Older Intel CPUs were already using microcode. Intel went after NEC with a copyright case over 8086 microcode, and after AMD with a copyright case over 287/386/

Older Intel CPUs were already using microcode. Intel went after NEC with a copyright case over 8086 microcode, and after AMD with a copyright case over 287/386/486 microcode: - https://thechipletter.substack.com/p/intel-vs-nec-the-case-of-the-v20s https://thechipletter.substack.com/p/intel-vs-nec-the-case-o... - https://www.upi.com/Archives/1994/03/10/Jury-backs-AMD-in-dispute-with-Intel/8611763275600/ https://www.upi.com/Archives/1994/03/10/Jury-backs-AMD-in-di... I would totally believe the FDIV bug is why Intel went to a patchable microcode architecture however. See “Intel P6 Microcode Can Be Patched — Intel Discloses Details of Download Mechanism for Fixing CPU Bugs (1997)” https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35934367 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35934367