22007E/0—November 1999
AMD Athlon™ Processor x86 Code Optimization
Introduction
129
Appendix A
AMD Athlon™ Processor
Microarchitecture
Introduction
When discussing processor design, it is important to understand
the following terms—architecture, microarchitecture, and design
implementation. The term architecture refers to the instruction
set and features of a processor that are visible to software
p rog ra m s r u n n i n g o n t h e p ro c e s s o r. Th e a rch i t e c t u re
de t e r m i n e s w ha t s o f t wa re t he pro c e s s o r c a n r un . The
a r c h i t e c t u r e o f t h e A M D A t h l o n p r o c e s s o r i s t h e
industry-standard x86 instruction set.
The term microarchitecture refers to the design techniques used
in the processor to reach the target cost, performance, and
f u n c t i o n a l i t y g o a l s . T h e A M D A t h l o n p r o c e s s o r
microarchitecture is a decoupled decode/execution design
approach. In other words, the decoders essentially operate
independent of the execution units, and the execution core uses
a small number of instructions and simplified circuit design for
fast single-cycle execution and fast operating frequencies.
The term design implementation refers to the actual logic and
circuit designs from which the processor is created according to
the microarchitecture specifications.
Summary of Contents for Athlon Processor x86
Page 1: ...AMD Athlon Processor x86 Code Optimization Guide TM...
Page 12: ...xii List of Figures AMD Athlon Processor x86 Code Optimization 22007E 0 November 1999...
Page 16: ...xvi Revision History AMD Athlon Processor x86 Code Optimization 22007E 0 November 1999...
Page 202: ...186 Page Attribute Table PAT AMD Athlon Processor x86 Code Optimization 22007E 0 November 1999...
Page 252: ...236 VectorPath Instructions AMD Athlon Processor x86 Code Optimization 22007E 0 November 1999...
Page 256: ...240 Index AMD Athlon Processor x86 Code Optimization 22007E 0 November 1999...