pctechguide.com

  • Home
  • Guides
  • Tutorials
  • Articles
  • Reviews
  • Glossary
  • Contact

Software Compatibility

In the early days of computing, many people wrote their own software, so the exact set of instructions a processor could execute was of little importance. Today, however, people expect to be able to use off-the-shelf software, so the instruction set is paramount. Although from a technical viewpoint there’s nothing magic about the Intel 80×86 architecture, it has long since become the industry standard.

If a third party makes a processor which has different instructions, it won’t be able to run industry standard software, resulting in no sales. So, in the days of 386s and 486s, companies like AMD cloned Intel processors, which meant that they were always about a generation behind. The Cyrix 6×86 and the AMD K5 were competitors to Intel’s Pentium, but they weren’t carbon copies. The K5 has its own native instruction set and translates 80×86 instructions into native ones as they’re loaded, so AMD didn’t have to wait for the Pentium before designing the K5. Much of it was actually designed in parallel – only the translation circuitry was held back. When the K5 did eventually appear, it leap-frogged the Pentium in terms of performance if the clock speeds were equal.

The other way in which processors with different architectures are given a degree of uniformity to the outside world is through standard buses. Since its emergence in 1994 the PCI bus has been one of the most important standards in this respect. PCI defines a collection of signals which enable the processor to communicate with other parts of a PC. It includes the address and data buses, plus a number of control signals. Processors have their own proprietary buses, so a chipset is used to convert from this private bus to the public PCI bus.

  • Principles of CPU architecture – logic gates, MOSFETS and voltage
  • Basic structure of a Pentium microprocessor
  • Microprocessor Evolution
  • IA-32 (Intel Architecture 32 ) – base instruction set for 32 bit processors
  • Pentium P5 microarchitecture – superscalar and 64 bit data
  • Pentium Pro (P6) 6th generation x86 microarchitecture
  • Dual Independent Bus (DIB) – frontside and backside data bus CPU architecture
  • NetBurst – Pentium 4 7th generation x86 CPU microarchitecture
  • Intel Core – 8th generation CPU architecture
  • Moore’s Law in IT Architecture
  • Architecture Manufacturing Process
  • Copper Interconnect Architecture
  • TeraHertz Technology
  • Software Compatibility
  • IA-64 Architecture
  • Illustrated guide to high-k dielectrics and metal gate electrodes

Filed Under: CPU Architecture

Latest Articles

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Review

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard I usually like EaseUS products. They have awesome partition programs and overall have some great products. Their Data Recovery Wizard program is not one of their best products. While it is easy to use and does do a nice job, it isn't as good as Recover My Files or Remo … [Read More...]

Remote Utilities for Computer Remote Access

Staying connected to your PC while you are travelling or away from it is an extremely useful feature in today’s computer landscape. Remote access software allows people to be able to use their computers anywhere they are with an Internet connection. This is not just accessing files either. You can … [Read More...]

IVI Technology

Shortly after the introduction of Apple QuickTime, Intel responded with its Indeo Video Interactive (IVI or Indeo 4.0) codec. This format allows for scaleable software-only video playback. IVI can compress video symmetrically (in real time, … [Read More...]

Goodbye Bitcoin: the 3 alternative cryptocurrencies that have great upside potential, according to experts

Bitcoin has been a very lucrative investment for people that got into it early. One report from The Motley Fool pointed out that $10 of bitcoin … [Read More...]

Self-driving cars face their Achilles’ heel and may be targets of hackers

The market for self-driving cars is booming. Customers spent $22.22 billion on these autonomous vehicles in 2021 and they will likely spend more in … [Read More...]

How to avoid scams with bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies

Cryptocurrencies got a bad reputation when scams multiplied like ants on a piece of cake. Even today many people associate bitcoin and other … [Read More...]

WHAT IS CLOUD COMPUTING AND WHAT ARE ITS MAIN BENEFITS?

Users are Increasingly using cloud computing to store their information, which is replacing local storage. The business digitization process goes … [Read More...]

AI-Driven Software Improves Trading Strategies for Investors

Artificial intelligence technology is changing the state of modern finance. A growing number of investors are utilizing AI to improve the … [Read More...]

What You Need to Know When Choosing the Best VPN for an iPhones

Today millions of people have smartphones; most use them to access the Internet. Research shows that more than 50% of Internet users access it with … [Read More...]

Guides

  • Computer Communications
  • Mobile Computing
  • PC Components
  • PC Data Storage
  • PC Input-Output
  • PC Multimedia
  • Processors (CPUs)

Recent Posts

Guide to Intel’s Mobile Celeron CPU

Co-incident with the launch of Dixon, Intel also introduced its first Mobile Celeron CPUs, at clock speeds of 266MHz and … [Read More...]

Pentium D

The advent of the multicore desktop processor is expected to end the clock rate race between Intel and AMD which has … [Read More...]

How to Remove Antivirus Soft

Easiest Removal Option: Remote Repair: Paying an expert to remove this threat is always the easiest option. It's also the most expensive. … [Read More...]

[footer_backtotop]

Copyright © 2023 About | Privacy | Contact Information | Wrtie For Us | Disclaimer | Copyright License | Authors