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owl [soylentnews.org] writes:

You might think of the Intel 386 processor (1985) as just an early processor in the x86 line, but the 386 was a critical turning point for modern computing in several ways. First, the 386 moved the x86 architecture to 32 bits, defining the dominant computing architecture for the rest of the 20th century. The 386 also established the overwhelming importance of x86, not just for Intel, but for the entire computer industry. Finally, the 386 ended IBM's control over the PC market, turning Compaq into the architectural leader.

In this blog post, I look at die photos of the Intel 386 processor and explain what they reveal about the history of the processor, such as the move from the 1.5 µm process to the 1 µm process. You might expect that Intel simply made the same 386 chip at a smaller scale, but there were substantial changes to the chip's layout, even some visible to the naked eye. I also look at why the 386 SL had over three times the transistors as the other 386 versions.

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