Instruction set size

[xtheunknown0]

Hi,

 

Is it realistic for a 64-bit computer to have 2^17 instructions?

 

xtheunknown0

[insane_alien]

no.

 

while theoretically it is possible to have 2^17 instructions (or even 2^64 instructions) I think you'd be hard pressed to find 2^17 useful unit operations. thats more than every instruction set ever combined.

 

also, the chip size would be huge as you'd need a circuit for each instruction.

Edited May 23, 2011 by insane_alien