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Is Hyper Threading being phased out?

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sharkeeper

Lifer
Jan 13, 2001
10,886
2
0
We just had a new BIOS rollout and HT is disabled across the board by default on our Xeon workstations.

All of the Dells that have been ordered for clients also have it disabled.

I turn it ON.

What is all the fuss about? Turn it off or leave it on?

Any input would be appreciated.

Cheers!
 
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jvarszegi

Senior member
Aug 9, 2004
721
0
0
Turn it on for sure. It'll basically nullify the processor impact of things like AV while you're doing your work, for very little additional CPU overhead; it's a net gain. There's no big drawback to having it enabled that I'm aware of.
 
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Brian23

Banned
Dec 28, 1999
1,655
1
0
It's being phased out in a sense that next generation processors will be dual core instead of HT.
 
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deveraux

Senior member
Mar 21, 2004
284
0
71
Originally posted by: GOSHARKS
what about dual core + HT on each core?
Click to expand...

I remember reading quite recently that Intel said that their dual core processors will NOT enable HT.
 
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jvarszegi

Senior member
Aug 9, 2004
721
0
0
Originally posted by: deveraux
Originally posted by: GOSHARKS
what about dual core + HT on each core?
Click to expand...

I remember reading quite recently that Intel said that their dual core processors will NOT enable HT.
Click to expand...

Right. It's probably because the cores will share some resources that are currently taken advantage of by HT-- or, rather, will interleave operations so as to take better advantage of their shared resources.
 
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Budman

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
10,980
0
0
Originally posted by: sharkeeper
We just had a new BIOS rollout and HT is disabled across the board by default on our Xeon workstations.

All of the Dells that have been ordered for clients also have it disabled.

I turn it ON.

What is all the fuss about? Turn it off or leave it on?

Any input would be appreciated.

Cheers!
Click to expand...

They are probably turned off by default to be compatble to older OS like NT4 & win2k...

If you use Win2003 then yes by all means turn it on.
 
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Duvie

Elite Member
Feb 5, 2001
16,215
0
71
It is probably due to the fact the dual core will be a complete redesign and intel will finally realize the long pipeline and less IPC has only enabled the problems they have today. If they go with a shorter pipeline it is likely the idle states are small and thus HT will be miimized to near worthlessness....


I am not sur ewhy they are disabling it now...I have found it very useful in many applications that work stations would be used for....Maybe it is the heat factor or the fact maybe most still do not run HT aware software...
 
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jvarszegi

Senior member
Aug 9, 2004
721
0
0
Duvie, nice post. I ran some tests with SQL Server 2000, which just takes advantage of the virtualized processors as if they were real, on my girlfriend's dual Xeon workstation, and HT definitely helped even with that. Speed on some types of processing went up over 20% (with everything else, including AV, turned off on the machine).
 
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sharkeeper

Lifer
Jan 13, 2001
10,886
2
0
They are probably turned off by default to be compatble to older OS like NT4 & win2k...

If you use Win2003 then yes by all means turn it on.
Click to expand...

Everything is NT 5.1 based and 5.2 on server side.

The Dells are shipped with XP Pro SP2. Also all Dells even notebooks with 1GB RAM have PAE enabled. Strange stuff going on in Austin.

I thought all dual cores will have HT. The demo system I saw behind closed doors definitely had it. Single socket system showed 4 CPU's in TM just like a Xeon system. So a system with a pair of dual core CPU would show 8 in TM, etc.

Cheers!
 
J

jvarszegi

Senior member
Aug 9, 2004
721
0
0
Originally posted by: crazySOB297
OT: your girlfriend has a dual xeon workstation?
Click to expand...

Yeppers. It's not brand-new, but it's not ancient; it's got a couple of Prestonia 2Ghz processors in it at present, and I don't plan to upgrade it anytime soon. (I'm sure you know what a pain workstation- or server-class stuff, especially proprietary stuff, can be to find and upgrade.) I bought a $200 6800NU for it recently (to replace the cheapo Quadro card that came with the system) to tempt her into gaming, and it seems to be taking hold! We haven't really been doing much FPS yet, but she is taking an interest in her machine as more than a place to do work now. We played Warcraft III for a couple of hours today.
 
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stevty2889

Diamond Member
Dec 13, 2003
7,036
8
81
Originally posted by: Duvie
It is probably due to the fact the dual core will be a complete redesign and intel will finally realize the long pipeline and less IPC has only enabled the problems they have today. If they go with a shorter pipeline it is likely the idle states are small and thus HT will be miimized to near worthlessness....
Click to expand...

Actualy the first dual core's will be dual core prescotts, so they won't have a shorter pipeline...nor will they have hyperthreading
 
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Azsen

Member
Sep 20, 2004
176
0
0
Originally posted by: jvarszegi
Originally posted by: crazySOB297
OT: your girlfriend has a dual xeon workstation?
Click to expand...

Yeppers. It's not brand-new, but it's not ancient; it's got a couple of Prestonia 2Ghz processors in it at present, and I don't plan to upgrade it anytime soon. (I'm sure you know what a pain workstation- or server-class stuff, especially proprietary stuff, can be to find and upgrade.) I bought a $200 6800NU for it recently (to replace the cheapo Quadro card that came with the system) to tempt her into gaming, and it seems to be taking hold! We haven't really been doing much FPS yet, but she is taking an interest in her machine as more than a place to do work now. We played Warcraft III for a couple of hours today.
Click to expand...

I like your style mate, lol!
 
Spikesoldier

Spikesoldier

Diamond Member
Oct 15, 2001
6,766
0
0
every dell pc at work that i have encountered had HT turned OFF. probably so for compatibility.

i turned it on for my machine.
 
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sharkeeper

Lifer
Jan 13, 2001
10,886
2
0
Actually the Intel dual core product has HT technology on each core.

In XP, a single CPU with dual cores with HT will show up in the task manager as four!

Cheers!
 
C

Chadder007

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 1999
7,560
0
0
Originally posted by: Spikesoldier
every dell pc at work that i have encountered had HT turned OFF. probably so for compatibility.

i turned it on for my machine.
Click to expand...

I turn my HT on, and I start getting blue screens in Windows XP, and Internet Explorer won't close half the time and locks up the system with it on too.
 
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Amaroque

Platinum Member
Jan 2, 2005
2,178
0
0
Originally posted by: sharkeeper
Actually the Intel dual core product has HT technology on each core.

In XP, a single CPU with dual cores with HT will show up in the task manager as four!

Cheers!
Click to expand...

How will that work with XP Pro? It only supports two CPU's.

AFAIK, you need a server OS to have support for more than two CPU's.

I haven't tried this personally, can you enable HT with a dual CPU system, and XP Pro currently?
 
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ribbon13

Diamond Member
Feb 1, 2005
9,343
0
0
I would like to know also, as I have a dual opteron, and that's 4 cpus when dual core hits. Might be pidgeon holed into win2k3
 
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sharkeeper

Lifer
Jan 13, 2001
10,886
2
0
Um they most definitely have HT on each core...

XP Pro allows for 2 physical CPU's so it will work with a single dual core HT CPU currently.

It will need a patch to recognise two dual core HT chips, 8 "processors" will show up in the task manager!

I run XP now and all four show up, no violations in licensing. XP Home and 2000 Professional users are out of luck.

Cheers!
 
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