AMD x86 manual AMD Athlon Processor Microarchitecture, Introduction

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22007E/0 — November 1999

AMD Athlon™ Processor x86 Code Optimization

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 programs running on the processor. The architecture determines what software the processor can run . The a rch i t e c t u re o f t h e A MD A t h l o n p ro 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 . Th e A M D A t h l o n p ro c e s so 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.

Introduction

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AMD x86 manual AMD Athlon Processor Microarchitecture, Introduction