Xref: utzoo comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc:1812 comp.sys.intel:1362
Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!emory!mephisto!mcnc!rti!bbt!rlr
From: rlr@bbt.UUCP (rader)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc,comp.sys.intel
Subject: Re: Difference between a 386 and a 386sx
Keywords: 386 386sx
Message-ID: <950@bbt.UUCP>
Date: 19 Sep 90 13:00:59 GMT
References: <1990Sep16.194605.11968@ecn.purdue.edu> <4383@bwdls58.UUCP>
Reply-To: rlr@joliet.UUCP (rader)
Followup-To: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Organization: Broadband Technologies, Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC
Lines: 33

Mark Lord writes:
>Troy Hildebrand writes:
>>
>>Can anybody help me with the difference between a 80386 and a 80386sx?  
>>I have been warned _not_ to go with a 386sx when purchasing a computer,
>
>Absolute foolishness..  The ONLY difference you care about,
>is that a 386sx is slower than a 386dx.  Other than that, they behave
>identically, and each will run any existing software for the 80386.
>
>The 386sx is slower due to a narrower data path to memory, requiring
>more cycles to move the same amount of data around.  It is also slower
>because Intel does not yet sample this chip at the same speeds as the 386dx,
>which results in 386sx systems running at 16Mhz/20Mhz, instead of 25/33 Mhz.
>

  Just as an aside, the 386sx relationship to the 386dx is a direct parallel
to the 8088 relationship to the 8086.  That is, the 386sx data bus is 16 bits
while the 386dx data bus is a full 32 bits.  8088 data bus is 8 bits while
the 8086 data bus is 16 bits.

  The reason for the major cost differential?  The surrounding motherboard
hardware is much less complex for the 386sx.

  However, thanks go to Mark Lord.  I was unaware that no 386 software
distiguishes between the 386sx or dx.  This should ease my financial woes in
my unavoidable home PC upgrade (from an old PC clone :( ).

-- 
ron rader, jr               rlr%bbt@rti.rti.org = Opinions are my own and do not
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 | | pack, & nothin' to do ...!mcnc!rti!bbt!rlr = BroadBand Tech. (SO THERE!)
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