Name: Zen of code optimization
ISBN: 9781883577032

Zen of code optimization

Michael Abrash explores the inner workings of all Intel-based PCs including the hot new Pentium. This is the only book available that provides practical and innovative "right-brain" approaches to writing fast PC software using C/C++ and assembly language. This book is packed with "from the trenches" programming secrets and features "undocumented" Pentium programming tips. Provides hundreds of optimized coding examples.

What Hacker News says

taylodlFeb 2026

Michael Abrash - there's a name I haven't heard in a while! I remember his book back in the 90s Zen of Code Optimization completely changed how I looked at assembly language programming. I can easily imagine him doubling the Quake framerate!

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vnoriloFeb 2019

Probably Zen of Code Optimization. Good times.

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JustSomeNobodyAug 2017

Abrash had[0] a way of explaining things that just clicked with me. His Zen of code optimization book really taught me how to think about refining my code. And where to stop refining when enough was enough.

[0] I know he's still around. Just haven't read anything by him in forever it seems.

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lemmingJun 2011

Thanks for this and all your writing - the Zen of Code Optimization was a hugely inspirational book for me when I was younger, and is one of the main reasons I'm a programmer (even if it has instilled a slight paranoia about performance in everything I do).

I'd love to see more writing from you!

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simeNov 2010

Absolutely. His Zen of Code Optimization is also a great book.

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rep_movsdJun 2024

Remember "The Zen of Code Optimization" by Michael Abrash in the 90s?

This word count challenge was the first one he described. The table driven approach was discussed, but was not necessarily the fastest due to the large cache overflowing (on 90s processors) table needed.

I used the same example in a chapter I wrote for a C++ book

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