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Intel Hyperthreading In Reality
A reader writes: "Looks like GamePC has got the first look at Intel's new Xeon processor, which has the new super-fantastico Hyperthreading technology, which tricks your OS into thinking one CPU is two CPUs, two CPUs is four. Looks neat in theory, benchies included."
I am not as concerned with how it "tricks" the OS as much as I am about performance and reliability. Tell me how this actually makes the chip BETTER and I might get excited.
Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
So I can just buy half a processor, and get full functionality? ;)
...my keyboard so I could in essence have four hands.
Wow, kinda sucks if your OS has a per CPU license, like NT and Win2K server!
I've been waiting for literally *years* for a CPU that will trick my operating system! Nirvana, I kiss you!
a cluster of a cluster of these ...
Hyper means overexcited - how about Underexcitethreading - Makes your PC with two CPU's think it only has one! :P Oh wait... That's like windows 98...
Any technology distinguishable from magic, is insufficiently advanced.
Is there some way that Linux can be limited to a certain number of CPU's? It sure would be wonderful if there were separate versions of Linux for each possible number of CPU's. If you had a kernel that was only written for two CPU's, it should properly not work at all on 4 CPU's, preferably with a message saying "send more money to your vendor". And while they are at it, is there some way that XFree can limit the number of xterms to less than 4, so that if a user wanted to open 6 xterms they would have to download the XFree that ran with 6 xterms? Think of the marketing possibilities that can be used to improve Linux!
If tits were wings it'd be flying around.
32,768 sorry. had to.
You have a point. Most people don't know it, but modern processors use a hazardous combination of Potassium Fluoride and spent Plutonium to regulate clock speed, which is the real reason that it isn't safe to overclock your computer!
That density is especially thick with server CPUs, especially the Xeon. That is why, to date, nobody has set off large enough of a reaction to be deadly with overclocking PCs, but that is not the case with Xeons, whose Plutonium content is dangerously close to the Critical Mass. And you thought your Intel CPU ran hot! Everybody who runs Xeon servers knows better than to play with the clock speed.
In fact, that is why you can't ususally buy Xeons without ECC RAM, the radiation put off by the computation would too readily disrupt the memory state information. What, you bought that nonsense about solar flares or other sources of random radiation causing bit decay? Of, and FYI, don't run Distributed.net or Seti@home on your Xeon if you have fillings or a mercury thermometer in the area, unless you are interested in a direct demonstrations of fusion in action.
Really, since the Cold war had ended, Microprocessors have been constantly dropping in price. Why was this phenomenon never observerved until the 80? Moore's Law my ass, how about "military surplus in action." It is much too expensive to store all of this spent plutonium in federal compunds. So the FCC had to ensure that computers had sufficient shielding, and now, there you go. Let me reiterate that ever since the "Pentium Pro" (Plutonium Recycling Operation) and with each new generation of CPU, active cooling remains a matter of utmost priority.
Really, they would have just put it in the drinking water supplies to distribute the threat amongst all of our nations' citizens (like taxes and fluoride) except that in secret military tests they found that the subjects teeth and bones started to glow in the dark, which would have been too obvious to cover up for long. So they stationed the subjects in parts of Japan, Las Vegas, and tropical locations so that the glowing would be concealed by all of the Neon Lights and overpowering sun (causing a sun tan, to help cover the light emissions) and classisifed the research.
Well, in any case, I highly recommend tht you don't ever "crack" one of the more recent Xeons apart. Rather, you should carefully and delicately disassemble then in lead casings. much of the extra "thousands" in cost are spent in proper protective casings, which was the real reason for Intel to do away with the Socket interfaces for Slot 1 in the first place. New high performance ceranics and Lead-magnesium alloys have allowed the protective casings to shrink again, but you still need to be careful. And dont EVER let two Intel cores come in contact with each other, or not even the Liquid Hydrogen active cooling system will save you...
Dammit! I should have posted anonymously! Now they'll get me! It's a good thing I'm posting from OpenBSD virtualized inside of Tinfoil Hat Linux! I can use the HyperThreading Hyperspace technology to encrypt my essence and escape! Fight the Future.
***Disclaimer***
Fluoride is good for your teeth and bones. Fluorosis is nothing but a commie... er, a Terrorist plot. If you don't ingest fuoride and develop fluorosis then the terrorists will have won! Make sure you brush your teeth with an ADA approved sodium-flouride "activated" toothpaste, and be only drink potassium-fluoride supplimented water. Ignore naturally occuring "healthy" calcium-fluoride that only hippies and tree-huggers advocate!