Intel Unveils X86 Architecture Extensions: APX and AVX10

Intel has announced the introduction of two sets of extensions for the X86 architecture. These extensions, called “Advanced Performance Extensions” (Intel APX) and “Advanced Vector Extensions” 10 (Intel AVX10), aim to improve general-purpose productivity and provide a single vector set of instructions for future processors.

The Intel APX extension focuses on increasing general-purpose productivity. Its main feature is the doubling of the number of general-purpose registers from 16 to 32. With more registers, the compiler can store more values, resulting in a potential reduction of memory loads by 10 percent and conservation by more than 20 percent when compared to code compiled using the existing set of instructions.

Additionally, the use of registers reduces the time and energy consumed by complex loading and preservation compared to accessing memory. With the adoption of XSAVE technology, the new APX registers can be automatically saved and restored during context switching, without requiring an additional XSAVE area.

Intel APX also introduces conditional forms of instructions for loading, preserving, and comparing/testing. These conditional forms aim to prevent loss of application performance caused by inaccurate prediction of conditional transitions. The implementation of these instructions is achieved through extensions of the EVEX prefix inherited from existing instructions.

Developers can now use APX without the need to modify the source code of their products, making it easier to incorporate the new extensions into existing codebases.

The Intel AVX10 extension is the first