{
  "id": 18954711,
  "title": "The end of an era as Linux 7.5 purges the last 30-year-old Intel MMX optimizations from Pentium age",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/the-end-of-an-era-as-linux-7-5-purges-the-last-30-year-old-intel-mmx",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-08T14:40:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Tom's Hardware",
    "slug": "tom-s-hardware",
    "url": "https://www.tomshardware.com/software/linux/the-end-of-an-era-as-linux-7-5-purges-the-last-30-year-old-intel-mmx-optimizations-from-pentium-age-open-source-os-retires-ancient-1997-pentium-instructions-to-streamline-code"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a move marking the end of an era, Linux developers are set to remove Intel's ancient MultiMedia eXtensions (MMX) from their operating system. The patch, expected to merge into mainline Linux 7.5 in 2027, will eliminate MMX-optimized software from several key areas, including software RAID XOR code. While the impact of this change may seem limited, as few systems still run the latest Linux kernels on Pentium MMX and Pentium II chips, the removal of MMX optimizations represents a significant step in Linux's ongoing efforts to streamline its codebase.\n\nThe transition away from MMX is a natural progression in the ongoing process of optimizing Linux for modern hardware. Over the years, many MMX-optimized features have been phased out, with the most notable exceptions being the software RAID XOR code. Linux developers are taking a proactive approach to housekeeping, reducing over 800 lines of code in favor of just 12 lines, a testament to the efficiency of the new Linux kernel. The MMX instruction set was first introduced in Intel's Pentium chips in 1997, but its relevance has waned as competition from AMD, Centaur, Cyrix, Rise, and Transmeta led to widespread adoption of MMX instructions by other chip manufacturers. AMD's introduction of 3DNow! and Intel's subsequent response with SSE and SSE2 further solidified MMX's decline in prominence. The removal of MMX from Linux 7.5 is a classic example of Linux's commitment to keeping up with the evolving landscape of hardware and software technologies.",
  "summary": "Linux developers are preparing to make Intel’s ancient MultiMedia eXtensions irrelevant, with the last MMX code now set to be removed from the kernel.",
  "key_points": [
    "Linux 7.5 will remove MMX optimizations from codebase",
    "MMX introduced in Intel Pentium chips in 1997",
    "Transition aims to streamline Linux kernel code"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}