The code name for a new 64-bit microprocessor being developed jointly by Intel and Hewlett-Packard. Although Merced will be able to run software written for the x86 architecture, it will utilize a new architecture, officially known as Intel Architecture-64 (IA-64). IA-64 will employ many cutting-edge microprocessor techniques, including long instruction words (LIW), instruction predication, branch elimination, and speculative loading.
Merced chips will be manufactured with a new 0.18-micron process technology and will contain tens of millions of transistors. It is designed primarily for use in servers and workstations.
Itanium v. K8 HardwareCental compares and contrasts Intel's and AMD's new 64-bit microprocessors.
Merced Announcement Official press release (Oct. 9, 1997) announcing the Merced chip.
Merced Facts and Speculations In-depth article analyzing the main features of the Merced processor. Also includes a comprehensive list of resources and related sites. This article was written by Alexei Pylkin, Supercomputer Software Department at the
Russian Academy of Sciences.
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