AMD alleges Intel compilers create crash code for its chips
The lawsuit AMD filed against its arch-rival, Intel, alleges that a tweak in Intel's compilers can hinder the performance of code running on AMD processors.
According to the complaint: "Intel has designed its compiler purposely to degrade performance when a program is run on an AMD platform. To achieve this, Intel designed the compiler to compile code along several alternate code paths. Some paths are executed when the program runs on an Intel platform and others are executed when the program is operated on a computer with an AMD microprocessor. "The choice of code path is determined when the program is started, using a feature known as 'CPUID' which identifies the computer's microprocessor. By design, the code paths were not created equally.
"If the program detects a 'Genuine Intel' microprocessor, it executes a fully optimized code path and operates with the maximum efficiency. However, if the program detects an 'Authentic AMD' microprocessor, it executes a different code path that will degrade the program's performance or cause it to crash."
