What is the role of the branch target buffer in a CPU?

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What is the role of the branch target buffer in a CPU?

The branch target buffer (BTB) is a component in a CPU that helps improve the efficiency of branch instructions. Its role is to predict the target address of a branch instruction before it is actually executed. By storing the history of previously executed branch instructions and their corresponding target addresses, the BTB can make accurate predictions based on patterns and trends. This allows the CPU to fetch and execute instructions from the predicted target address, reducing the number of pipeline stalls and improving overall performance.