8-bit

:''For the era of computer gaming commonly referred to as "8-bit", see History of video games (8-bit era)

8-bit CPUs normally use an 8-bit data bus and a 16-bit address bus which means that their address space is limited to 64 kilobytes; this is not a "natural law", however, and thus there are exceptions.

The first widely adopted 8-bit microprocessor was the Intel 8080, being used in many hobbyist computers of the late 1970s and early 1980s, often running the CP/M operating system. The Zilog Z80 (compatible with the 8080) and the Motorola 6800 were also used in similar computers. The Z80 and the MOS Technology 6502 8-bit CPUs were widely used in home computers and game consoles of the 70s and 80s. Many 8-bit CPUs or microcontrollers are the basis of today's ubiquitous embedded systems.

There are 2⁸ (256) possible permutations for 8 bits.

About 55% of all CPUs sold in the world are 8-bit microcontrollers or microprocessors.

List of 8-bit CPUs

A CPU can be classified on the basis of the data it can access in a single operation. An 8-bit processor can access 8 bits of data in a single operation. A 16-bit processor can access 16 bits of data in a single operation.

8-bit Intel CPUs

* Intel 8008
* Intel 8051
* Intel 8080
* Intel 8085
* Intel 8088 ^*NOTE: Intel 8088 is 8-bit externally only
* Intel 80188 ^*NOTE: Intel 8088 is 8-bit externally only

List of competitor compatible CPUs to Intel 8-bit architecture

* Zilog Z80
* Zilog Z800
* Zilog Z8000

8-bit Motorola CPUs

: see main article: 68h
* Motorola 6800

List of competitor CPUs similar to Motorola 8-bit architecture

* MOS Technology 6501
* MOS Technology 6502
* MOS Technology 6510

Other 8-bits

There is also a MUD-like game called 8BitMUSH, as it's the first MUSH to fully incorporate 106-color graphics in a text-based environment.