Optimizing applications for performance on the pentium 4 architecture

Abstract

In this paper we characterize the performance impact of using advanced compiler optimizations on the Intel Pentium 4 (P4) processor. Using the Intel C++/FORTRAN compilers we show that on a variety of benchmarks, advanced compiler optimizations are required to improve performance on the P4 processor. For applications developed using advanced optimizations targeting the earlier PentiumPro through Pentium III architectures, recompilation is likely required to obtain and/or maximize performance improvements on the P4. The performance enhancing design features of the P4 although dynamic in nature, require that applications be recompiled using P4 architecture aware compilers to obtain performance improvements.