Power is conserved by dynamically applying clocks to execution units in a
pipeline of a microprocessor. A clock to an execution unit is applied
only when an instruction to the execution unit is valid. At other times
when the execution unit needs not to be operational, the clock is not
applied to the execution unit. In a preferred embodiment of the
invention, a dynamic clock-control unit is used to provide a control
signal to a local clock buffer providing a local clock to an execution
unit.