2023-07-25 10:09:00
Intel introduced APX (Advanced Performance Extensions) – new extensions to the x86-64 instruction set, with which it is going to reform the architecture and increase the performance of future processors when working with almost any application. APX extensions involve increasing the number of general-purpose processor registers and adding some other features that will reduce the overhead of executing the most common code, which will lead to an increase in processor performance without a noticeable increase in their power consumption and transistor budget. Intel has published developer documentation detailing the APX extensions. It follows from it that the main changes that the company is going to make include: doubling (from 16 to 32) the number of general purpose registers; adding a three-operand format to most existing integer instructions; adding additional conditional instructions to facilitate branch prediction; as well as a new 64-bit unconditional jump instruction. We are talking regarding fundamental changes in the x86-64 architecture, but Intel claims that the implementation of APX will go smoothly and without any excesses. The company cites the flexibility of the x86-64 architecture, which natively uses variable-length commands, allowing new features to be implemented by adding additional prefixes to existing commands. This means that, on the one hand, processors with APX will retain full compatibility with the old code, and, on the other hand, developers will not need to make additional efforts to implement APX support in their programs. Everything can be solved at the compiler level: APX support following recompilation will automatically be received, including old software products. Intel does not give specific estimates of the performance gain that will be obtained following the introduction of APX. However, it indicates that doubling the number of general purpose registers alone will result in a 10% reduction in the number of data loads from memory and a 20% reduction in the number of data transfers to memory, which are very slow operations compared to the speed of the processor with registers. At the same time, due to the reduction in the number of memory accesses and the greater use of three-operand instructions, the introduction of APX will make the code 10% more compact, even despite the addition of new prefixes to it. No official release date has been given for APX-enabled CPUs, but it is assumed that the first processors with these extensions will be the server Granite Rapids, which should be released in 2024. APX support will also appear in promising consumer processors. Previously, Intel came up with an initiative to simplify the x86-64 architecture by refusing to support 16- and 32-bit modes, but nothing is known regarding plans for its implementation in silicon. If you notice an error, select it with the mouse and press CTRL + ENTER.
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