Branch Prediction: A Key to CPU Performance Optimization
2025-07-10
Branch instructions are the core mechanism by which a CPU makes decisions in a program. This post explores the types of branch instructions (conditional/unconditional, direct/indirect), and how branch prediction affects CPU performance. While branch prediction techniques can significantly improve efficiency, frequent branches still create performance bottlenecks. The article suggests optimizing code by simplifying conditional statements, inlining functions, avoiding excessive nested calls, using indirect branches cautiously, and utilizing conditional move instructions to reduce the number of branch instructions and improve program performance.
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