Re: Asus A8N-SLI & Athlon X2 Dual Core


"Roger Hamlett" <rogerspamignored@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:vbqxf.42880$zt1.30499@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> ><snipped>
>> Ok cheched device manager and there are 2 cpus there does windows use
>> them both or just one and then the app/game has to be made to use the
>> other, i had a 3200 64 bit and a mate asked me to swap for his 4200 x2 to
>> which i nearly bit his arm off for, at the moment is there any use for
>> the duel cores.
>>
>> Graham
> You need to understand 'tasks', and 'multi-threading'. Now start at the
> beginning,and visualise a single simple program, that does one linear
> 'thread' of operations. As such, the OS, can do nothing with this to use
> the second processor core. This is a 'single threaded' application.
> However if the application uses 'OS' resources (calling things like disk
> I/O operations), _these_ can be split onto the second chip. In such cases,
> there is a small useage of the second chip/core (perhaps 10 to 15%). If
> however you launch a second program, this can be run on the second core.
> If instead the program is written as 'multi-threaded', then jobs that it
> does, are split off into seperate 'threads', which complete independantly
> of the main program. Some programs (like Photoshop), correctly do this.
> Now there is a small 'cost' associated with running a multi CPU kernel
> (since code has to be added to decide which CPU to send a task to). This
> is small, but may be as much as 5%. Conversely though, there is a small
> gain in the same situation for most programs, from the ability of the
> system tasks to execute on the second core. This gives the typical overall
> gain in these circumstances of 10% mentioned above. However as soon as
> multiple tasks are running (whether multiple programs, or a multi-threaded
> application), the gains 'shoot' up, and may reach perhaps 80% (The OS
> overhead, and the fact that the I/O and memory, are shared, prevent 100%
> gain ever really being seen). Typical gains for normal application mixes
> average out at about 40 to 45% over a single cpu at the same speed. As
> such, AMD, are very 'honest' in their speed rating figures for the dual
> core units. Your 4200+, clocks at the same rate, as the single core 3400+,
> and for most application mixes, should give processor performance very
> much better than it's 'rating' suggests. They err on the side of the lower
> figure, since it is unlikely that anyone will do 'worse' than their
> rating,while most people will be amazed at just how much better stuff
> works. :-)
> The other really lovely thing that happens with an SMP system, is the
> reduction in 'hogging' problems. With Windows, some applications
> (paticularly older W9x applications), can sit 'polling' events, and
> effectively hogging the system. When this happens on a single core/CPU,
> getting keyboard/mouse responses to stop the application, can be really
> slow. However with the SMP systems, the second core can respond to you,
> making the whole responsiveness of the system, vastly better.
>
> Best Wishes
>
Thanks for the info i understand what you have said and i have already
noticed a speed increce, i am manly a games player and can`t wait till the
start writing duel core into them.
Many thanks

Graham


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