What processor did IBM choose for the first IBM PC?

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For its first mass-produced personal computer (PC), released in 1981, IBM selected the Intel 16-bit 8088 microprocessor to serve as the central processing unit (CPU).123

The choice of the 8088 was part of IBM's strategy to utilize an open architecture built with commercially available components, which allowed the company to bring the computer to market rapidly. This partnership helped establish Intel processors as a standard in the personal computer industry and contributed to the rise of "Wintel" machines, which dominated the market for many years.312