What Every Programmer Should Know About How CPUs Work

Dive into a 43-minute conference talk from GOTO Chicago 2024 where Matt Godbolt, a Low-level Latency Geek, explores the essential knowledge programmers should have about CPU operations. Gain insights into the performance features of modern CPUs and understand how your code already benefits from them. The presentation covers crucial topics including modern CPU pipelines, branch prediction, execution processes, compiler optimizations, and memory management. Through multiple demonstrations, learn to diagnose performance issues and implement solutions when things go wrong. The talk provides a deeper appreciation for chip designers and compiler authors while equipping you with practical tools for performance analysis, including top-down analysis and perf tools. Perfect for developers wanting to understand the layers of abstraction between written code and actual CPU execution.