Software Optimization Cookbook: High-Performance Recipes for the Intel Architecture [Paperback]

Richard Gerber (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 20, 2002 | Series: Engineer-to-Engineer

Revealing the secrets of the processor optimization process, this guide provides recipes for high-performance application on the Pentium III and Pentium 4 processors. Simple explanations and C/C++ examples show how to address performance issues such as memory access, branching, SIMD instructions, and floating-point optimizations. Even without experience as processor architect or assembly language expert users can learn up performance tools to improve applications, identify the reasons that portions of in application are slower than they should be, and design an application from the ground up.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Richard Berber joined Intel in 1991, and through years of learning-by-doing, he has become an expert in performance programming and optimizations. He has worked on numerous multimedia projects, 3D libraries, and computer games. As a software engineer, he works on the Intel® VTune™ Performance Analyzer and trains developers on optimization techniques.

Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: Intel Pr (March 20, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971288712
• ISBN-13: 978-0971288713
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,605,567 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars SIMD using Intel Tools, November 11, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Software Optimization Cookbook: High-Performance Recipes for the Intel Architecture (Paperback)

This text demonstrates how the Intel C++ Compiler and Intel VTune tools can be used for profiling and optimization. The text also dives into CPU specific issues such as the pipeline, memory cache, branch prediction, instruction latencies, instruction throughput, and register stalls. My favorite part is the description of four methods for implementing SIMD instructions on pages 23-26. The methods are automatic vectorization, C++ classes, intrinsics, and inline assembly language.

The author covers some traditional optimization topics such as hotspot detection, algorithms, loop unrolling, loop invariant work, and slow operations. The author does not mention the high cost of disk operations. An introduction to multiprocessing gives advice on executing instructions in parallel with threads. A case study in Chapter 16 & 17 demonstrates the process of optimizing a sample application.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good, practical guide to performance enhancement on Intel, July 14, 2002

By 

JK Oregon (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Software Optimization Cookbook: High-Performance Recipes for the Intel Architecture (Paperback)

This book, written by an Intel engineer, presents numerous discussions of non-obvious ways to improve code performance. Gerber makes the material, which sometimes can be a bit abstruse, easy to read and understand. You frequently get the feeling you have completely understood something that four pages prior you'd never heard of nor thought about.

The code is mostly in C, with occasional assembly language. My only hesitation with the book is that it makes frequent reference to Intel's VTune performance profiler. VTune is an excellent product. I own a copy. However, if you don't have VTune, you can download a full-blown 30-day time-locked version from Intel's website. If you're going to read through this book sequentially, I highly suggest having VTune at hand.

The book came out prior to the release of the Pentium 4, so some optimizations for this processor are simply not addressed. Otherwise, a very good, very readable book

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great book - lousy publishing, September 20, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Software Optimization Cookbook: High-Performance Recipes for the Intel Architecture (Paperback)

I really like the book. The author did an amazing job explaining the material in such a way that it's not only easy to understand but also easy to remember.

The only big problem I had with my copy was that pages 139-162 were missing and pages 115-138 were duplicated instead. Obviously the publisher didn't do a very good job. I don't know if all copies have this problem or only mine. Be careful when you buy the book, check for duplicated/missing pages.