386DX

The 386DX, officially known as the Intel 80386DX, is a 32-bit microprocessor introduced by Intel in 1988. The "DX" designation distinguished it from the earlier 386SX, which was a 16-bit external bus version of the same core architecture. The 386DX was a significant advancement over its 16-bit predecessors, offering a full 32-bit internal and external data path, enabling it to process data more efficiently.

Key features of the 386DX included its ability to address up to 4 gigabytes of physical memory, a substantial increase from the 1 megabyte limit of the 80286. It also introduced hardware support for virtual memory, allowing operating systems to use disk space as an extension of RAM. This, combined with its full 32-bit instruction set and a protected mode that offered multitasking capabilities, made the 386DX the processor of choice for the burgeoning desktop computing market.

The 386DX was produced in various clock speeds, starting from 16 MHz and later reaching up to 33 MHz. Its performance improvements were substantial enough to drive the adoption of more complex operating systems like OS/2 and early versions of Windows that could take advantage of its 32-bit capabilities. The 386DX laid the groundwork for subsequent generations of Intel processors, solidifying the 32-bit architecture as the standard for personal computers.

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