Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!thyme!kaleb
From: kaleb@thyme.jpl.nasa.gov (Kaleb Keithley)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: Question about different 386's ...
Message-ID: <1991Apr5.225707.6223@thyme.jpl.nasa.gov>
Date: 5 Apr 91 22:57:07 GMT
References: <1991Apr5.213536.12925@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
Lines: 34

In article <1991Apr5.213536.12925@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> smsmith@hpuxa.acs.ohio-state.edu (Stephen M. Smith) writes:
>c60b-1eq@e260-1f.berkeley.edu (Noam Mendelson) writes:
>>akcs.gregc@vpnet.chi.il.us (*Greg*) writes:
>>>Takis Skagos wrote:
>>>>  Hi.  I've a question about the different chips in the 80386 family
>>>Hi too.. The 80386 is very simple.  386SX is a 16 bit crunching chip.  It
>>I disagree.  Even though the DX has 16 more pins, most of the time they're
>Hmmm.....  Maybe a bit of clarification is needed:
>SX and DX chips are both 32-bit processing chips.  BOTH will

Let's sing the 386 song.  (to the tune of Revolution #9, by the Beatles)
A 386, is a 386, is a 386, is....   you get the idea.  

The Intel 386 family is a 32 bit processor.  Variants known as SX and 
DX exist.  The SX has a 16-bit data bus.  the DX has a 32-bit data bus.  
The DX has a longer instruction pre-fetch queue.  In general the DX 
is a) more expensive, and b) more powerfull.

>Also, most MSDOS programs are not 16-bit.  They are 8-bit.  How
>else do you think I've been running them on my XT??????

Close, but no cigar.  The 8086/8088 (and 80186/80188/80286) are *all*
16-bit CPUs.  The 8086/80186/80286 have 16-bit data busses, while the
8088/80188 have 8-bit data busses.  Too bad Intel didn't follow their
own convention and call the 386SX an 80388 :-)

BTW, all MSDOS programs *are* 16-bit programs because they run in 16-bit
(and 32-bit) CPUs.  

-- 
Kaleb Keithley                        kaleb@thyme.jpl.nasa.gov

Meep Meep                             Roadrunner
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