[OT] End-user uses for x86-64 (was: Why are still not at 64 bits)

[Ben Scott]

On 2/17/07, Thomas Charron <twaffle at gmail.com> wrote:
>>  People may giggle, but the PS2 Emotion processing chip is 128 bit.

  I believe it has 128-bit floating point/vector data processing
capabilities, but the integer registers are 64-bit, and the address
word is 32-bit.  Right?  If so, in the context of most of the
discussion in this thread, it would be classified as a 32-bit
architecture.

  For that matter, doesn't MMX or one of it's follow-on acronyms add
special-purpose 128-bit registers to x86?

  I'm not trying to imply the pee cee is anything like the PS2; I'm
just pointing out that there are a lot of things about a processor
that get measured in "bits".  Address word size.  Instruction word
size.  Integer registers.  Floating-point registers.  Memory bus(es).
I/O bus(es).  Number of pieces it breaks into when you hit it with a
hammer.  Etc.

-- Ben