This patch is enabling combining UNPCKL with vector_shuffle that moves the upper half of a vector into the lower half, into a UNPCKH instruction. For example:
t2: v16i8 = vector_shuffle<8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,u,u,u,u,u,u,u,u> t1, undef:v16i8 t3: v16i8 = X86ISD::UNPCKL undef:v16i8, t2
will be combined to:
t3: v16i8 = X86ISD::UNPCKH undef:v16i8, t1
Are you just seeing cases with ISD::VECTOR_SHUFFLE? I'd have expected some to be using X86 shuffle nodes as well.