Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!ists!yunexus!geac!maccs!cs4g6ag From: cs4g6ag@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca (Stephen M. Dunn) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: 386 and 386SX...what is the difference? Message-ID: <25D0AD82.5034@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca> Date: 7 Feb 90 23:21:38 GMT References: <13214.25cec56f@max.u.washington.edu> Reply-To: cs4g6ag@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca (Stephen M. Dunn) Organization: McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario Lines: 29 In article <13214.25cec56f@max.u.washington.edu> scott@max.u.washington.edu writes: $Hi, $I don't know whether this question has been asked before.... $but just for those who missed the answer.... $What is the difference between a 386 system and a 386SX system? $Given the same configuration in terms of harware, which is the $superior system? Yes, this question gets asked every week or two ... in fact, it was just asked a couple of days ago. We really need a group like comp.sys.ibm.pc.questions.everybody.asks.every.two.days for questions like "Is a 386SX a 386 or a 286" and "what's the difference between extended and expanded and EMS and conventional memory". End of editorial. Anyway, the 386SX is the same chip as the 386DX except that the SX has a 16-bit external data bus, while the DX has a 32-bit external data bus. Internally, they're the same and will run all of the same programs. But since the SX has a smaller data bus, it takes longer to transfer the same amount of information between itself and memory, so the DX is the more powerful machine. Also the DX is available up to 33 MHz, while the SX is only available to 16 MHz, and throughput on disk drives will also be much better on a DX-based system since the disk controller will be 32 bits instead of 16. -- Stephen M. Dunn cs4g6ag@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca = "\nI'm only an undergraduate!!!\n"; **************************************************************************** "I want to look at life - In the available light" - Neil Peart