1

A machine-readable medium having stored thereon an instruction, which if performed by a machine causes the machine to perform a method comprising:

reading a current timer value;

updating the current timer value to an updated timer value;

storing the updated timer value into a timer storage area.

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2

The machine-readable medium of Claim 1, wherein the reading, updating, and storing are to be performed in response to a processor performing only one micro-operation.

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3

The machine-readable medium of Claim 1, wherein the updated timer value is to be adjusted to compensate for an amount of elapsed time between the reading and the storing.

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4

The machine-readable medium of Claim 1, wherein the current timer value is to be stored in a temporary storage area as a result of the reading.

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5

The machine-readable medium of Claim 3, wherein bits representing the amount of elapsed time are to be subtracted from a lower portion of bits representing the updated timer value.

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6

The machine-readable medium of Claim 3, wherein bits representing the amount of elapsed time are to be added to a lower portion of bits representing the updated timer value.

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7

The machine-readable medium of Claim 5, wherein a signal is to be generated in response to an underflow condition resulting from the subtraction.

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8

The machine-readable medium of Claim 6, wherein a signal is to be generated in response to an overflow condition resulting from the addition.

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9

An apparatus comprising:

a first storage area to store an upper group of bits representing a current timer value;

a second storage area to store a lower group of bits representing the current timer value;

an arithmetic unit to modify a value represented by the lower group of bits in response to an amount of time elapsed during an update of the current timer value.

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10

The apparatus of Claim 9, wherein the arithmetic unit includes a subtract unit to subtract bits representing the elapsed time from the lower group of bits.

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