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Clarification needed

The AMD64 architecture defines a 64-bit virtual address format, of which the low-order 48 bits are used in current implementations.[1](p120) This allows up to 256 TB (248 bytes) of virtual address space. The architecture definition allows this limit to be raised in future implementations to the full 64 bits,[1](p2)(p3)(p13)(p117)(p120) extending the virtual address space to 16 EB (264 bytes). This is compared to just 4 GB (232 bytes) for the x86.[15]

I don't understand this paragraph - does't AMD64 refer to x86? So what is being compared against in this sentence: This is compared to just 4 GB (232 bytes) for the x86? 169.0.179.29 (talk) 10:59, 12 December 2016 (UTC)[reply]

"x86" is, there, referring to 32-bit x86, also known as IA-32. x86 has 16-bit (8086/8088, 80186/80188, 80286), 32-bit (IA-32), and 64-bit (AMD64/Intel64/x86-64) versions. That part of the article sometimes qualifies references to x86 as "32-bit x86" and sometimes doesn't (at the time AMD64 came out, there wasn't an existing 64-bit x86). Guy Harris (talk) 19:08, 12 December 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Layman tag for this article?

Should we put a tag at the beginning of the article indicating that the article can or cannot be understood by a layman? --Polytope4d (talk) 18:05, 31 March 2017 (UTC)[reply]

x86-64 is 64-bit version of x86 Instruction Set?

To answer this very question, what is x86 exactly? An instruction set, or an architecture, or both of them? Instruction set architecture is instruction set architecture, instruction set is instruction set. They both are two things! For this very question, for years, I could not find any clue to prove that x86-64 is 64-bit version of x86 instruction set, no matter from Intel or AMD communities. If the manufacturers, inventors, vendors and so forth and so on could not prove it, how can someone else could make such irresponsible conclusion? Show my greatest objection to this statement! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 221.9.17.100 (talk) 07:11, 6 May 2017 (UTC)[reply]

"what is x86 exactly?" x86 is a term that is used to refer to, among other things, the 16-bit, 32-bit, and 64-bit versions of the instruction set architecture that started with the 8086 and continued to the current x86-64 processors. Intel hasn't used it in ages, if ever, for any purpose. AMD uses it to refer to the pre-64-bit version, as does Microsoft. Oracle, as per the link I cited, uses it when speaking of their 64-bit servers, and this article also uses "x86" to refer to the full range.

The 80286 added segmented virtual memory, and some new instructions, to that instruction set architecture; the 80386 added 32-bit support and paged virtual memory; various other processors added additional instructions (MMX, SSE, etc.); the Opteron added 64-bit support and some more instructions; processors subsequent to it added additional instructions.

So if x86-64 is an extension to the 32-bit version of x86, 32-bit x86 is an extension to the 16-bit version of x86; it's not a Shiny Brand New Instruction Set, it just continues the evolution of the existing instruction set, as anybody who actually reads and understands the instruction set descriptions can clearly see. Guy Harris (talk) 07:40, 6 May 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Well, thank you very much first! American English is derived from British English, but can people call it some version of British English, when more and more People in GB are trying to change their tone into American style? IA-32 is not the 32-bit version of x86 architecture. x86 is used by the industries to refer the processors and their architecture same or similar with IA-32. Because the legacy part of x86-64 processors are the same or similar as the IA-32 architecture, so the x86-64 processors are also referred as x86 processors, but in essence, they are 64-bit x86-64 processors.

Extension could not always be counted as a version, for many reasons. But the most important reason is that this 64-bit extension is not a completely 64-bit extension of IA-32 (or x86), leaving so many aspects of it uncertain to the future. Comparing to a true 64-bit version of IA-32, it is just like a once 64-bit extension of x86, or a 64-bit variety of x86 architecture exactly. In Intel documents, IA-32 and Intel 64 architectures are differentiated intentionally, or in other words, Intel never treat the architecture of Intel 64 as some version of IA-32, or x86, but merely treat it as an 64-bit architecture associated with Intel IA-32 architecture. And many early documents also called this AMD developed 64-bit ISA as the 64-bit instructions sets of Intel IA-32 processors. That is not a mistake by Intel, because they were and are just the IA-32 processors, but just enhanced by this 64-bit extension developed by AMD, based on IA-32. 221.9.17.100 (talk) 08:17, 6 May 2017 (UTC)[reply]