Patent ID: 8572341

Claim:
In a processor having a speculative store buffer a method for handling speculative stores, said method comprising: processor logic determining when the speculative store buffer is not at full capacity; storing one or more speculative stores in the speculative store buffer in response to the speculative store buffer not being at full capacity; dynamically generating a full capacity indicator in response to the speculative store buffer being loaded to full capacity; responsive to a subsequent receipt of one or more overflow speculative stores when the speculative store buffer is at full capacity, storing the one or more of the overflow speculative stores in an overflow list of overflow speculative stores; associating the speculative store buffer with the overflow list of overflow speculative stores, wherein the overflow list of overflow speculative stores holds one or more previous overflow stores; generating the overflow list of overflow speculative stores, wherein one or more overflow speculative stores are loaded into the overflow list of overflow speculative stores; determining when the overflow list of overflow speculative stores is empty; and in response to the overflow list of overflow speculative stores not being empty, searching the overflow list of overflow speculative stores for a previously stored overflow address that is identical to an address of the one or more overflow speculative stores.