Configuration aware pre-fetch switch setting

Abstract

A default setting, associated with speculative transfers of information from a main memory to a cache memory, is selected for a system based on the number of CPUs and the size of instruction and/or data caches included in the system. A matrix relating the number of processors and the size of the memory caches may be stored in a system BIOS and used to aid in determining whether the speculative transfers should be enabled or disabled by default. In general, speculative transfers will be enabled by default if system performance is more likely than not to be enhanced by using speculative transfers. Speculative transfers will be disabled if system performance is likely to be degraded by use of speculative transfers.

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