[scott00]

The source for this on Intel processors is the Intel Optimization Reference Manual, section 3.4.1: https://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/public/us/en/documents...

[hyperpape]

To me, that section says that you can emit machine code that will allow the branch predictor to do a better job, not that you can control what the branch predictor does.

[bluGill]

To my mind those amount to the same thing.

[hyperpape]

See my other comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18735053. I really should have consolidated them somehow.