Specifications

Computer Architecture and Maintenance (G-Scheme-2014)
A processor with HT Technology enabled can fill otherwise-idle time with
a second process for each core, improving multitasking and performance of
multithreading single applications.
Although the sharing of some processor components means that the overall
speed of an HT-enabled system isn’t as high as a processor with as many physical cores
would be, speed increases of 25% or more are possible when multiple applications or
multithreaded applications are being run.
To take advantage of HT Technology, you need the following:
• Processor supporting HT Technology—This includes many (but not all) Core i
Series, Pen-tium 4, Xeon, and Atom processors. Check the specific model
processor specifications to be sure.
• Compatible chipset—Some older chipsets may not support HT Technology.
• BIOS support to enable/disable HT Technology—Make sure you enable HT
Technology in the BIOS Setup.
• HT Technology-enabled OS—Windows XP and later support HT Technology.
Linux distributions based on kernel 2.4.18 and higher also support HT
Technology. To see if HT Technology is functioning properly, you can check the
Device Manager in Windows to see how many processors are recognized. When
HT is supported and enabled, the Windows Device Manager shows twice as
many processors as there are physical processor cores.
Multicore Technology
HT Technology simulates two processors in a single physical core. If multiple
logical processors are good, having two or more physical processors is a lot better. A
multi-core processor, as the name implies, actually contains two or more processor
cores in a single processor package. From outward appearances, it still looks like a
single processor (and is considered as such for Windows licensing purposes), but
inside there can be two, three, four, or even more processor cores. A multi-core
processor provides virtually all the advantages of having multiple separate physical
processors, all at a much lower cost.
Both AMD and Intel introduced the first dual-core x86-compatible desktop
processors in May 2005. AMD’s initial entry was the Athlon 64 X2, whereas Intel’s first
dual-core processors were the Pentium Extreme Edition 840 and the Pentium D. The
Extreme Edition 840 was notable for also supporting HT Technology, allowing it to
Prepared By – Prof. Manoj.kavedia (9860174297 – 9324258878 ) (www.kavediasir.yolasite.com)
16