Ask HN: Given progress in compilers could Itanium work?

2 points by sxzygz 10mo ago ↗ HN

Intel EPIC-architecture based Itanium was an epic failure. Given progress in compiler technology and cpu implementation knowledge, could a modern Itanium work today? Assume small changes to micro-architecture if needed and describe them.

1 comment

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Throwawayhahzoh 10mo ago ↗

I have never, ever, in half a century in the field found the "a sufficiently smart compiler" meme to work in the real world.

In this case, I think an out-of-order CPU for a normal ISA has much better information about what and how to optimize than a compiler could discern for a VLIW CPU except for a few special cases, like old fashioned number crunching.