[Numpy-discussion] Compiling Python with icc

[rex]

George Nurser <gnurser at googlemail.com> [2007-01-25 02:05]:

> Perhaps compiling python itself with icc might give a useful speedup.
> Apparently somebody managed this for python 2.3 in 2003:
> http://mail.python.org/pipermail/c++-sig/2003-October/005824.html

Hello George,

I saw that post yesterday, and just got around to trying it. It works.

./configure CC=icc --prefix=/usr/local

In addition to commenting out

#BASECFLAGS=     -OPT:Olimit=0

I added 

-xT -parallel 

to the 

OPT= 

line for my Core 2 Duo CPU. The usual Make, Make install worked, and
pybench now runs in 3.15 seconds vs 4.7 seconds with Python2.5 compiled
with gcc. That's a 49% speed increase. 

http://svn.python.org/projects/external/pybench-2.0/

And, if psyco is used, pybench runs in 1.6 seconds for one iteration and
then crashes. Psyco + icc results in a ~300% speed increase. Pybench
needs to be updated for 1+ gigaflop systems.

http://psyco.sourceforge.net/

-rex
-- 
"I have always wished that my computer would be as easy to use as my
telephone. My wish has come true. I no longer know how to use my telephone"
    --Bjorne Stroustrup (originator of C++ programming language)