MCS originally stood for Micro Computer Set, Set referring to the “set” of chips in the family. Intel continued to use this naming convention to describe its other families processors and eventually the “Set” became “System”. The Sets included the processor chip and other chips specifically designed for used with processor, primarily memory and interface chips.
Here are few of Intel’s MCS families:
| MCS Family | Intel CPU | Comments |
| MCS-4 | 4004 | |
| MCS-40 | 4040 | MCS-40 sometimes refers also to the MCS-4 family |
| MCS-8 | 8008 | |
| MCS-80 | 8080 | MCS-80 sometimes refers also to the MCS-8 family |
| MCS-85 | 8085 | MCS-85 sometimes refers to the MCS-80 and MCS-8, it is sometimes referred to as the MCS-80/85 family |
| MCS-86 | 8086, 8088, 80186, 80188, 80286, 80386, 80486, Pentiums |