Branch Misprediction Rate

Concept

A workload characteristic metric (metric 7 in the Genesys framework) under the 'Control-flow Characteristics' category that quantifies how often a processor's branch predictor incorrectly forecasts the outcome of branch instructions. It is highly correlated with branch transition probabilities, and in synthetic workload generators like Genesys it is controlled by tuning an X86 `test` operation whose operand sets the condition codes governing conditional branch outcomes.

First seen 6/13/2026

Last seen 6/13/2026

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Branch Misprediction Rate

Definition

Branch misprediction rate is a control-flow workload characteristic that captures how frequently a branch predictor fails to correctly forecast the direction (taken vs. not-taken) of branch instructions in a program. In the Genesys synthetic-workload generation framework, it is enumerated as metric 7 within the Control-flow Characteristics group of core workload metrics ^[1].

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Genesys ← uses 100% 2e

Genesys models branch misprediction rate using transition probability of branch instructions.

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CITATIONS

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[1] Branch misprediction rate is enumerated as metric 7 within the Control-flow Characteristics group of core workload metrics in Genesys. Genesys: Automatically Generating Representative

[2] An application's branch misprediction rate is highly correlated with the transition characteristics of the branch instructions. Genesys: Automatically Generating Representative

[3] Higher transition probability of a branch instruction makes its next direction more difficult to predict, and lower transition probability makes it easier to predict. Genesys: Automatically Generating Representative

[4] Genesys can model the transition probability of individual branch instructions in a directly correlated fashion to achieve a target branch misprediction rate. Genesys: Automatically Generating Representative

[5] In Genesys, an X86 test operation sets the condition codes affecting the outcome of the conditional branch instruction at the end of each basic block, and its operand is controlled to achieve the target BTR metric. Genesys: Automatically Generating Representative

[6] Users can fix the values of some or all core metrics to generate targeted program behavior, while Genesys randomizes the values of any remaining unset metrics within reasonable bounds for state-space coverage. Genesys: Automatically Generating Representative