Date:	Fri, 21 May 1999 15:10:41 +0200
To:	pgcc AT delorie DOT com
Subject:	Re: K7 potentials
Message-ID:	<19990521151041.I2804@cerebro.laendle>
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In-Reply-To:	<374515C1.A9DDD353@informatik.hu-berlin.de>; from Jens-Uwe Rumstich on Fri, May 21, 1999 at 08:13:53AM +0000
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From:	Marc Lehmann <pcg AT goof DOT com>
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On Fri, May 21, 1999 at 08:13:53AM +0000, Jens-Uwe Rumstich wrote:
> Hi!
> 
> > I was wondering if there is any speculation, q's, etc about what the K7
> > may be capable of.
> > 
> > For example:
> >     Will the K7 be less "register starved" than the rest of the x86
> > archictecture, or was this simply not possible while maintaining x86
> > compatibility????
> 
> It would break the x86-compatibility. The x86 only has 3 bit for the
> registers, so you canīt have more than 8 registers without heavy
> changes in the instruction set :-(

No, it wouldn't. The ppro has much more than 8 registers through register
renaming. Under this light having only three bits for the register might
even improve performance due to better packed instructions.

(No kidding, I expect compressed assembly in the next years, x86 already
comes close!)

> the start of the second fab in Dresden.

Oh, thats great!

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