Every time an x86 PC starts, its processor wakes up pretending to be a 1978 Intel 8086, promotes itself to a 1985 386, borrows its own cache as memory while it teaches the DDR5 how to talk, becomes a 2003 AMD64 — waking its 31 other threads again and again along the way, each time starting over as an 8086.
Built on LaurieWired's thread on the stages of x86 boot, expanded and fact-checked against Intel's manuals and the coreboot, EDK2 and Linux sources. Space plays and pauses, ← → step, T shows the die photo in true colour, drag to look around.Tap ▶ to play, drag the timeline to scrub, tap “true colour” for the photo as shot, drag the scene to look around.