Efficiency of Profile-Guided Optimizations in Intel C++/Fortran Compiler 9.0

We have been benchmarking performance of SPEC CPU2000 tasks on various platforms, using the so-called profile-guided optimizations during compilation of test tasks for quite a long time (probably since Intel C++/Fortran Compilers 7.0). We have been using it by default, that is we assume that it will inevitably lead to higher-performance machine code. Nevertheless, it will do no harm to make sure at least once that it's really true. Take also into account that Intel compilers are initially intended for maximum code performance only on processors from the cognominal manufacturer (it would have been strange otherwise), while we use these tasks for testing competing processors as well ..

Read on over at Digit-Life.