| | | | Generic term for a range of processors from the Intel Corporation starting with the 8088 CPU (Central Processing Unit) and based upon the CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computer) instruction set. This processor was used by IBM in it's first PC (Personal Computer) in 1981. This gave rise to the 8086 and then the 80186, 80286, 80386 and 80486. The "x" denotes that a chip is from that range and the "80" is dropped in popular usage. x86s were used in the Pentium range and even current Intel 64-bit "Core" processors and those from Intel's competitors such as AMD. Since Apple's move over to using x86 processors in 2006, the x86 has a virtual monopoly in desktop and notebook PCs. Processors are referred to as being "x86 compatible" or not. The original x86 instuction set was 16-bit (x86-16), then from the 386 32-bit (x86-32) and currently 64-bit (x86-64). The development of software and operating systems has mirrored this, with most major options - MS-DOS, MS Windows, Mac OS X and Linux for example - all being written for the x86 instruction set. Common processor "brands" using x86 architecture include, in rough chronological order, the following: Intel 8086, Intel 8088, Intel 80186, NEC V20 (introduced from 1978), Intel 80286 (introduced 1982), Intel386, AMD Am386 (introduced 1985), Intel486 (introduced 1989), Pentium, AMD K5, AMD K6 (introduced 1993), Pentium Pro, Pentium II, AMD K6-2, Cyrix 6x86, Pentium III (introduced 1995), Athlon, Athlon XP, Pentium 4, Pentium D (introduced 1999), Pentium M (introduced 2003), Intel Core (introduced 2006), Athlon 64 and Intel Core 2 (introduced 2003/06 respectively). | | | |
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