Questions

  1. How much faster is it?
     
  2. Will new software be needed?
     
  3. Do I need to buy a new computer?
     
  4. What is SIMD and how does it help?
     
  5. What is saturating arithmetic and how does it help?
     
  6. How many 32-bit quantities can you work on in parallel with one MMX quadword? 16-bit quantities? 8-bit quantities?
     
  7. Which parts of the CPU speedup equation were enhanced to speed up the MMX processors?
     
  8. How many Stages does the MMX pipeline have?
     
  9. What is one of the most cost effective ways to improve CPI performance?
     
  10. What are the four new improvements that separate the Pentium and the MMX enhanced Pentium?