intel SSE optimizations

[Wotan31]

Does anyone know how well (if at all) OS X, and also major applications for that matter (Photoshop, Final Cut, etc.) are utilizing the intel SSE instructions? Now that we're up to SSE4.1 in the latest CPU's, I would think by now the programmers would have had ample time to make use of these instructions.

Anybody?

 

[Str8edgepunker]

Well I know that SSE3 is needed to run OS X fully but other than that, I'm not sure. There's an older thread about this so look here:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/443959/

 

[MacsRgr8]

Does anyone know how well (if at all) OS X, and also major applications for that matter (Photoshop, Final Cut, etc.) are utilizing the intel SSE instructions? Now that we're up to SSE4.1 in the latest CPU's, I would think by now the programmers would have had ample time to make use of these instructions.

Anybody?

Not sure ATMO, but you can safely assume that if Adobe are optimising code for SSE4 on the Windows side of things, they will also do it for the Mac.
Other than that, Apple themselves will (should?) certainly make sure their Pro-apps will run as fast as they can on their Pro-hardware... so, here I am assuming Apple does utilise SSE4 as max as possible, just as they did the AltiVec engine in the old PPC's.

Added to that.... the fact that Snow Leopard seems to try to utilise every bit of acceleration possible other than the simple CPU (Open CL, Grand Central on top of Core Image, Core Animation, Quartz Extreme... etc) gives me the feeling Apple really tries to optimise their stuff....