PREDICTING A RESULT FOR A PREDICATE-GENERATING INSTRUCTION WHEN PROCESSING VECTOR INSTRUCTIONS

The described embodiments include a processor that executes vector instructions. While dispatching instructions at runtime, the processor encounters a predicate-generating instruction. Upon determining that a result of the predicate-generating instruction is predictable, the processor dispatches a prediction micro-operation associated with the predicate-generating instruction, wherein the prediction micro-operation generates a predicted result vector for the predicate-generating instruction. The processor then executes the prediction micro-operation to generate the predicted result vector. When executing the prediction micro-operation to generate the predicted result vector, if the predicate vector is received, for each element of the predicted result vector for which the predicate vector is active, otherwise, for each element of the predicted result vector, generating the predicted result vector comprises setting the element of the predicted result vector to true.