Basic idea
Use a Branch Prediction Table (BPT)
- How it will be indexed, updated etc. see later
Can we make a prediction using BPT on the current branch; the prediction takes place during the IF stage and is acted upon during ID stage (when we know we have a branch)
- Case 1: Yes and the prediction was correct (known at EX stage)
- Case 2: Yes and the prediction was incorrect
- Case 3: No but the default prediction (NT) was correct
- Case 4: No and the default condition (NT) was incorrect