why does 86x exist if 32x is the same?

[Alecks3000]

Thats it im just wondering why does it exist

[Jurrunio]

You mean why x86 is 32bit but not called x32? Because it's meant to be compatible with Intel's CPU at the time, the 8086. The first x86 designs are not 32bit either, but 8bit and then 16bit.

[da na]

Welcome to the forums!
x86 was named after the Intel 8086 while x32 (which you'll never really hear. Just called "32 bit".) refers to the architecture itself. The names can be used interchangably but mean the same thing. 

(Intel's subsequent CPUs were called the 80286, 80386, 80486, early Pentiums are officially called the 80586.) Because they used that naming scheme for so long, x86 kinda became the blanket term for all 32 bit architectures from Intel/AMD (who leased it), so it implies compatibility for Intel's 32 bit processors

[steelo]

8 minutes ago, Mel0nMan said:

Welcome to the forums!
x86 was named after the Intel 8086 while x32 (which you'll never really hear. Just called "32 bit".) refers to the architecture itself. The names can be used interchangably but mean the same thing. 

(Intel's subsequent CPUs were called the 80286, 80386, 80486, early Pentium 4 are officially called the 80586.) Because they used that naming scheme for so long, x86 kinda became the blanket term for all 32 bit architectures from Intel/AMD (who leased it), so it implies compatibility for Intel's 32 bit processors

Weren't the Pentium (1) known as a 80586?

[da na]

Just now, steelo said:

Weren't the Pentium (1) known as a 80586?

Yes that is my mistake. Edited my original post, had Pentium 4 on my mind.

[steelo]

2 minutes ago, Mel0nMan said:

Yes that is my mistake. Edited my original post, had Pentium 4 on my mind.

It's all good...this just shows my age...I remember the pentium 2 commercial with the goalie 'loading'

 

LOL

[da na]

5 minutes ago, steelo said:

It's all good...this just shows my age...I remember the pentium 2 commercial with the goalie 'loading'

 

LOL

I've always been more of a K6 guy myself, oldest Pentium I own is a P4 661. But I do have a poster of one of the Pentium 2 advertisements... 

Thanks for the correction, don't want to put incorrect info out there

[steelo]

8 minutes ago, Mel0nMan said:

I've always been more of a K6 guy myself, oldest Pentium I own is a P4 661. But I do have a poster of one of the Pentium 2 advertisements... 

Thanks for the correction, don't want to put incorrect info out there

My high school graduation gift was a tiger direct pc with an amd k6 2. It was state of the art back in 1998...LOL

[steelo]

8 minutes ago, Mel0nMan said:

I've always been more of a K6 guy myself, oldest Pentium I own is a P4 661. But I do have a poster of one of the Pentium 2 advertisements... 

Thanks for the correction, don't want to put incorrect info out there

 

 

Ah, memories...