The first Pentium competitor - NexGen Nx586
Channel: HighTreason610
Date: 2016-12-14

In 1994 there was only one way to own an advanced 5th Generation IBM-Compatible Personal Computer and that meant handing over significant quantities of money to Intel Corporation. But one company with huge ambitions and a team of skilled engineers set out to change that forever, reaching the market over one year before Cyrix or Advanced Micro Devices could even hope to get a hold here.

One of the rarest, hardest to find and most unknown processors today, the NexGen Nx586 is a strange beast and one which failed to make an impression. Was it a good design? Was it really competitive with a Pentium when it comes to performance? We'll have to find out. One thing is for sure, NexGen were ahead of their time, a true pioneer and one which is often not given the recognition it deserves. They may be long since gone, the story of NexGen and their brave attempt to take on Intel is a rather sad tale, but whether you knew it or not, the heart of what they created would live on far beyond the obscure, somewhat anaemic Nx586 processor and in many ways, is still alive and well today. NexGen might not have gotten a foothold on their own, but their ideas sure did, carving a legacy which ought not be forgotten.

So far as I know, this is the first time anyone on YouTube has had an in-depth look at one of these. I actually feel quite honoured to be the first, but at the same time, worry that my data might not be accurate as I have nothing to compare it with outside of some screenshots I found on a website somewhere.

I will leave you this article on CISC vs. RISC;
https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/courses/soco/projects/risc/risccisc/
It is interesting because it seems to be from the same time period as the hardware discussed. You see, starting with the Pentium Pro, Intel also used a RISC-like core in their processors. I guess NexGen were just too far ahead of their time.

My forum: http://forum.dxzeff.com/