Could this make X2 > Single Cores?

[letdown427]

Tonight I'm going to do some simple benchmark testing, to see if it makes a difference, but I thought as I'll be at work today, I'd get some input from you guys first.

My thoughts are:

When you game on a single core, say 2.4Ghz of AMD, that is divided up between running your game, and then ALSO, keeping Windows alive, running all those 20 or so Windows processes.

So would it be reasonable to expect that, say one PC has a dual core CPU, 2.4Ghz of AMD on each core. Now, simply assign all of the dull windows processes to one core, and then have one entire 2.4Ghz core assigned to the game.

I was hoping to write a program to set the affinitys on the click of a button, but I suppose if it makes no real difference, it would be pointless. But either way, would that not help out dual cores as gaming CPUs?

Could it be possible that a 2.2Ghz Dual Core, with process affinities set, could compete with a 2.4Ghz single core? Or more?

</shameless attempt at creating interest and discussion>

Just a thought.

 

[TheRyuu]

Originally posted by: letdown427
Tonight I'm going to do some simple benchmark testing, to see if it makes a difference, but I thought as I'll be at work today, I'd get some input from you guys first.

My thoughts are:

When you game on a single core, say 2.4Ghz of AMD, that is divided up between running your game, and then ALSO, keeping Windows alive, running all those 20 or so Windows processes.

So would it be reasonable to expect that, say one PC has a dual core CPU, 2.4Ghz of AMD on each core. Now, simply assign all of the dull windows processes to one core, and then have one entire 2.4Ghz core assigned to the game.

I was hoping to write a program to set the affinitys on the click of a button, but I suppose if it makes no real difference, it would be pointless. But either way, would that not help out dual cores as gaming CPUs?

Could it be possible that a 2.2Ghz Dual Core, with process affinities set, could compete with a 2.4Ghz single core? Or more?

</shameless attempt at creating interest and discussion>

Just a thought.

Yes, but you wouldn't notice the drop to 2.2ghz anyway.

(Plus thats what OCing is for)

 

[velis]

Errrr, sorry, but it wouldn't help THAT much. If you open task manager you'll notice that proc usage is typically 0% - 1% for these processors. 2.4 / 2.2 > 9% clock improvement > 1% real world improvement. So while it would help, it wouldn't help noticeably.

 

[letdown427]

You could argue that you wouldn't notice the drop from 130fps to 110, but to some people, thats a lot.

I was just curious as to how much keeping windows alive really affects cpu performance. I'll try superPI on one core running all the windows processes aswell, then with superPI on a core to itself, and do the same with aquamark3, and see what CPU score it gives. Any other ideas for benchmarks? Should I get 3DMark01 and try that too? As that is a bit more cpu involved isn't it?

I agree about the task manager thing, but still, I'll try it out anyway.

 

[biostud]

read this:
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=28&threadid=1716798

 

[letdown427]

bit late then wasn't I? damn. lol. ok, sorry for wasting time. has anyone made the app yet? I'm going to, but i'll read the thread first to see if anyone has made it. gonna have to learn some more first tho. sorry for wasting thread space.

 

[biostud]

nothing to be sorry about, specially if you make this app

 

[letdown427]

OK, I can make a program to do it, no problem. It'll assign all windows tasks to say CPU 0, then you can run a game on CPU 1.

I'm thinking it'd probably be best to make a form with buttons on, that you can assign to a game? so on the orm, button 1 sets windows to cpu 0, then the other buttons launch a game on cpu 1. Does that sound reasonable? Then you can set each button up by browsing to the games .exe

Kinda OT Question.

In VB6, obviously I'm going to have to make an executable aren't I? to make the application...? Thats the only option I'm aware of anyway. I'd like to make an installer for it, so that it's simple to use, so when u install it'll install the necessary files in the right places, and create a shortcut on the desktop etc. I appreciate no-one will trust it not to be a virus or something, but anyway, i'll ask just in case, and I'l be able to use it at home, and give it to friends, as they'll trust it. i hope. Basically, how can i package it all together?For example, for work, I've made a simple installer, it adds some macros to a newly made toolbar in excel basically, and to do this, it copies a .xls into the XLStart folder, so it is loaded when excel starts, along with the code. Normally, to send this to someone, annoyingly, you have to send both the .exe, and the .xls. Installshield and such can make one block executable, that contains the relevant files in it, but I want to be able to make it in VB6, is this possible?


Sorry for the long question. Anyway, just so people know, I'll be able to make an application to do the whole CPU affinity signing thing. I'll post that in the other thread too, as that is more on topic.

 

[dguy6789]

This is pointless. As stated above, the windows processes do not take any real processor time at all. Windows automatically does something like you are trying to do anyway. If you are gaming and then some program takes cpu time, it takes it from the core not being used by the game.

Now if you could write a program that would make dual cores act like raid, or dual channel, alternating back and forth between one thread, then you could get some serious performance.

 

[Furen]

Just let windows mismanage itself. You'd be better off downloading multi-threaded drivers and the like or just waiting on dual-core patches.

 

[letdown427]

But in the first post of that thread, he said it made a difference in CPU limited games? Which is obviously where it is going to help?

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=28&threadid=1716798

I don't think it's pointless, and either way, I've made a program to do it now anyway, so i'll do some testing and see for myself (and probably be completely disproved! lol)

As for waiting for drivers, that's no problem, I'll use them as they're created, and I've made myself a nice undo button in my program too, so I don't see what harm it can do. Apparently the windows scheduler is a bit sh!t aswell, so gains may be there to be had.

 

[Furen]

Yeah, windows' scheduler is crap. Thats why I said "mismanage"...

 

[letdown427]

ahh touchez