compiler support for Core i7

[stephen_jeffrey]

Hi,

Does anyone know if the Intel Fortran and C/C++ Compilers support the Core i7 architecture?

I have licenses for the Intel compilers on my Xeon systems. If I buy a Core i7 system, will I need to buy additional licenses to use the Intel compiler on the Core i7 system? If so, would it be possible to cross-compile for the Core i7 architecture, using the compiler on the Xeon?

Regards
steve

[TimP]

Quoting - stephen.jeffrey@nrm.qld.gov.au

I have licenses for the Intel compilers on my Xeon systems. If I buy a Core i7 system, will I need to buy additional licenses to use the Intel compiler on the Core i7 system? If so, would it be possible to cross-compile for the Core i7 architecture, using the compiler on the Xeon?

The current compilers support Core i7 with a specific switch, although for most purposes the code generated for previous CPU models is entirely satisfactory. Compilation on past Xeon models can be done with the options which are good for both models, or with the options specific to Core i7, which will run only on Core i7. If your license is still in its original term of validity, or is renewed, you can download the latest compiler versions.

[Ron_Green]

Quoting - tim18

The current compilers support Core i7 with a specific switch, although for most purposes the code generated for previous CPU models is entirely satisfactory. Compilation on past Xeon models can be done with the options which are good for both models, or with the options specific to Core i7, which will run only on Core i7. If your license is still in its original term of validity, or is renewed, you can download the latest compiler versions.

to add to Tim's note: you want the 11.0 version compilers for Core i7 support and the new Xeon 5500 and 3500 "Nehalem" processors just released in the new Mac Pro.

You'll want to explore the -xsse4.2 option for support of the new SSE features and tuning for Core i7. OR you can use the new -xhost option from the Core i7 host, as this options tunes for whatever architecture you are doing the compilation on.

If you are a C programmer using Intel C++, the new SSE4.2 instruction macros are defined in ../include/nmmintrin.h. The Fortran compiler simply uses the new instructions where appropriate and tunes code to take advantage of the new memory architecture.

Enjoy the Core i7 and Xeon 5500/3500 processors!

[TimP]

Quoting - Ronald Green (Intel)

You'll want to explore the -xsse4.2 option for support of the new SSE features and tuning for Core i7. OR you can use the new -xhost option from the Core i7 host, as this options tunes for whatever architecture you are doing the compilation on.

The Fortran compiler simply uses the new instructions where appropriate and tunes code to take advantage of the new memory architecture.

Some of us would like to see the (very few) new tuning features included in a generic SSE4 option. There are opportunities for Core i7 optimization which the marketing people claim are already incorporated in -xSSE4.2, but aren't likely to arrive any time soon. -xsse4.2 does use some sse4.1 instructions which -xsse4.1 doesn't. If you want smaller code with equal performance, you may sometimes get it with gfortran -mtune=barcelona -msse4. So I continue to use -xsse4.1 (or even the default) until some advantage can be shown for -xsse4.2. It should be a favorable marketing point that -xsse4.2 isn't required to gain a performance advantage from Core i7, so all the really useful features work on the Penryn CPUs.