diff --git a/src/simd_avx512.rs b/src/simd_avx512.rs
index 64dcd4d0..3710b26e 100644
--- a/src/simd_avx512.rs
+++ b/src/simd_avx512.rs
@@ -2405,6 +2405,22 @@ pub fn bf16_to_f32_batch(input: &[u16], output: &mut [f32]) {
             }
             return;
         }
+        // Middle tier: pure AVX-512F bit-shift (Skylake-X, Cascade Lake,
+        // Ice Lake-SP — all AVX-512F CPUs without the bf16 extension).
+        // BF16 → f32 is lossless: BF16 IS the upper 16 bits of f32, so
+        // `(bf16_u16 as u32) << 16` reinterpreted as f32 IS the exact
+        // value. Vectorized: one _mm512_cvtepu16_epi32 zero-extends 16
+        // u16 → 16 u32, one _mm512_slli_epi32::<16> shifts each lane left
+        // by 16, _mm512_castsi512_ps reinterprets the i32 bit pattern as
+        // f32. Three AVX-512F instructions per 16-lane chunk vs 16
+        // scalar shifts in the fallback below.
+        if is_x86_feature_detected!("avx512f") {
+            // SAFETY: feature detection confirmed avx512f.
+            unsafe {
+                convert_bf16_to_f32_avx512f(input, output);
+            }
+            return;
+        }
     }
 
     // Scalar fallback (all platforms, all CPUs)
@@ -2413,6 +2429,36 @@ pub fn bf16_to_f32_batch(input: &[u16], output: &mut [f32]) {
     }
 }
 
+/// Pure-AVX-512F BF16 → f32 conversion. Bit-exact against
+/// `bf16_to_f32_scalar` on every input — BF16 is `f32_bits >> 16`, so
+/// the inverse `(bf16 as u32) << 16` reconstructed as f32 is exact.
+///
+/// 16-lane main loop via `_mm512_cvtepu16_epi32` (zero-extend) +
+/// `_mm512_slli_epi32::<16>` (shift up) + `_mm512_castsi512_ps`
+/// (bit-cast). Scalar tail for the last `n % 16` lanes.
+#[cfg(target_arch = "x86_64")]
+#[target_feature(enable = "avx512f")]
+unsafe fn convert_bf16_to_f32_avx512f(input: &[u16], output: &mut [f32]) {
+    let n = input.len();
+    let mut i = 0usize;
+
+    // Main 16-wide loop.
+    while i + 16 <= n {
+        let raw256 = _mm256_loadu_si256(input.as_ptr().add(i) as *const __m256i);
+        let extended = _mm512_cvtepu16_epi32(raw256);
+        let shifted = _mm512_slli_epi32::<16>(extended);
+        let as_f32 = _mm512_castsi512_ps(shifted);
+        _mm512_storeu_ps(output.as_mut_ptr().add(i), as_f32);
+        i += 16;
+    }
+
+    // Scalar tail (0..15 remaining lanes).
+    while i < n {
+        *output.get_unchecked_mut(i) = bf16_to_f32_scalar(*input.get_unchecked(i));
+        i += 1;
+    }
+}
+
 /// Batch f32 → BF16 conversion: same pattern.
 pub fn f32_to_bf16_batch(input: &[f32], output: &mut [u16]) {
     assert!(output.len() >= input.len(), "output must be >= input length");
@@ -2707,6 +2753,55 @@ mod bf16_tests {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Direct test for the AVX-512F bit-shift BF16 → f32 arm, exercising
+    /// the path the dispatcher would skip when avx512bf16 is available.
+    /// Verifies bit-exact parity against the scalar reference across a
+    /// pathological corpus (subnormal, NaN, Inf, sign ±0, every exponent
+    /// boundary) and a 16-aligned-plus-tail length.
+    #[cfg(target_arch = "x86_64")]
+    #[test]
+    fn batch_bf16_to_f32_avx512f_matches_scalar() {
+        if !is_x86_feature_detected!("avx512f") {
+            eprintln!("avx512f not detected on this host; skipping");
+            return;
+        }
+        // Build a corpus: every bf16 value of interest. The dispatcher's
+        // 16-wide loop is what matters most; pick a non-aligned total so
+        // we also exercise the scalar tail.
+        let mut input: Vec<u16> = Vec::new();
+        // Sign × exponent × representative mantissa sweep
+        for sign in [0u16, 0x8000] {
+            for exp in 0..256u16 {
+                for &mant in &[0u16, 1, 0x40, 0x7F] {
+                    input.push(sign | (exp << 7) | mant);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        // Add 5 bytes of tail to land on a non-16-aligned length.
+        input.extend_from_slice(&[0x3F80, 0xBF80, 0x4000, 0xC000, 0x7F80]);
+
+        let mut output = vec![0.0f32; input.len()];
+        // SAFETY: avx512f confirmed above.
+        unsafe { convert_bf16_to_f32_avx512f(&input, &mut output) };
+
+        for (i, &bf16) in input.iter().enumerate() {
+            let expected = bf16_to_f32_scalar(bf16);
+            // BF16 → f32 is lossless: bits must be byte-equal (incl. NaN
+            // payloads).
+            assert_eq!(
+                output[i].to_bits(),
+                expected.to_bits(),
+                "mismatch at index {} (bf16=0x{:04x}): got {} (0x{:08x}) vs {} (0x{:08x})",
+                i,
+                bf16,
+                output[i],
+                output[i].to_bits(),
+                expected,
+                expected.to_bits()
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
     // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
     // RNE certification tests — byte-equality with `_mm512_cvtneps_pbh`.
     // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
diff --git a/src/simd_half.rs b/src/simd_half.rs
index 223b50a1..a6121c46 100644
--- a/src/simd_half.rs
+++ b/src/simd_half.rs
@@ -351,18 +351,31 @@ pub fn cast_bf16_to_f32_batch(src: &[BF16], dst: &mut [f32]) {
 
 /// Batch convert F16 → f32.
 ///
-/// Uses F16x16 for chunks of 16, scalar tail for remainder.
+/// On x86_64 with F16C (every CPU from Ivy Bridge 2013 / Piledriver 2012
+/// onward), dispatches to `_mm256_cvtph_ps` — one hardware instruction
+/// converts 8 F16 lanes to 8 F32 lanes, IEEE-754 exact. The scalar
+/// fallback uses the bit-fiddle [`F16::to_f32`] which is also IEEE-754
+/// exact, just slower.
 pub fn cast_f16_to_f32_batch(src: &[F16], dst: &mut [f32]) {
     let n = src.len().min(dst.len());
-    let chunks = n / 16;
-    for c in 0..chunks {
-        let off = c * 16;
-        let v = F16x16::from_slice(&src[off..]);
-        let f = v.to_f32x16();
-        dst[off..off + 16].copy_from_slice(&f);
+
+    #[cfg(target_arch = "x86_64")]
+    {
+        if std::is_x86_feature_detected!("f16c") && std::is_x86_feature_detected!("avx") {
+            // SAFETY: `F16` is `#[repr(transparent)] struct F16(pub u16)`
+            // (per `hpc::quantized::F16`). Slice reinterpretation is
+            // bit-pattern preserving. Runtime feature detection above
+            // confirms F16C + AVX before calling the target-feature fn.
+            let src_u16: &[u16] = unsafe { core::slice::from_raw_parts(src.as_ptr() as *const u16, src.len()) };
+            unsafe {
+                cast_f16_to_f32_batch_f16c(&src_u16[..n], &mut dst[..n]);
+            }
+            return;
+        }
     }
-    // Scalar tail
-    for i in (chunks * 16)..n {
+
+    // Scalar fallback (non-x86_64 or pre-F16C silicon).
+    for i in 0..n {
         dst[i] = src[i].to_f32();
     }
 }
@@ -376,13 +389,134 @@ pub fn cast_f32_to_bf16_batch(src: &[f32], dst: &mut [BF16]) {
 }
 
 /// Batch convert f32 → F16 (round-to-nearest-even).
+///
+/// On x86_64 with F16C, dispatches to `_mm256_cvtps_ph::<8>` (RNE,
+/// no exceptions) — one hardware instruction converts 8 F32 lanes to
+/// 8 F16 lanes with IEEE 754 round-to-nearest-even. Scalar fallback
+/// uses [`F16::from_f32_rounded`] which matches the IEEE 754 RNE rule
+/// bit-for-bit on every input (including subnormal / NaN / Inf).
 pub fn cast_f32_to_f16_batch(src: &[f32], dst: &mut [F16]) {
     let n = src.len().min(dst.len());
+
+    #[cfg(target_arch = "x86_64")]
+    {
+        if std::is_x86_feature_detected!("f16c") && std::is_x86_feature_detected!("avx") {
+            // SAFETY: same as cast_f16_to_f32_batch — `F16` is
+            // repr(transparent) over u16; runtime feature gate ensures
+            // F16C is present.
+            let dst_u16: &mut [u16] =
+                unsafe { core::slice::from_raw_parts_mut(dst.as_mut_ptr() as *mut u16, dst.len()) };
+            unsafe {
+                cast_f32_to_f16_batch_f16c(&src[..n], &mut dst_u16[..n]);
+            }
+            return;
+        }
+    }
+
     for i in 0..n {
         dst[i] = F16::from_f32_rounded(src[i]);
     }
 }
 
+/// F16C-vectorized F16 → f32 batch.
+///
+/// 8 F16 lanes per `_mm256_cvtph_ps` instruction (one xmm load + one
+/// ymm store). Scalar tail handles the remaining `n % 8` lanes via the
+/// bit-fiddle reference. **F16C result is bit-identical to the scalar
+/// reference per IEEE 754 binary16 → binary32 spec** (lossless widening,
+/// no rounding possible).
+///
+/// # MXCSR preservation
+/// `_mm256_cvtph_ps` may raise `#I` (Invalid: SNaN input) or `#D`
+/// (Denormal) — setting bits in MXCSR that the scalar bit-fiddle
+/// reference [`F16::to_f32`] does not touch. To preserve the scalar
+/// path's contract of "no observable FP control/status side effects,"
+/// the MXCSR is saved before the SIMD region and restored after. Net
+/// effect: callers see no MXCSR change vs. the scalar path. (See
+/// codex review on PR #183.)
+///
+/// # Safety
+/// Caller must have feature-detected `f16c` + `avx` at runtime.
+#[cfg(target_arch = "x86_64")]
+#[target_feature(enable = "f16c,avx")]
+unsafe fn cast_f16_to_f32_batch_f16c(src: &[u16], dst: &mut [f32]) {
+    use core::arch::asm;
+    use core::arch::x86_64::{__m128i, _mm256_cvtph_ps, _mm256_storeu_ps, _mm_loadu_si128};
+    let mut saved_mxcsr: u32 = 0;
+    // SAFETY: STMXCSR writes the 32-bit MXCSR control/status register
+    // to the provided memory location; available on any SSE host
+    // (baseline x86_64).
+    asm!("stmxcsr [{ptr}]", ptr = in(reg) &mut saved_mxcsr, options(nostack));
+    let n = src.len().min(dst.len());
+    let chunks = n / 8;
+    for c in 0..chunks {
+        let off = c * 8;
+        let h = _mm_loadu_si128(src.as_ptr().add(off) as *const __m128i);
+        let f = _mm256_cvtph_ps(h);
+        _mm256_storeu_ps(dst.as_mut_ptr().add(off), f);
+    }
+    // Scalar tail (0..7 remaining lanes).
+    for i in (chunks * 8)..n {
+        dst[i] = F16(src[i]).to_f32();
+    }
+    // SAFETY: LDMXCSR reads the value we saved at the top — preserves
+    // every bit of the original MXCSR (rounding mode, exception masks,
+    // flush-to-zero etc.), clearing any exception flags the SIMD path
+    // may have set.
+    asm!("ldmxcsr [{ptr}]", ptr = in(reg) &saved_mxcsr, options(nostack, readonly));
+}
+
+/// F16C-vectorized f32 → F16 batch with IEEE 754 RNE rounding.
+///
+/// 8 F32 lanes per `_mm256_cvtps_ph::<0>` instruction (one ymm load +
+/// one xmm store). The const `IMM8 = 0` selects
+/// `_MM_FROUND_TO_NEAREST_INT` — round-to-nearest-even, matches the
+/// scalar reference [`F16::from_f32_rounded`] bit-for-bit on every
+/// input.
+///
+/// # IMM8 encoding limit
+/// `_mm256_cvtps_ph`'s `IMM8` is 3 bits wide (`static_assert_uimm_bits!
+/// (IMM8, 3)` in the Rust stdarch wrapper). Valid values are `0..=3`
+/// (the four rounding modes — RNE, down, up, truncate). Bits 2-3 of
+/// the underlying VCVTPS2PH IMM8 encoding are "reserved" and "select
+/// MXCSR.RM" per Intel SDM — NOT `_MM_FROUND_NO_EXC`, which is an
+/// AVX-512 convention (`_mm512_cvtps_ph` accepts `NO_EXC`, F16C does
+/// not). Exception suppression is handled at the MXCSR level (below).
+///
+/// # MXCSR preservation
+/// `_mm256_cvtps_ph` may raise `#O` (Overflow), `#U` (Underflow),
+/// `#P` (Precision), `#I` (Invalid for SNaN), `#D` (Denormal). The
+/// scalar reference [`F16::from_f32_rounded`] is pure bit
+/// manipulation and never touches MXCSR. We save/restore MXCSR around
+/// the SIMD region so callers see no observable control/status side
+/// effects regardless of input data. (See codex review on PR #183.)
+///
+/// # Safety
+/// Caller must have feature-detected `f16c` + `avx` at runtime.
+#[cfg(target_arch = "x86_64")]
+#[target_feature(enable = "f16c,avx")]
+unsafe fn cast_f32_to_f16_batch_f16c(src: &[f32], dst: &mut [u16]) {
+    use core::arch::asm;
+    use core::arch::x86_64::{__m128i, _mm256_cvtps_ph, _mm256_loadu_ps, _mm_storeu_si128};
+    let mut saved_mxcsr: u32 = 0;
+    // SAFETY: STMXCSR writes the 32-bit MXCSR; baseline SSE op.
+    asm!("stmxcsr [{ptr}]", ptr = in(reg) &mut saved_mxcsr, options(nostack));
+    let n = src.len().min(dst.len());
+    let chunks = n / 8;
+    for c in 0..chunks {
+        let off = c * 8;
+        let f = _mm256_loadu_ps(src.as_ptr().add(off));
+        let h = _mm256_cvtps_ph::<0>(f);
+        _mm_storeu_si128(dst.as_mut_ptr().add(off) as *mut __m128i, h);
+    }
+    // Scalar tail.
+    for i in (chunks * 8)..n {
+        dst[i] = F16::from_f32_rounded(src[i]).0;
+    }
+    // SAFETY: LDMXCSR restores the saved value bit-for-bit.
+    asm!("ldmxcsr [{ptr}]", ptr = in(reg) &saved_mxcsr, options(nostack, readonly));
+}
+
 // ============================================================================
 // Tests
 // ============================================================================
@@ -759,4 +893,81 @@ mod tests {
             assert_eq!(dst[i], expected[i], "mul_f16_inplace mismatch at {}", i);
         }
     }
+
+    /// Codex PR #183 P2: F16C `_mm256_cvtps_ph` may raise FP exceptions
+    /// (#O on overflow, #U on underflow, #P on precision loss, #I on
+    /// SNaN, #D on denormal input) which set bits in MXCSR. The scalar
+    /// path is pure bit manipulation and never touches MXCSR. The fix:
+    /// `cast_f32_to_f16_batch_f16c` saves MXCSR via STMXCSR before the
+    /// SIMD region and restores it via LDMXCSR after. This test feeds
+    /// inputs that should trigger every exception bit and asserts
+    /// MXCSR is byte-identical before vs. after the call.
+    #[cfg(target_arch = "x86_64")]
+    #[test]
+    fn f16c_cast_preserves_mxcsr() {
+        if !std::is_x86_feature_detected!("f16c") {
+            eprintln!("f16c not detected; skipping");
+            return;
+        }
+        use core::arch::asm;
+
+        // Inputs designed to trigger #O / #U / #P / #I / #D in F16C
+        // downcast:
+        //   - 1e30, -1e30  : overflow (out of F16 range ±65504) → #O
+        //   - 1e-30        : underflow / denormal → #U, #D, #P
+        //   - 1.0/3.0      : precision loss → #P
+        //   - f32::NAN     : invalid (if it's an sNaN representation) → #I
+        let inputs: Vec<f32> = vec![
+            1e30,
+            -1e30,
+            1e-30,
+            1.0 / 3.0,
+            f32::NAN,
+            f32::INFINITY,
+            0.0,
+            1.0,
+            // Pad to 8 lanes so the SIMD chunk loop fires once with no tail.
+        ];
+        assert_eq!(inputs.len(), 8);
+        let mut out = vec![F16::ZERO; 8];
+
+        // Snapshot MXCSR before.
+        let mut mxcsr_before: u32 = 0;
+        unsafe {
+            asm!("stmxcsr [{ptr}]", ptr = in(reg) &mut mxcsr_before, options(nostack));
+        }
+
+        cast_f32_to_f16_batch(&inputs, &mut out);
+
+        // Snapshot MXCSR after.
+        let mut mxcsr_after: u32 = 0;
+        unsafe {
+            asm!("stmxcsr [{ptr}]", ptr = in(reg) &mut mxcsr_after, options(nostack));
+        }
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            mxcsr_before, mxcsr_after,
+            "cast_f32_to_f16_batch must not modify MXCSR (got 0x{:08x} before, 0x{:08x} after)",
+            mxcsr_before, mxcsr_after
+        );
+
+        // Same check for the upcast direction (`_mm256_cvtph_ps` can raise
+        // #I/#D on SNaN/denormal F16 input).
+        let f16_inputs: Vec<F16> = (0..8).map(|i| F16(0x7C01 + i as u16)).collect(); // SNaN-ish
+        let mut f32_out = vec![0.0f32; 8];
+
+        unsafe {
+            asm!("stmxcsr [{ptr}]", ptr = in(reg) &mut mxcsr_before, options(nostack));
+        }
+        cast_f16_to_f32_batch(&f16_inputs, &mut f32_out);
+        unsafe {
+            asm!("stmxcsr [{ptr}]", ptr = in(reg) &mut mxcsr_after, options(nostack));
+        }
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            mxcsr_before, mxcsr_after,
+            "cast_f16_to_f32_batch must not modify MXCSR (got 0x{:08x} before, 0x{:08x} after)",
+            mxcsr_before, mxcsr_after
+        );
+    }
 }