A Way To Revolutionize X86 Cpu Performence
Reply #10 – 2002-10-11 00:32:26
Hmm, I don't think one can make much more out of x86 architecture. It never was good to begin with. Let's put our hopes on the success of IA-64 architecture. EPIC (Explicitly Parallel Instruction Computing) of IA-64 is far more a revolutionary idea than adding multimedia extensions. I never believed in extra circuitry in CISC processors to do out-of-order processing (and decide which ones are independent), branch prediction, etc. They were too gross to be put into hardware. Now all such complications of instruction ordering, etc. are assigned to compilers. Processor does not have to guess anything, therefore it achieves the maximum parallelism. Because compiler orders the instructions to make most of all the circuitry in the processor. It is VLIW (very large instruction word) pushed to the extreme (by additional instruction hinting). And IA-64's predication is a very efficient way to handle branches. Given those I don't care a fig for the future of x86 (which is by my opinion already dead). And multimedia extensions in my opinion, is not a graceful addition to the instruction set. You can produce a separate multimedia processor for that purpose. Now given that, though I usually liked AMD because they produced cheaper and faster CPUs., I hope they utterly fail in their x86-64 extensions . Because we should not go on using 10 years old technology. AMD has no options except for x86-64's success because Intel spent billions in R&D of IA-64 whereas AMD has no experience in IA-64. However if Intel does not come up with cheaper 64 bit alternatives to huge-cache Itaniums, AMD might get very popular. Which would mean we'd go on with this x86 crap for another decade. I once thought Intel is evil in the sense that they form peaceful coexistence with Microsoft and support ideas like palladium. But still they want to produce better technology (unlike Microsoft and possibly AMD) and therefore aim for doing some good for community. Yet all MS and AMD cares for is their revenue. I don't think I'd ever buy AMD again. Alp