Originally posted by: cscpianoman
Porkster, you are quite correct that THG has set all the priority settings the same and started the programs in similar fashion. What you fail to realize, this is your downfall, is that priority setting are encompassed in the operating system. Hence the name "operating system." Let me walk this through with you. A processor is just what the name implies it processes or crunches numbers. The operating system sits on top of the processor and feeds the processor the information it needs to crunch. Any threads sent is the responsibility of the OS, not the processor. This can be amply verified through several methods. One, take a look at microsofts website and data sheets. The information is there, do your research. Two, there is a method of changing priorities in the task manager. Change the priority and the task will either be given preference or denied. However, this is a direct setting adjusting the operating system, not the processor.
Now I come to the current test. Intel is walking away with Divx, why? According to the OS there is 4 processing units running all the threads given them. There are four applications. Essentially, the OS is capable of giving the Divx thread to a "processor" because there is one availble. Let's now turn to the AMD processor. According to the Windows OS, there are two processors. Ahh, here we have an issue, because there are four applications. The operating system next takes a look at what has the highest priority and sends this task to a processor, same goes for the second thread. The third thread is stuck in limbo waiting for a process to finish, or if two threads have equal priority they will be switched back and forth allowing for an equal chance of processing. Now we come to the stickler, the fourth thread. We have already come to the conclusion through numerous posts that Divx is given a lower priority and that THG did nothing to change those settings. This lower priority setting is viewed, "by the OS," as being less important than the other three. Hence the OS doesn't send the thread unless there is room for it to fit. The processors, however, are running at capacity, ie 100%. There is no room to fit this extra thread, except at times when the loops break. This explains the reason why the AMD processor is "avoiding" the Divx thread because the OS isn't sending it. Now my speculation would be that if the priorities were equiliberated we would see a more equal result among all threads and processors.
I have layed all this out in very simple terms and from information gleaned from various sites including THG and Microsoft. I don't want your opinion, I already know what it is. This is for your information and to come to a more knowledgable understanding that when comparing AMD and Intel they both have their strengths and weaknesses. I am not trying to favor one or the other. This test demonstrates that Intel is very capable of doing four tasks at different priority levels, while the AMD processor focuses on three dissimliar priority tasks. I will address the other concern about wattage and energy efficiency later.
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