3 ms·
Chips and Cheese specifically talks about this in the article I mention[0]. x86 decoders take a tiny but still significant silicon and power budget, usually so
by jorvi 2y ago
Chips and Cheese specifically talks about this in the article I mention[0].
x86 decoders take a tiny but still significant silicon and power budget, usually somewhere between 3-7%. Not a terrible cost to pay, but if legacy is your only reason, why keep doing so? It’s extra watts and silicon you could dedicate to something else.
[0] https://chipsandcheese.com/2021/07/13/arm-or-x86-isa-doesnt-matter/ https://chipsandcheese.com/2021/07/13/arm-or-x86-isa-doesnt-...
- antonkochubey 2y agoBut decoders for e.g. ARM are not free either, right? Or am I misunderstanding something?
- jorvi 2y agoCorrect. However because ARM has fixed-length instructions the decoder can make more assumptions, keeping the decoder simpler. Like I said, you its only a small amount of extra silicon you’re paying the x86 tax with, but with the world mostly becoming ARM-compatible, there’s no more reason to pay it.