Another system running

[forsyth@plan9.cs.york.ac.uk forsyth@plan9.cs.york.ac.uk]

the 386 has got the 32 bit instructions (unlike the 286).
the 386sx uses a 16-bit bus, but that doesn't
change the set of 32 bit operations available (it just makes the system
slower).

i used a 4mbyte 386sx16 as a Plan 9 terminal for several years
on the old release.  in that configuration you want a bigger machine
somewhere to act as a CPU server for compilations (and floating-point
work), and to run
acme, or the heavy-duty part of sam.

i've even used an 8mbyte 386sx16 as a file server, to test a version
of the file server kernel that used IDE instead of SCSI.
a 386sx16 is a bit slow for production use, but it works.

it might still be attractive to use small, cheap 386sx configurations
as highly specialised cpu servers controlling small devices on a network.