Patent ID: 7096345

Claim:
A data processing system for executing a plurality of instructions having a prescribed program order, the data processing system comprising: a register file including a plurality of registers to store data; a reorder buffer including N buffer locations of which M buffer locations are bypassable and N−M buffer locations are non-bypassable, wherein N and M are integers and N>M>0; and a plurality of functional units, each functional unit capable of executing instructions regardless of the prescribed program order, and wherein the reorder buffer temporarily stores data corresponding to the plurality of instructions and, when data of one of the plurality of instructions to be executed by a corresponding one of the plurality of functional units is temporarily stored in one of the M bypassable buffer locations, the detained one of the bypassable M buffer locations is transferred to the corresponding one of the functional units in order to execute the instruction, and wherein the register file also stores data corresponding to retired ones of the plurality of instructions.