What is Advanced Instruction Prediction?
Advanced instruction prediction is a technology that allows the processor to study the past behavior of programs and intelligently anticipate what instructions will be needed next. The processor can line up instructions for execution before a program requests them. By anticipating changes in program flow rather than merely responding to them, the processor improves performance and efficiency. Predicting branches correctly is one of the areas of high leverage for both performance and power. On top of the standard Bi-Model/Global predictor the processor also includes a loop detector and an indirect branch target buffer. Analogy: A word processing program that completes a word after you type the first few letters, improving speed and efficiency.
