“We’re four guys working out of our kitchens, and we want $10,000,000 and to be left alone for two years. Then, 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 has retained its small and scrappy start-up mentality. Fifteen major Centaur x86 microprocessor designs have shipped to customers world-wide in systems offered by Samsung, Lenovo, HP, Dell and many others. Over this period, many other companies have tried to design x86 processors and have failed.
This documentary follows Henry and his team as they race to complete their latest chip, and offers an inside perspective of Centaur’s unique management environment and the engineers who make it all possible.
Watch the Trailer
Go inside the company…
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