Справочник Пользователя для AMD 250

25112

Rev. 3.06

September 2005

When discussing processor design, it is important to understand the terms architecture, 
microarchitecture, and design implementation.

The architecture consists of the instruction set and those features of a processor that are visible to 
software programs running on the processor. The architecture determines what software the processor 
can run. The AMD64 architecture of the AMD Athlon™ 64 and AMD Opteron™ processors is 
compatible with the industry-standard x86 instruction set.

The term microarchitecture refers to the design features used to reach the target cost, performance, 
and functionality goals of the processor. The AMD64 architecture employs a decoupled 
decode/execution design approach. In other words, decoders and execution units essentially operate 
independently; the execution core uses a small number of instructions and simplified circuit design 
for fast single-cycle execution and fast operating frequencies.

The design implementation refers to a particular combination of physical logic and circuit elements 
that comprise a processor that meets the microarchitecture specifications.

This appendix covers the following topics: