Enhanced Branch Prediction
Introduction
The processor design combines three types of predictors:
The branch prediction mechanism found in the Pentium® 4 processor.
A Loop Detector.
An Indirect Branch Predictor.
Intel® estimates that its mispredict rate is 20% lower than earlier designs.
The Loop Detector
Refer to “Enhanced Static Branch Predictor” on page 1095.
The Indirect Branch Predictor
The Problem
The Indirect Branch Predictor deals with indirect branches wherein the branch resolution is dependent on random data. This type of behavior is prevalent in object-oriented code (e.g., C++ and Java) and results in a large number of mispredictions. The typical indirect has a single branch target address, but a data-dependent indirect branch (e.g., ...
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