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From: pasquale@sgl (Pasquale Leone)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware,comp.sys.intel
Subject: Re: Question -- 386DX versus 386SX
Message-ID: <18685@ists.ists.ca>
Date: 11 Feb 91 15:47:04 GMT
References: <1991Feb7.182436.17262@athena.cs.uga.edu>
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Reply-To: pasquale@sgl.ists.ca (Pasquale Leone)
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In article <1991Feb7.182436.17262@athena.cs.uga.edu> boone@athena.cs.uga.edu (Roggie Boone) writes:
>I know this has probably been asked before, but I am new to this group.
>
>Could someone please explain or direct me to an article that explains in 
>some detail the difference(s) between a full 80386 microprocessor
>(80386DX) and the 80386SX?  Are they both 32-bit processors?  I've 
>heard that the main difference is that the SX "talks" to the outside 
>world (memory, disk, etc) at 16-bits while the DX uses 32 bits.  Is this
>true and is this the only difference?  Are there any limitations on 
>the 386SX running 386-specific software?
>

You canNot write a program that can distinguish between a 386SX and a
386DX. It therefor is obviuos that an SX can run ANY software that a
DX can run (though somewhat slower because of the restricted data path).
Anyone who tells you different is either trying to sell you a DX
or is a software type who thinks hardware is strange art that nobody
quite understands.
Intel may have built some pretty idiotic chips in the past but they seem
to know what they are doing now.
The big reason the SX chip is cheaper than the DX (other than marketing)
is that the DX is packaged in a ceramic PGA (pin grid array) package
and the SX is in a plastic quad flat pack. Look up the price of
any chip which comes in both package types and you'll see that the
PGA is usually about twice the price of the quad flat pack.

pasquale@sgl.ists.ca