NEC V20

The NEC V20 is a microprocessor manufactured by NEC. It is a reverse-engineered clone of the Intel 8088, but with certain improvements that allowed it to execute some instructions faster than the original Intel chip.

The V20 is pin-compatible with the 8088, making it a drop-in replacement in many systems. This allowed users to upgrade their existing 8088-based computers for a performance boost without requiring significant hardware modifications.

Key enhancements in the V20 compared to the 8088 include:

• Instruction Set Enhancements: The V20 included instructions from the Intel 80186 instruction set that were not available on the 8088.
• Improved Execution Speed: Optimized internal architecture allowed for faster execution of certain instructions compared to the 8088.
• Hardware Multiply Instruction: The V20 implemented a hardware multiplier, significantly speeding up multiplication operations.

The NEC V20 gained popularity in the late 1980s as a cost-effective upgrade for users looking to improve the performance of their IBM PC and compatible systems. While not as widely known as Intel's processors, it played a significant role in extending the lifespan and improving the performance of many early personal computers.