SI
SI
discoversearch

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor.  We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community.  If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.
Technology Stocks : Intel Corporation (INTC)
INTC 41.41+2.2%Dec 5 9:30 AM EST

 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext  
To: Jean M. Gauthier who wrote (50523)3/11/1998 8:29:00 PM
From: Barry A. Watzman  Read Replies (2) of 186894
 
The X86 execution of the Merced is NOT being done with software emulation, its done in hardware (in this context, I'm calling microcode hardware, since the IA-64 execution also uses microcode). It's not a separate dedicated "CPU within a CPU", but apparently an alternate "mode" of the CPU's instruction execution unit. Details are sketchy, but some were revealed in a patent application filed by Intel released last week. There was a news article on one of the services that I read (possibly Yahoo or ZDNET), but I can't find it now.

Also, Intel does not classify Merced as RISC, CISC or VLIW, they have given it a new moniker which I can't remember right now but I'm sure that Paul will have it. It's closer to VLIW (Very Long Instruction Word) than to RISC, but has some new twists.
Report TOU ViolationShare This Post
 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext