3DNow!
From Saferpedia
3DNow! is an extension to the x86 instruction set developed by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). It adds Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD) instructions to the base x86 instruction set, enabling it to perform simple vector processing, which improves the performance of many graphic-intensive applications. (Source: Wikipedia).
The 3DNow! instruction set was created during the late 1990s when 3D graphics were exploding in popularity because of 3D gaming.
The first microprocessor that had the 3DNow! technology implemented was AMD K6-2 in 1998.
The first implementation of 3DNow! technology contains 21 new instructions that support SIMD floating-point operations. The 3DNow! data format is packed, single-precision, floating-point. The 3DNow! instruction set also includes operations for SIMD integer operations, data prefetch, and faster MMX-to-floating-point switching. Later, Intel would add similar (but incompatible) instructions to the Pentium III, known as SSE for Streaming SIMD Extensions.
The 3DNow! technology offers for users:
- Powerful 3D performance;
- Fast, realistic 3D imaging and graphics;
- Enhanced sound and video;
- Extreme Internet experience;
- Unmatched software compatibility.
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