User:Superleaf1995/Explaining the architectures

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An architecture is a type of CPU. There are 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit, 64-bit and even 128-bit architectures, distinguished by RISC or CISC instruction sets. The most prevalent of them all were Intel's x86 architecture.

x86

The most used architecture in computers. Devices using it includes:

  • Every single commodity PCs
  • Macs produced from 2006 to 2020
  • The original Xbox
  • Xbox One
  • PlayStation 4
  • First and second generation of ASUS Zenfone Android phones

Itanium

HP and Intel's failed attempt at making a 64-bit architecture before Intel finally switching to the x86-64 architecture with EM64T. Devices using it includes:

  • HP Integrity line of servers
  • Fujitsu PRIMEQUEST line of workstation produced from 2005 to 2011
  • Some SGI workstation produced from 2001

ARM

The most popular architecture for embedded devices. Devices using it includes:

  • Apple Silicon Macs
  • All iOS and most Android phones
  • Game Boy Advance
  • Wii (Hollywood GPU only)
  • Nintendo Switch
  • Panasonic/Goldstar 3DO
  • Raspberry Pi and other single-board computers
  • Palm phones running Palm OS 5 or above and webOS
  • TI-Nspire line of graphing calculators
  • Acorn Archimedes

PowerPC

Devices using it includes:

  • Macintoshes produced from 1994 to 2006
  • Xbox 360
  • PlayStation 3
  • GameCube
  • Wii
  • Wii U

MIPS

Devices using it includes:

  • PlayStation 1
  • PlayStation 2
  • Nintendo 64
  • Most old SGI workstations
  • Most routers

Motorola 68000 series

90's favorite architecture. Devices using it includes:

  • Sega Genesis
  • Commodore Amiga
  • Atari Jaguar and ST
  • Palm phones running Palm OS 4 or below
  • Macintoshes produced from the year 1984 to 1994

IBM System/390

Devices using it includes:

  • IBM ES/9000 series
  • IBM 9672 series

MOS 6502

80's favorite architecture. 16-bit devices may use the WDC 65C816 superset of the MOS 6502 architecture. Devices using it includes:

  • NES/Famicom
  • SNES/Super Famicom
  • Apple ][ (including Apple //c and Apple IIgs)
  • Commodore PET, VIC-20 and 64
  • Atari 2600, 5200, 7600 and Atari 8-bit computers

Intel 8080 and Zilog Z80

80's second favorite architecture. Devices using it includes:

  • ZX Spectrum
  • MSX
  • TRS-80
  • BBC Micro
  • Game Boy and Game Boy Color (using a custom Z80-based CPU)
  • Sega Master System
  • Sega Genesis (sound processing only)
  • Old TI graphing calculators
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