Any multiprocessor system is going to have additional overhead from "processor synchronization" to keep each CPU from accessing memory locations while another CPU updates those data blocks. Each additional CPU increases the overhead. The amount of overhead would depend on the SMP capabilities of the processors for supporting structures like spinlocks, etc...
On our old VAX systems, the 1st additional cpu would add about 50% more CPU power...the next CPU added about 25% more... you get diminishing returns for each additional CPU because of additional synchronization required.
Linux and NT will get some benefit in that each process would be capable of running on a separate CPU. Multithreaded applications would benefit the most (utilizing the pthreads library or similar libraries). BeOS I hear _heavily_ uses threads, and is also written to take as much advantage as possible of multiprocessor systems.
All in all, a dual-processing system would be great if I had several processes executing at the same time (like a raytracer in the background)...but right now if you're just playing Quake or running a single single-threaded app, you won't gain much. ALso keep in mind that Win95 is not SMP-capable.... I don't know about Win98.
Funny. My 200 mhz MMX Pentium is running just fine. Purchasing a Riva-TNT based AGP card did a lot more for me than upgrading my cpu. And I can watch DVD movies using a DVD decoder card rather than software-based viewers. (Creative Labs DXR-2) Granted, my quake doesn't run very well at 1024x768, but 640x480x16 seems to do very well.
Of course, I may upgrade to an AMD K6-3 or K6-2 400 since I don't have to upgrade my motherboard to go to those chips...but only because I want to buy another CPU anyways and re-use my 200mmx elsewhere.
So I ask myself, "Why bother?" And the poor people who buy these systems expecting "fast internet access" while their CPU sits idle while the web pages download via 56k.
For general internet viewing, a T-1 wouldn't be able to flood my pc...a DS3, maybe.
Typical marketing hype, "We'll fix everything for you." Unfortunately most people will find that the internet reliability and speed will not reach the poin of utilizing the P-III speeds until the P-III is out of date.
Oh, wait, they need that CPU to process all that extra SPAM on the net created by reading your CPU id, right???
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Any multiprocessor system is going to have additional overhead from "processor synchronization" to keep each CPU from accessing memory locations while another CPU updates those data blocks. Each additional CPU increases the overhead. The amount of overhead would depend on the SMP capabilities of the processors for supporting structures like spinlocks, etc...
On our old VAX systems, the 1st additional cpu would add about 50% more CPU power...the next CPU added about 25% more... you get diminishing returns for each additional CPU because of additional synchronization required.
Linux and NT will get some benefit in that each process would be capable of running on a separate CPU. Multithreaded applications would benefit the most (utilizing the pthreads library or similar libraries). BeOS I hear _heavily_ uses threads, and is also written to take as much advantage as possible of multiprocessor systems.
All in all, a dual-processing system would be great if I had several processes executing at the same time (like a raytracer in the background)...but right now if you're just playing Quake or running a single single-threaded app, you won't gain much. ALso keep in mind that Win95 is not SMP-capable.... I don't know about Win98.
Just my $0.02.
--
John Kramer
Hmm.
I'm trying to submit one of my CD's, and after it goes to the "check for previous artist" page, I get a blank page.
Slashdotted again?
--
John Kramer
Funny. My 200 mhz MMX Pentium is running just fine. Purchasing a Riva-TNT based AGP card did a lot more for me than upgrading my cpu. And I can watch DVD movies using a DVD decoder card rather than software-based viewers. (Creative Labs DXR-2) Granted, my quake doesn't run very well at 1024x768, but 640x480x16 seems to do very well.
Of course, I may upgrade to an AMD K6-3 or K6-2 400 since I don't have to upgrade my motherboard to go to those chips...but only because I want to buy another CPU anyways and re-use my 200mmx elsewhere.
So I ask myself, "Why bother?" And the poor people who buy these systems expecting "fast internet access" while their CPU sits idle while the web pages download via 56k.
For general internet viewing, a T-1 wouldn't be able to flood my pc...a DS3, maybe.
Typical marketing hype, "We'll fix everything for you." Unfortunately most people will find that the internet reliability and speed will not reach the poin of utilizing the P-III speeds until the P-III is out of date.
Oh, wait, they need that CPU to process all that extra SPAM on the net created by reading your CPU id, right???
John jbkramer@mad.scientist.com