Strange registry value for PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE for Intel and AMD processor
64-bit, processor, registry, windows
Solution
According to documentation The 64 bit extensions to the x86 architecture were invented and first implemented by AMD.
That's why you get `AMD64` and also the registry key is `PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE` which tells the underlying architecture used by processor which is off course `AMD64`.
For information, Intel laggards to the 64 bit architecture because they were hoping to transition away from x86 architecture and move towards IA64. IA64 already existed in the form of the Itanium and Intel was hoping to transition towards that. Despite being a far better and more efficient architecture, lacking the inherent design flaws of x86, it suffered through lack of compatibility and it never took off as excepted in the commercial space. AMD on other hand, effectively forced Intel's by introducing the Sledgehammer, which was effectively a 64bit chip based on the x86 architecture. Hence the name AMD64.
Problem
I was having a small task to find whether the system is 32-bit or 64-bit machine during installation? I figured the way by getting the value of registry `PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE` located in `HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment\` folder but I was surprised to find that value was `AMD64` but my processor was `Intel64 Family 6 Model 23 Stepping 10, GenuineIntel`? So why `AMD64` for `Intel64` bit processor?