Understanding the MOV Instruction and Learning Assembly

If you're looking for hands-on learning, try out [nandgame.com](https://www.nandgame.com). It guides you through logic gates to building a CPU and gives you a practical understanding of machine language. Also, the "From Nand to Tetris" book and course are great if you want to continue that journey.

There's really no one-size-fits-all optimization strategy; it varies by micro-architecture. For learning how to optimize for a specific Intel core, their own documentation is the best resource. You can't realistically write optimal code manually, because focusing on individual instructions isn't effective. You should aim to fill all execution ports to make the best use of resources.

I suggest reading "C.O.D.E: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software" by Charles Petzold. It starts from the ground up and explains a lot about how computers and assembly work later in the book.

If you're looking to dive deep into the fundamentals, check out Ben Eater's video series on building an 8-bit computer. It really breaks down the concepts and helps you get a sense of the complexities of assembly programming.

Learning assembly isn't as straightforward as it seems! I started with a 6809, which is really different from today's x86 architecture. Intel's optimization guidance is tough to outsmart. Most code nowadays doesn't use assembly directly, except for critical performance cases. If you're keen on understanding CPUs, I recommend exploring NAND2Tetris or the MRHD game, which are both great educational tools.