Multi proc or Single?

[64026402]

Originally posted by martinus
guys, I am fully aware of the benefits of dual processing. But be honest, the average desktop system of most people is so insanely oversized that a duallie does not make the slightest difference. If your cpu load (that is the non-idle time) is consistently below 2%, and more importantly, the load average (that is the number of processes in state "running" or "waiting") is consistently below 1, a second cpu has little effect. A second cpu starts getting effective when the load average goes above 1. True, this can always be achieved by starting a couple of folding clients.

I thought the same way about a year ago.
But it's not the case.
Every single processor machine I use now feels like a slug
no matter what speed the processor. I didn't choose the truth it just is that way.

As for the average desktop you way under estimate the everyday use for most people. Picture processing is commonplace, even video editing. Burning CDs take time. Who wants to wait before doing something. Doing research with 10 to 15 open explorers, windows and programs open can slow things down.
Computers need power.

[leperMessiah]

Originally posted by Jazper
the best analogy is the horse and cart example (which comes close to a direct comparison)

consider, if you will, a horse drawn cart with a single horse. You'll be able to get "decent" travelling speeds with moderate weight, but heavy loads will slow it down.

If you have two horses with the same cart, you can get decent travelling speeds with twice as much load, however it isn't any "faster" and at times can be a little slower (you have to bridle the second horse, it's harder to get contention between the horses etc etc) when carrying light loads.

Do you mind if I steal that analogy?

[Jazper]

Originally posted by leperMessiah


Do you mind if I steal that analogy?

guess not

[64026402]

A better analogy is 2 cylinders instead of one. 2 are better than one under most circumstances.
Sure a weed eater or lawn mower may not come with more than one cylinder because the cost would not justify it. But most other applications could use it.
Imagine driving your 1 cylinder car to work. I'm sure they can make a really high rpm motor that will put out enough power.
But multiple cylinders can make it smoother, faster, more powerful.
Obviously Mgz isn't everything. The Itaniums are running in the 800 mhz range but will do more than a P4 2.5 ghz. Mhz is just a pretty number to sell computers.

As for horses. In a car the more horses the faster it goes.

[Jazper]

Originally posted by 64026402
A better analogy is 2 cylinders instead of one. 2 are better than one under most circumstances.
Sure a weed eater or lawn mower may not come with more than one cylinder because the cost would not justify it. But most other applications could use it.
Imagine driving your 1 cylinder car to work. I'm sure they can make a really high rpm motor that will put out enough power.
But multiple cylinders can make it smoother, faster, more powerful.
Obviously Mgz isn't everything. The Itaniums are running in the 800 mhz range but will do more than a P4 2.5 ghz. Mhz is just a pretty number to sell computers.

As for horses. In a car the more horses the faster it goes.

Dude, I don't know what the hell you're talking about.. but those drugs you're on? I want some :P

[martinus]

Originally posted by 64026402


I thought the same way about a year ago.
But it's not the case.
Every single processor machine I use now feels like a slug
no matter what speed the processor. I didn't choose the truth it just is that way.

As for the average desktop you way under estimate the everyday use for most people. Picture processing is commonplace, even video editing. Burning CDs take time. Who wants to wait before doing something. Doing research with 10 to 15 open explorers, windows and programs open can slow things down.
Computers need power.

Well, I often have KDE System Guard or the NT System Monitor open in the background, and during (domestic) picture processing, CD burning, and opening 20 browser windows (Opera) the load stays close to zero. Folding runs at lower priority, so it doesn't compete for the cpu resource. It just adds 1.0 to the load average.

Of course there is the rare cpu intensive task that will absorb cpu power from other tasks, but most tasks are either sleeping or waiting for I/O anyway.

I notice more of a slow down when there is competition for the hdd resource...

[Shado]

Originally posted by martinus
Of course there is the rare cpu intensive task that will absorb cpu power from other tasks, but most tasks are either sleeping or waiting for I/O anyway.

I'm not sure how this works under linux, but quite a few windows programs are badly written, and occasionally they will go into loops that use 100% cpu, which on a single processor slows the machine down to a crawl, on a dual machine it's barely noticable and you can kill the rogue thread with the full power of a cpu to do it.

Basically with 2 cpu's no one program can take control of all your processing power.

[64026402]

Originally posted by Jazper


Dude, I don't know what the hell you're talking about.. but those drugs you're on? I want some :P

Hey, another anaolgy! 2 drugs are better than one.

Just letting you know, every time you open a window or a program the dual procs are felt.

[koopz]

wow - that's along thread I don't have the time to read fully..


I'd just like to add that my Dual P3_933's walk over my new P4 2gig in just about every way except gaming.


I can't believe I parted with them

[martinus]

Originally posted by 64026402


Hey, another anaolgy! 2 drugs are better than one.

Just letting you know, every time you open a window or a program the dual procs are felt.

I'm willing to give it a try one day. are you saying I need hallucinogenic drugs to notice a difference?

[ToranaGuy]

Drug's are bad.....MMmmmmmkay!!!

For everything beside's gaming, you can use a dual. What one cpu will do good, 2 will do better! Even for game's, you can run a game on cpu0 and the game's server on cpu1!!!! No more need for a seperate game's server!!! lol

I must say that beside's my playing with C++ multi threaded app's, i didn't think i had much use for a dual, but since using mine for the last 4 or 5 months since going dual, i must say that i do find use's for both cpu's. You can accomplish so much more with a dual if your productive!!!

Cheers

ToranaGuy

[Swink]

Damn you people! I now have an unquenchable desire to buy a dual setup!! (a setup i cant afford )

[64026402]

Originally posted by Swink
Damn you people! I now have an unquenchable desire to buy a dual setup!! (a setup i cant afford )

I beleive I am king of the cheap duallies. I built all of mine on a budget.
I have a P4 2.4 533 bus running at 2.8 ghz. I got the board for a steal but it still cost more than my dual AMDs.
The P4 is plenty fast but it still doesn't match up to my dual Durons in most of the things I do.

[ToranaGuy]

Just remember 64026402, we are down here in the land down under, and pc's cost almost twice as much as in the state's.

Cheers

ToranaGuy

[almghty]

So if we were to take the horse and cart analogy further.

Both horses on the cart must be of the same age and from the same mother. Need to buy another cart.

The horses will eat twice as much and cost you more per year to run.

Often the dual horse cart will make it to the market before the single horse cart by a few minutes, however did a few minutes arrival at the market warrant the purchase of another horse? Somtimes the two horses will only get there faster if you are carrying special cargo.

The case then for a dual cart wagon should be IF you always carry the special cargo. Otherwise if you only carry the special cargo now and then and are willing to wait those few extra minutes, stick with the single horse cart.