Pentium (n.)

The name given to Intel's P5 chip, the successor to the 80486. The name was chosen because of difficulties Intel had in trademarking a number. It suggests the number five (implying 586) while (according to Intel) conveying a meaning of strength

like titanium

. Among hackers, the plural is frequently ‘pentia’. See also Pentagram Pro. Intel did not stick to this convention when naming its P6 processor the Pentium Pro; many believe this is due to difficulties in selling a chip with

hex

or

sex

in its name. Successor chips have been called Pentium II, Pentium III, and Pentium IV.