Or is it different for enterprise licensing
Or is it different for enterprise licensing
> In modern x86 CPUs, POPCNT is implemented as part of the SSE4 instruction set. For Intel's chips, it was added as part of SSE4.2 in the original first-generation Core architecture, codenamed Nehalem. In AMD's processors, it's included in SSE4a, first used in Phenom, Athlon, and Sempron CPUs based on the K10 architecture. These architectures date back to 2008 and 2007, respectively.
So, my guess is MS had discussions with AMD/intel on how much of their products they were willing to support for the lifespan of the OS, and likewise AMD/intel talked to motherboard manufacturers for a similar assurance as part of whatever partnership/licensing is agreed there. It's probably not helped by how on the consumer side ongoing support is a burden, they make money by selling new products.