Patent ID: 7398374

Claim:
A method for processing bundled instructions through execution units of a processor, comprising the steps of: determining a mode of operation, wherein the mode of operation comprises one of a throughput mode and a wide mode; in the throughput mode: fetching a first bundle of instructions from a first thread of a multiply-threaded program; distributing the first bundle to a first cluster of the execution units for execution therethrough; fetching a second bundle of instructions from a second thread of the program; distributing the second bundle to the first cluster of the execution units for execution therethrough; fetching a third bundle of instructions from a third thread of the program; distributing the third bundle to a second cluster of the execution units for execution therethrough; fetching a fourth bundle of instructions from a fourth thread of the program; and distributing the fourth bundle to the second cluster of the execution units for execution therethrough; wherein the first thread, the second thread, the third thread, and the fourth thread are executing simultaneously: and in the wide mode: fetching a fifth bundle of instructions from a fifth thread of the program; distributing the fifth bundle to only the first cluster for execution therethrough; fetching a sixth bundle of instructions from the fifth thread of the program; and distributing the sixth bundle to only the second cluster for execution therethrough.