Compiling for Entropy: How to Structure Code for the CPU's Branch Predictor
This article is based on the latest industry practices and data, last updated in April 2026. For over a decade, I've worked with high-frequency trading firms and game engine developers where the difference between a 95% and 99% branch prediction hit rate isn't academic—it's millions in revenue or a dropped frame. In this guide, I'll move beyond the textbook theory of branch prediction and share the advanced, often counter-intuitive, techniques I've used to compile code for low entropy. You'll le