Re: [Qemu-discuss] Is SSE2 implemented with hardware support ?

[Jakob Bohm]

On 7/30/2014 9:14 AM, 邓尧 wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I need to optimize a Linux program running under qemu-system-i386. qemu
> is compiled with KVM support. File /proc/cpuinfo in the guest shows that
> SSE2 is supported.
> If SSE2 is backed with host hardware, using SSE2 may improve my
> program's performance significantly. The host is x86_64 Linux.
> My question is: whether sse2 is backed with host hardware ? If it is,
> how much overhead does an SSE2 instruction have ? (compared with an SSE2
> instruction on the host)

In KVM and XEN modes, almost every CPU instruction is executed directly
by the physical host CPU.  Only parts of memory management, and a few
system administration instructions and (on some CPUs) virtual real mode
16 bit (DOS) modes involve the emulation software.

So mathematical SSE2 operations should run at full hardware speed.
Cache preload SSE/MMX operations may have different performance than on
the host.

Exact relationships depend on the specific CPU chip design and how the
chip designers implemented the VM chip extensions inside each CPU core.

P.S.

Note that even if qemu-system-i386 is compiled with KVM support, KVM is
only active if specified on the command line AND the kvm modules are
loaded in the host kernel AND VM extensions are enabled in the host CPU
AND it actually works.  Otherwise qemu-system-i386 falls back to its
usual software emulation.

Enjoy

Jakob
--
Jakob Bohm, CIO, Partner, WiseMo A/S.  http://www.wisemo.com
Transformervej 29, 2730 Herlev, Denmark.  Direct +45 31 13 16 10
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