Does the semantics of `std::memory_order_acquire` requires processor instructions on x86/x86_64?

Question

It is known that on x86 for the operations load() and store() memory barriers memory_order_consume, memory_order_acquire, memory_order_release, memory_order_acq_rel does not require a processor instructions for the cache and pipeline, and assembler's code always corresponds to std::memory_order_relaxed, and these restrictions are necessary only for the optimization of the compiler: http://www.stdthread.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=72.0

And this code Disassembly code confirms this for store() (MSVS2012 x86_64):

std::atomic<int> a;
    a.store(0, std::memory_order_relaxed);
000000013F931A0D  mov         dword ptr [a],0  
    a.store(1, std::memory_order_release);
000000013F931A15  mov         dword ptr [a],1  

But this code doesn't comfirm this for load() (MSVS2012 x86_64), using lock cmpxchg:

    int val = a.load(std::memory_order_acquire);
000000013F931A1D  prefetchw   [a]  
000000013F931A22  mov         eax,dword ptr [a]  
000000013F931A26  mov         edx,eax  
000000013F931A28  lock cmpxchg dword ptr [a],edx  
000000013F931A2E  jne         main+36h (013F931A26h)  

    std::cout << val << "\n";

But Anthony Williams said:

some_atomic.load(std::memory_order_acquire) does just drop through to a simple load instruction, and some_atomic.store(std::memory_order_release) drops through to a simple store instruction.

Where am I wrong, and does the semantics of std::memory_order_acquire requires processor instructions on x86/x86_64 lock cmpxchg or only a simple load instruction mov as said Anthony Williams?

ANSWER: It is the same as this bug report: http://connect.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/feedback/details/770885

Answer 1

No. The semantics of std::memory_order_acquire doesn't requires processor instructions on x86/x86_64.

Any load()/store() operations on x86_64 doesn't require processor instructions (lock/fence) except atomic.store(val, std::memory_order_seq_cst); which requires (LOCK) XCHG or alternative: MOV (into memory),MFENCE.

Processor memory-barriers-instructions for x86(except CAS), and also ARM and PowerPC: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~pes20/cpp/cpp0xmappings.html

Disassembler GCC 4.8.1 x86_64 - GDB - load():

    20      temp = a.load(std::memory_order_relaxed);
    21      temp = a.load(std::memory_order_acquire);
    22      temp = a.load(std::memory_order_seq_cst);
0x46140b  <+0x007b>         mov    0x38(%rsp),%ebx
0x46140f  <+0x007f>         mov    0x34(%rsp),%esi
0x461413  <+0x0083>         mov    0x30(%rsp),%edx

Disassembler GCC 4.8.1 x86_64 - GDB - store():

a.store(temp, std::memory_order_relaxed);
a.store(temp, std::memory_order_release);
a.store(temp, std::memory_order_seq_cst);
0x4613dc  <+0x004c>         mov    %eax,0x20(%rsp)
0x4613e0  <+0x0050>         mov    0x38(%rsp),%eax
0x4613e4  <+0x0054>         mov    %eax,0x20(%rsp)
0x4613e8  <+0x0058>         mov    0x38(%rsp),%eax
0x4613ec  <+0x005c>         mov    %eax,0x20(%rsp)
0x4613f0  <+0x0060>         mfence
0x4613f3  <+0x0063>         mov    %ebx,0x20(%rsp)

Disassembler MSVS 2012 x86_64 - load() - it is the same as this bug report: http://connect.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/feedback/details/770885:

    temp = a.load(std::memory_order_relaxed);
000000013FE51A1F  prefetchw   [a]  
000000013FE51A24  mov         eax,dword ptr [a]  
000000013FE51A28  nop         dword ptr [rax+rax]  
000000013FE51A30  mov         ecx,eax  
000000013FE51A32  lock cmpxchg dword ptr [a],ecx  
000000013FE51A38  jne         main+40h (013FE51A30h)  
000000013FE51A3A  mov         dword ptr [temp],eax  
    temp = a.load(std::memory_order_acquire);
000000013FE51A3E  prefetchw   [a]  
000000013FE51A43  mov         eax,dword ptr [a]  
000000013FE51A47  nop         word ptr [rax+rax]  
000000013FE51A50  mov         ecx,eax  
000000013FE51A52  lock cmpxchg dword ptr [a],ecx  
000000013FE51A58  jne         main+60h (013FE51A50h)  
000000013FE51A5A  mov         dword ptr [temp],eax  
    temp = a.load(std::memory_order_seq_cst);
000000013FE51A5E  prefetchw   [a]  
    temp = a.load(std::memory_order_seq_cst);
000000013FE51A63  mov         eax,dword ptr [a]  
000000013FE51A67  nop         word ptr [rax+rax]  
000000013FE51A70  mov         ecx,eax  
000000013FE51A72  lock cmpxchg dword ptr [a],ecx  
000000013FE51A78  jne         main+80h (013FE51A70h)  
000000013FE51A7A  mov         dword ptr [temp],eax  

Disassembler MSVS 2012 x86_64 - store():

    a.store(temp, std::memory_order_relaxed);
000000013F8C1A58  mov         eax,dword ptr [temp]  
000000013F8C1A5C  mov         dword ptr [a],eax  

    a.store(temp, std::memory_order_release);
000000013F8C1A60  mov         eax,dword ptr [temp]  
000000013F8C1A64  mov         dword ptr [a],eax  

    a.store(temp, std::memory_order_seq_cst);
000000013F8C1A68  mov         eax,dword ptr [temp]  
000000013F8C1A6C  xchg        eax,dword ptr [a]