How much does HyperThreading really help out in things like DIVX encoding and other MT'ing?

[NFS4]

I'm going to soon be going from an overclocked B0 2.4B to a HIGHLY overclocked (hopefully) 2.4C w/HT.

How much of a gain could I expect in things like DIVX encoding or serious multitasking?? I tend to have multiple windows open while doing multiple things (watching a DVD in a Window while encoding DIVX movies and working in Photoshop).

 

[sharkeeper]

I couldn't really tell per se. While we have HT cpu, they are Xeon so even without HT multitasking is still good. You'll still need a good, fast disk system to feed those virtual cpus!

-DAK-

 

[Duvie]

Originally posted by: NFS4
I'm going to soon be going from an overclocked B0 2.4B to a HIGHLY overclocked (hopefully) 2.4C w/HT.

How much of a gain could I expect in things like DIVX encoding or serious multitasking?? I tend to have multiple windows open while doing multiple things (watching a DVD in a Window while encoding DIVX movies and working in Photoshop).

Good question!!! I think someone awhile back did a good review on HT and its enhancement...If I remember right the real advantage was when it is running multitasking versus multitasking of non-HT...If you multitask a lot then this is right down your alley....The drop off from having say a movie playing in the dvd-rom or playing a game or even running internet at the same time, all while encoding was pretty impressive....

I can't remember if I saw a test running a divx encoder but I belive some at www.doom9.net have mentioned some programs can definitely take advantage of it....

I use divx for stress testing now...especially since I have a DVD-rw/-r burner and can make flawless BACKUP copies of any movie....

 

[NFS4]

Well, this may help:

http://www6.tomshardware.com/cpu/20030521/800fsb-08.html

 

[First]

I did a quick test for you guys. Using DivX 5.0.2, XMPEG 4.5, and Star Wars EP1 (Chapter 40) I recorded 53.8 fps with HT disabled and 60.8 fps with HT enabled.

Difference = 11.5% (depending on your system, I used a 3.0C and 865PE motherboard in dual DDR400 mode).

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Serious multitasking - the quantitative numbers won't tell the whole tale. You'll just "be able to do things" in the background so much better.

Evan - I suggest giving it a shot with the new XMpeg 5.0 beta, there's some more optimizations in there. Also upgrade to DivX 5.0.5 - it's actually worth it unlike 503/504

Oh yeah, here's something that'll help those DivX numbers. Buy a good HSF and overclock that 2.4C to a healthy 3.0GHz by giving it a FSB bump to 1GHz.

- M4H

 

[mechBgon]

If your multitasking involves a significant amount of disk activity (and if you have the money) then you might think about SCSI too. I think you'd have no trouble noticing the improvement when you're doing heavy ongoing disk access. Cheetah 15k.3 has been eclipsed in performance by the Maxtor Atlas 15k and the Fujitsu MAS's, judging by StorageReview.com's benchmarks, but I'd probably still go with the 15k.3 for its quiet fluid-dynamic-bearing motor.

 

[Confused]

HT will work best for doing different "types" of tasks, that use seperate parts of the CPU. If you're trying to do 2 of the same thing, then the two processes will be fighting for the one part of the CPU. Encoding speed will probably increase a little, but the "fighting" for the same bit will cause a little slowdown.

HT will probably be best to allow you to do the DivX encoding, WHILE doing something else, using a different part of the CPU.


Confused

 

[Adul]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
Serious multitasking - the quantitative numbers won't tell the whole tale. You'll just "be able to do things" in the background so much better.

Evan - I suggest giving it a shot with the new XMpeg 5.0 beta, there's some more optimizations in there. Also upgrade to DivX 5.0.5 - it's actually worth it unlike 503/504

Oh yeah, here's something that'll help those DivX numbers. Buy a good HSF and overclock that 2.4C to a healthy 3.0GHz by giving it a FSB bump to 1GHz.

- M4H

he has a good heatsink already. that big ass zalman that looks like a flower.