RETIRING EARLY-COMPLETION INSTRUCTIONS TO IMPROVE COMPUTER OPERATION THROUGHPUT

The present invention provides techniques for retiring instructions that typically complete early as compared to most instructions. In an embodiment, instructions capable of early retirement are processed in accordance with the various processing stages. At a particular stage, if an instruction meets the criteria for early retirement, then that instruction is terminated, e.g., “retired,” and the system is updated to reflect that the instruction has been terminated. However, if the instruction does not meet the criteria for early retirement, then the instruction is processed to the next stage, and it is determined again whether the instruction meets the criteria for early retirement. If the instruction meets the criteria, then the instruction is terminated, or if the instruction does not meet the criteria, then the instruction is processed to the next stage, and so on, until the instruction is retired.