x86 Assembly/Instruction Extensions

The instruction set of the original x86 processor, the 8086, has been expanded upon and improved many times since its introduction. Among the new features added by these extensions are new registers, more instructions. They have also facilitated the move from 16- to 32-bit (and now from 32- to 64-bit). These chapters will cover the following extensions:

  • MMX, by Intel in 1996
  • SSE, by Intel in 1999
  • 3D Now!, by AMD in 1998