Article - Intel's MMX

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Intel's MMX
Published on 6/19/97

You've probably heard a lot about MMX in the past few months, but you may not be sure what it's all about. This exclusive Netpanel article will let you know. MMX, which was rumored to be an acronym for "multimedia extensions," does not officially stand for anything. It certainly is, however, a multimedia-enhancing technology.

MMX is a new set of improvements that have been integrated into Intel's Pentium processors; a combination known as the P55C. On any new computer system you purchase today, chances are it will be MMX-enhanced. MMX gives your system an overall performance boost of anywhere between 5 and 20%. On new applications and games recompiled specifically for MMX, you can expect dramatic performance gains: up to 200%!

What makes MMX so fast? First of all, the internal cache on the processor has been doubled from 16K to 32K. This allows more data to be stored on the chip itself, where it can be accessed efficiently. Second is the addition of 57 new instructions, which can be used by MMX-enabled applications, giving them such capabilities as faster video playback and speech synthesis.

Pentium processors with MMX also use a technology known as Single Instruction Multiple Data, or SIMD. In a nutshell, this technique allows the chip to reduce the number of processing loops that are usually associated with multimedia functions. By utilizing SIMD, the same operation can be performed on multiple sets of data at the same time.

Here is what Intel says about MMX: "The Pentium processor with MMX technology includes all of the features of a standard Pentium processor, plus more. Because of its improvements, you'll get a better, smoother and more realistic media experience. MMX media enhancement technology also maintains complete compatibility with Intel processor-based PCs, existing operating systems and application software."

MMX sounds pretty good, doesn't it? Well, now there's more. Intel has recently released it's MMX version of the Pentium Pro, now called the Pentium II (formally code-named Klamath). The Pentium II builds on the Pentium Pro's exceptional ability to run 32-bit software, adding the new MMX instructions and also increasing 16-bit performance.

So what are you waiting for? If a processor upgrade fits into your budget, go out and buy an MMX-enhanced Pentium. You'll be impressed with the performance gains, especially when running MMX-enabled software titles. For more information, visit Intel's MMX site at http://www.mmx.com .