Branch predictor

A branch predictor is a tool that tries to guess which way a computer program will go next. It's like having an invisible crystal ball that can predict the future! When a computer program is running, it has to decide which way to go next. This means it can go down one 'branch', or it can go down another branch. The branch predictor tries to guess ahead of time which branch the program will choose each time. This helps the computer run faster since it only needs to make the right guess instead of taking the wrong one, which would take a long time.