trying to understand multi core

[jollicat]

1) As I understand multi core now, it only speeds up a process if the software supports multi core. So I imagine that if you render one huge video file with such software, a quad core will do it, give or take, twice as fast as a dual core. Right?

2) Suppose I have 4 programs (all not supporting multi core), all real 'cpu exhausters'. When I start one program, then the next, and the next etc. Will those 4 different processes automatically be assigned to different cores of a quad core?

3) I looked at some reviews of AMD multi cores and this one starts off rather alarming, but ends with good ratings:

http://www.bestcovery.com/amd-phenom-ii-x3-720-28ghz-socket-am3-95w-triple-core-black-processor

Is there anything to say about some multi cores being more reliable than others, maybe also between the two types Athlon and Phenom?

Thanks

 

[cam966251]

It depends on which OS you are running. Windows 7 is getting better with multicore CPUs. Also, you can check the task manager to determine if the load is being split evenly. Most of the time, the OS doesn't really "assign" a core to a program, but it actively determines which core to use.

Also, if you use task manager, you can assign a program to a certain core if it isn't balancing the load.

 

[drescherjm]

1) As I understand multi core now, it only speeds up a process if the software supports multi core. So I imagine that if you render one huge video file with such software, a quad core will do it, give or take, twice as fast as a dual core. Right?

Take. Linear scaling is not easy to achieve.

 

[drescherjm]

2) Suppose I have 4 programs (all not supporting multi core), all real 'cpu exhausters'. When I start one program, then the next, and the next etc. Will those 4 different processes automatically be assigned to different cores of a quad core?

Yes, assuming each is single threaded.

 

[W.Feather]

1) Depens....at same clocks, same architecture, and with good coding it will be close...

2)yes like the guya bove said if it isnt spreading it, you can tell it to

3) dont pay any attention whatever shit you read there, its refering to the core that is disabled, all 3 other cores on teh x3 are fully functional with no issues, and a good bit of the time, the 4th core is good as well


All the different lines are reliable....no issues should present, and anything about it being unreliable is because the user put it in a state that makes it unstable

 

[jollicat]

It depends on which OS you are running. Windows 7 is getting better with multicore CPUs. Also, you can check the task manager to determine if the load is being split evenly. Most of the time, the OS doesn't really "assign" a core to a program, but it actively determines which core to use.

Well, I will be using Windows 7 as soon I've built my new system.

Also, if you use task manager, you can assign a program to a certain core if it isn't balancing the load.

So you can actually switch cores during a process, like say rendering a huge video, without problems in Windows 7?

 

[drescherjm]

So you can actually switch cores during a process, like say rendering a huge video, without problems in Windows 7?

Yes. And you could do that 15 years ago with NT 3.1. I had dual core back then well actually dual processor..

 

[jollicat]

Yes. And you could do that 15 years ago with NT 3.1. I had dual core back then well actually dual processor..

Well, I had a feeling I was somewhat lagging behind with this concept ;-)

Thank you all for your replies. Looks like it's going to be a quad for me then..

 

[Dan_D]

Yes. And you could do that 15 years ago with NT 3.1. I had dual core back then well actually dual processor..

Indeed you can. I used to run Windows NT Server 3.1 years and years ago. Though I only got a dual processor system around the time I upgraded to Windows NT 4.0.