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From: mlord@bwdls58.bnr.ca (Mark Lord)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Subject: Re: Difference between a 386 and a 386sx
Keywords: 386 386sx
Message-ID: <4387@bwdls58.UUCP>
Date: 19 Sep 90 15:04:59 GMT
References: <1990Sep16.194605.11968@ecn.purdue.edu> <4383@bwdls58.UUCP> <14110@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>
Sender: mlord@bwdls58.UUCP
Reply-To: mlord@bwdls58.bnr.ca (Mark Lord)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research, Ottawa, Canada
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In article <14110@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> edgincd2@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Chris Edgington *Computer Science Major*) writes:
>
>If you wanted to determine whether or not the chip you are using is a 386
>or a 386sx, couldn't you just execute some 32 bit intructions and time the
>number of machine cycles it takes to execute them.

Good in theory.. but cannot be done.  In order to "time" them, 
you need to know the exact CPU clock rate, which is another unknown.
Also, caches and stuff can affect this.  Ahha you say, so why not
use 32-bit instructions that do not access memory?  Simple reason:
that would not tell you anything, since the 386sx IS a 32-bit processor
inside the chip.  
-- 
 ___Mark S. Lord__________________________________________
| ..uunet!bnrgate!mlord%bmerh724 | Climb Free Or Die (NH) |
| MLORD@BNR.CA   Ottawa, Ontario | Personal views only.   |
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