Who had the FIRST 64-bit CPU?

R

rayman2k2

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Aug 6, 2002
Messages
8,069
Not Intel or AMD, I know that. I'm thinking it was Nintendo with the N-64 (as that cpu WAS 64bits). But I dont know too much about the lesser-known companies today that were around back then, and Sega...


I did a google, and all I could find was AMD, the first windows 64bit CPU, and Apple, the first desktop 64bit cpu(?).
 
If memory serves correctly, the first workstation/server 64-bit CPU was the DEC Alpha. According to the wiki, this chip was clocking in at 200MHz before the Pentium even arrived. In ran several OSs, including many flavors of UNIX and even Windows NT 3 and 4.

I think the Athlon 64 uses some of the technology from the Alpha, I've heard the name EV6 bantered around in early discussions.

If this isn't the first 64-bit CPU to be released, I believe it's certainly the first popular 64-bit CPU.
 
rayman2k2 said:
Not Intel or AMD, I know that. I'm thinking it was Nintendo with the N-64 (as that cpu WAS 64bits). But I dont know too much about the lesser-known companies today that were around back then, and Sega...


I did a google, and all I could find was AMD, the first windows 64bit CPU, and Apple, the first desktop 64bit cpu(?).
Click to expand...
The n64 did not have a 64bit proc, it had a 64 bit GPU, which is awesome compared to the 256bit gpu's we are accustomed to these days.
 
Liam said:
The n64 did not have a 64bit proc, it had a 64 bit GPU, which is awesome compared to the 256bit gpu's we are accustomed to these days.
Click to expand...


you sure? I remember reading the specs for it a long time ago, and remember seeing 64bit, guess I was wrong, eh?
 
I believe the MIPS R4000 (released 1991) was the first 64 bit cpu.
I don't think the 21064 was avalible for sale until 1992.
 
It's hard to say who actually had the first one, but like mentioned the DEC Alpha was the first to make it to the desktop market, arriving in the early 1990's. AMD had the first 64-bit X86 processor. Atari's Jaguar was the first 64 bit console, not the N64 by any means :)
 
I thought that the N-64 was a 64 bit gaming systen as well, least thats what the box says.
 
The alphas had the first 64 bit processors. People like sun microsystems, IBM and Hp have been making use of 64 bit processors for a long time though, but thats mostly because they ran software on the processors that took serious advantage of the processors.


The reason why x86's haven't ever been 64 bit until recently is due to a number of factors. Mostly cost, performance, and demand. But mostly its because windows has not really caught up with a lot of other operating systems in terms of how many processors it can use and if it can take advantage of 64 bit processing.


Processors like the Athlon64's have a lot of features and qualities about them that are not used or bottlenecked because of that fact that people run windows on them.
 
Can we please drop the damn game consoles?!

It was a 64-bit GPU, end of story.

Fricken get back on topid. :rolleyes:
 
mycroftb said:
I think the Athlon 64 uses some of the technology from the Alpha, I've heard the name EV6 bantered around in early discussions.
Click to expand...

the slot "A" and socket "A" Athlons used a system bus based on the Digital Alpha EV6 interface protocol.
 
tdg said:
It's hard to say who actually had the first one, but like mentioned the DEC Alpha was the first to make it to the desktop market, arriving in the early 1990's. AMD had the first 64-bit X86 processor. Atari's Jaguar was the first 64 bit console, not the N64 by any means :)
Click to expand...

the jaguar was 2 32 bit processors running in parrallel if i recall correctly.
 
Console manufacturers like to twist the truth as much as possible to make their products look good. If they had a machine with 8 8-bit procs, I'm sure they'd try to sell it as a 64-bit system.
 
EvilGenesys said:
the jaguar was 2 32 bit processors running in parrallel if i recall correctly.
Click to expand...

I second that. Also, the way of rating consoles based on thier "bits" was never a good method anyhow... Not to get off topic though... :D
 
CentronMe said:
Can we please drop the damn game consoles?!

It was a 64-bit GPU, end of story.

Fricken get back on topid. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
May I inquire to what a topid is, dear sir? If you were kind to explain to me the purpose and possibly colour of this topid, I would prompty find one and get back on it.
 
alpha's were pimp back in the day.. simply untouchable by anything intel/amd/cyrix could produce
 
let's just make sure this is clear, since I can't tell if some of you are joking, or dead serious. As of right now, there has never been a gaming console with a 64 bit CPU....
 
If you were in the marketing department of a console mfgr you would call the P3 in the X-Box a 128-bit chip since, with SSE, you can perform operations directly on 128-bit values...

or the memory busses on P4/Athlons...
 
ameoba said:
Console manufacturers like to twist the truth as much as possible to make their products look good. If they had a machine with 8 8-bit procs, I'm sure they'd try to sell it as a 64-bit system.
Click to expand...

PC manufactures do the same thing. Like intel with their 800 fsb, which is just 200 x4.
 
ameoba said:
Console manufacturers like to twist the truth as much as possible to make their products look good. If they had a machine with 8 8-bit procs, I'm sure they'd try to sell it as a 64-bit system.
Click to expand...
Heh, sort of like the NEC TurboGraFX-16...It was really just two eight-bit Motorola 6502s in parallel.
 
j3ff86 said:
N64 :cool:
Click to expand...

yeah thanks for adding to the discussion.... :rolleyes:

Anyway, as other people have said before, the alphas were really the first 64-bit cpu than anyone actually used. Someone probably cam up with a proof-of-concept cpu in the late 80's.
 
j3ff86 said:
you're welcome.
Click to expand...

Fuckin Asshole. :rolleyes:

I expect this thread to get locked soon. I don't even know why it was posted in AMD in the first place, it really has nothing to do whith AMD processors.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top