Editing Predication (computer architecture) (section)

==Advantages==
The main purpose of predication is to avoid jumps over very small sections of program code, increasing the effectiveness of [[pipeline (computing)|pipelined]] execution and avoiding problems with the [[CPU cache|cache]]. It also has a number of more subtle benefits:
*Functions that are traditionally computed using simple arithmetic and [[bitwise operation]]s may be quicker to compute using predicated instructions.
*Predicated instructions with different predicates can be mixed with each other and with unconditional code, allowing better [[instruction scheduling]] and so even better performance.
*Elimination of unnecessary branch instructions can make the execution of necessary branches, such as those that make up loops, faster by lessening the load on [[branch prediction]] mechanisms.
*Elimination of the cost of a branch misprediction which can be high on deeply pipelined architectures.
* Instruction sets that have comprehensive [[Condition_code_register|Condition Codes]] generated by instructions may reduce code size further by directly using the Condition Registers in or as predication.