Intel x86

2017: The aspiration to protect innovations in processors

In June, 2017 Intel paid attention that the company puts huge resources in development of the dynamic architecture of x86 therefore it considers important for itself to protect these investments using an extensive patent portfolio and the other intellectual property rights. The patent portfolio of the company includes more than 1600 patents concerning implementation and application of a command set worldwide. At the same time the Intel corporation welcomes the competition at which the legislation is observed.

At this time Intel pays attention to the following innovations, in processors of architecture of x86:

The increased scalability and management tools a system. The Intel Virtual-Machine Extensions (VMX) expansion allowed to start several virtual systems on the platform, each of which could work running own operating system and start applications on separate sections. To achieve higher performance and usability, Intel provided the Intel Transactional Synchronization Extensions (TSX) expansion.

Enciphering optimization. Intel provided the AES New Instructions expansion (AES-NI) – a set of instructions intended for performance improvement of an algorithm Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and acceleration of data encryption on Intel processors. It provided to the organizations faster, more available mechanism for data protection, with higher level of security. The same way, expansion of Intel of SHA contained a set of instructions for performance improvement of an algorithm of cryptographic hashing of Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA) which is actively used for authentication of messages, in the digital signature and for ensuring integrity of data.

Security improvements. Intel provided the Intel Memory Protection Extensions (MPE) expansions designed to increase the level of software protection from the harmful attacks using buffer overflow. Among other improvements of security in architecture of a command set of x86 it is possible to select the Intel Safer Mode Extensions (SMX) expansion which is created with the purpose to provide the most full control over start of the system software which creates the protected environment for itself and for any additional software which can be started in this environment. The latest development in the field of security, the Intel Software Guard Extensions (SGX) expansion represents the tool for protection of the specific code and data against disclosure or modification due to use of the protected areas of memory for their accomplishment.

High-performance memory. Quite recently Intel provided the patented improvements in architecture of a command set for support of Intel Optane technology, including the 3D XPoint, revolutionary solution for work with memory which allows to minimize delays and to increase performance of systems at accomplishment of the workloads imposing special requirements to capacity and speed of system operation of storage. Thus, in the run-up to the 40-year anniversary of architecture of x86, Intel constantly continues to work on its development, with each generation of processors adding new expansions and using the specialization and creative potential for achievement of improbable results.

2015-2016: The share of servers on architecture of x86 made 98-99.7%

By estimates of researchers of IDC, from 9.81 million servers released to the world market in 2015, 98% of systems were based on processors with architecture of x86 which is advanced by Intel. Mercury Research estimates x86 share in the market of servers at 99.7% according to the results of the second quarter 2016. The expert of IDC Matthew Eastwood considers that clients need alternative suppliers.

2011: Intel Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX)

Improvements in performance of SIMD throughout at once several generations. In the years ahead the Intel corporation continued to improve SIMD of a possibility of the processors, having provided SSE3, SSSE3 and SSE4 expansions which increased performance in multimedia tasks, in applications for work with images and 3D graphics. Since 2011 in Intel processors there were Intel Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX), AVX2 and AVX-512 expansions which allowed to increase performance of systems in such applications and workloads as scientific modeling, the analysis of financial data, artificial intelligence / deep training, 3D modeling and the analysis, image processing, audio and video, enciphering and data compression.

1999: Streaming SIMD Extensions (SSE)

The improved visualization and rendering of the "difficult" worlds in real time. The Streaming SIMD Extensions (SSE) expansion provided in 1999 included specialized commands for the applications working with huge volumes of numbers from a floating comma of single accuracy (3D geometry, 3D rendering, coding and decoding of video).

"Performance improvement due to expansion of a command set SIMD-FP ISA for calculations of single accuracy allowed to achieve improvement of image quality in 3D real-time applications, and thus to increase quality of visualization on the PC platforms, allowing to perform rendering of the difficult worlds in real time", – Mohammed Abdallah, the scientific researcher in Intel and one of inventors of technology of Intel of SSE told.

Improvement of the user experience and optimization of stream broadcasting via the Internet. Expansion of a command set Streaming SIMD Extensions 2 (SSE2) which became one more improvement of SIMD technology was provided in Pentium 4 microprocessors and Intel Xeon processors with SSE2 expansion. SSE2 expansion included 144 new 128-bit SIMD of instructions which allowed to increase performance of multimedia applications, to optimize creation of content, work of scientific and engineering applications.

"Expansions of Intel SSE2 and microarchitecture of Intel NetBurst implemented in Pentium 4 processors helped to improve the user experience during the work with Internet audio and a streaming video, at image processing, creation of video content, in problems of speech recognition, in 3D applications and games and also multimedia applications and multitask user environments", – Glenn Hinton, the senior research associate of Intel who was responsible for development of microarchitecture for Pentium 4 processors and also one of inventors of SSE2 technology says.

1996: Technology MMX

More modern applications for the PC. The technology MMX provided in 1996 became one of the very first improvements in a command set of x86 of ISA.

"This expansion of a command set allowed to accelerate the calculations necessary for what was called at that time "multimedia experience" (MultiMedia eXperience) and included a sound, 2D and 3D graphics, video, synthesis and speech recognition and also data transmission algorithms. It allowed software developers to create even more saturated and interesting applications for the PC", – Alex Peleg, the research associate in Intel and one of inventors of technology of Intel of MMX says

1987: Start of release of Intel 8086

Since the beginning of the release on June 8, 1987 microprocessors of Intel 8086 became a basis for the first IBM personal computers and literally changed our world. Thanks to discipline, creative potential and following to the Moore's law of Intel continues to develop innovations and with each new generation of processors to represent all new improvements in architecture of a command set of x86. Technologies of Intel allowed the company to achieve true commercial success.

Investments which Intel performs in development of the innovation command set allowed the company to achieve promising achievements in the field of computing technologies and to provide advantages to consumers, the enterprises and the whole industries.

See Also

• History of Intel