 processors.

Over this period, the company retained its small and scrappy start-up mentality. Over fifteen major Centaur x86 microprocessor designs shipped to customers world-wide in systems offered by Samsung, Lenovo, HP, Dell and many others. 

This documentary follows Henry and his team as they race to complete a chip, and offers an inside perspective of Centaur’s unique management environment and the engineers who made it all possible.

Interviewees

  • Mark Brazell, Centaur Circuit Design Engineer
  • John Bunda, Centaur Microcode Engineer
  • John Carls, Centaur Manufacturing Engineer
  • Jason Chen, Centaur Design Verification Engineer
  • Jerry Col, Centaur Logic Design Engineer
  • Christy Connelly, Centaur Human Resources
  • Tom Crispin, Centaur Microcode Engineer
  • Jim Donahue, Centaur Circuit Design Engineer
  • John Duncan, Centaur Circuit Design Engineer
  • Tim Elliot, Centaur Logic Design Engineer
  • Scott Gardner, President of Advantage Engineering, LLC
  • Stephan Gaskins, Centaur Design Verification Engineer
  • Darius Gaskins, Centaur Founder and Logic Design Engineer
  • Twila Hamilton, Centaur Device Modeling Engineer
  • Suresh Hariharan, Centaur System Engineer
  • Glenn Henry, Centaur Founder and President
  • CJ Holthaus , Centaur Project Manager
  • Rodney Hooker, Centaur Logic Design Engineer
  • Varun Koyyalagunta, Centaur Design Verification Engineer
  • Kevin Kramer, Centaur Information Systems Administrator
  • Al Loper, Centaur Logic Design Engineer
  • Jim Lundberg, Centaur Circuit Design Engineer
  • Terry Maginnis, Centaur System Test Engineer
  • Terry Parks, Centaur Founder and Logic Design Engineer
  • Len Perham, Former CEO – IDT
  • Patrick Roberts, Centaur Information Systems Administrator
  • Mark Rothbauer, Centaur Information Systems Administrator
  • Robbie Tomaszewski, Centaur System Engineer
  • Epan Wu, VIA Director of Sales and Marketing

Also Appearing

  • Becky Anders, Centaur Executive Assistant
  • Iraj Arasteh, Centaur Manufacturing Engineer Technician
  • Mir Azam, Centaur Circuit Design Engineer
  • Jonathan Baney, Layout Designer
  • Brent Bean, Centaur Logic Design Engineer
  • David Bergman, Centaur Design Verification Engineer
  • Ray Bertram, Centaur Circuit Design Engineer
  • Vanessa Canac, Centaur Circuit Design Engineer
  • Richard Chetwood, Centaur System Test Technician
  • Kyle Chung, Centaur Manufacturing Engineer
  • Eric Crosson, Centaur Engineer Intern
  • Jared Davis, Centaur Formal Verification Engineer
  • Khoi Dinh, Centaur Circuit Design Engineer
  • Joe Durand, Centaur Manufacturing Engineer
  • Dominic Duvarney, Centaur Layout Designer
  • Mark Ebersole, Centaur Design Verification Engineer
  • Colin Eddy, Centaur Logic Design Engineer
  • Tom Elmer, Centaur Logic Design Engineer
  • John Gautreaux, Centaur System Test Engineer
  • Naidu Golla, Centaur Manufacturing Engineer
  • Vijay Hariharan, Centaur Contract System Test Technician
  • Stan Ho, Centaur Circuit Design Engineer
  • Danny Jain, Centaur Logic Design Engineer
  • Seenu Jallipalli, Centaur Manufacturing Engineer
  • Blake Jennings, Centaur Engineer Intern
  • Jonathan Johnson,  Centaur Design Verification Engineer
  • David Johnson, Centaur Design Verification Engineer
  • Patrick Lowry, Centaur Design Verification Engineer
  • James A. Lundberg, Centaur Design Verification Engineer
  • Joseph Martinez, Centaur System Test Technician
  • Jack McCulley, Centaur Manufacturing Technician
  • Tim McMurtrie, Centaur Layout Designer
  • Daniel Miner, Centaur Manufacturing Engineer
  • Viswanathan Mohan, Centaur Design Verification Engineer
  • Susan Moore, Centaur Layout Designer
  • Brian Nguyen, Centaur Manufacturing Engineer
  • Kyle O’Brien, Centaur Design Verification Engineer
  • Nikhil Patil, Centaur Microprocessor Architecture Engineer
  • Tony Patterson, Centaur Design Verification Engineer
  • Scott Petersen, Centaur Design Verification Engineer
  • Stephan Polkowski, Centaur Design Verification Engineer
  • Imran Qureshi, Centaur Circuit Design Engineer
  • Shelley Rae, Centaur Circuit Design Engineer
  • Doug Reed, Centaur Design Verification Engineer
  • Chirag Sakhuja, Centaur Engineer Intern
  • John Salzman, Centaur Manufacturing Engineer
  • Mark “Doc” Shipley, Centaur Contract Software Programmer
  • Brian Snider, Centaur Circuit Design Engineer
  • David Stachelski, Centaur Circuit Design Engineer
  • Jonathan Stern, Centaur BIOS Engineer
  • Adam Sule, Centaur Manufacturing Engineer Technician
  • Sol Swords, Centaur Formal Verification Engineer
  • Elizabeth Tillman, Centaur Manufacturing Engineer Technician
  • Dan Weigl, Centaur Circuit Design Engineer
  • Dan Zhang, Centaur Engineer Intern
  • Paul Zucknick, Centaur Design Verification Engineer