Patent ID: 8140833

Claim:
A method for implementing polymorphic branch history table (BHT) reconfiguration comprising the steps of: providing a BHT including a plurality of predetermined different configurations corresponding to predetermined operational modes based upon current workload characteristics; said current workload characteristics including an application class; said BHT having a 2-bit configuration of said predetermined different configurations of N 2-bit entries for a 2-bit operational mode; said BHT having a 1-bit configuration of said predetermined different configurations of 2N 1-bit entries for a 1-bit operational mode; providing a mode control input for selectively accessing said BHT in one of said plurality of predetermined different configurations; providing said mode control input for selectively accessing said BHT in a first BHT configuration; checking the current workload characteristics to identify improved performance with another BHT configuration; selectively accessing said BHT in a second BHT configuration using said mode control input to provide improved performance based upon the current workload characteristics; and wherein checking current workload to identify improved performance with another BHT configuration includes identifying a user selected BHT configuration.