This explanation explains everything
There's only one way to describe this explanation about software design -- the programmers are crap, they haven't a clue how to layer software design. But then we more or less guessed this might be the case.
Incidentally, the x86 isn't a particularly efficient architecture, its just very well developed so it can 'brute force' its way to performance. A wide machine word is also meaningless because unlike more efficient architectures x86 system are fundamentally 8 bit (16 if you want to be generous) so support misaligned / cross boundary code and data accesses.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
