title: Why is integer assignment on a naturally aligned variable atomic on x86?
body: <p>I've been reading <a href="http://preshing.com/20130618/atomic-vs-non-atomic-operations/" rel="noreferrer">this article</a> about atomic operations, and it mentions 32-bit integer assignment being atomic on x86, as long as the variable is naturally aligned.</p>
  <p>Why does natural alignment assure atomicity?</p>