The code name for a new 64-bit
microprocessor being developed jointly by
Intel and
Hewlett-Packard. Although Merced will be able to run software written for the
x86 architecture, it will utilize a new
architecture, officially known as
Intel Architecture-64 (IA-64). IA-64 will employ many cutting-edge microprocessor techniques, including
long instruction words (LIW), instruction predication, branch elimination, and
speculative loading. Merced chips will be manufactured with a new 0.18-micron process technology and will contain tens of millions of transistors. It is designed primarily for use in servers and workstations.