Should I Turn Off Hyperthreading?

TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu Anememone Join Date: 2002-03-23 Member: 345Members
in Off-Topic
<div class="IPBDescription">Google Won't Tell Me :(</div> Whenever I get finished playing a game like Deus Ex or something, a quick look at my CPU monitor tells me that it was only using half my Pentium 4. Now, I know Deus Ex doesn't suffer, but I'm worried about high end games. Are my non Photoshop/Maya applications only getting half the power they deservere due to hyperthreading? Is there a safe, easy way to turn it off? Is it worth it either way?
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Comments

  • redeemed_darknessredeemed_darkness Join Date: 2003-01-21 Member: 12565Members
    depends on your OS
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  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu Anememone Join Date: 2002-03-23 Member: 345Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-redeemed darkness+Aug 3 2004, 12:46 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (redeemed darkness @ Aug 3 2004, 12:46 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> depends on your OS <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    XP Pro.
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  • SandrockSandrock Join Date: 2002-12-16 Member: 10905Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited August 2004
    No do not turn it off. It essentially runs two threads at one time, creating a 2nd virtual processor. In a nutshell, it basically doubles your processing power. Hyperthreading is a GOOD thing, leave it on. It really shines with multi-tasking.
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  • SoulSkorpionSoulSkorpion Join Date: 2002-04-12 Member: 423Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-TychoCelchuuu+Aug 3 2004, 11:26 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (TychoCelchuuu @ Aug 3 2004, 11:26 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Whenever I get finished playing a game like Deus Ex or something, a quick look at my CPU monitor tells me that it was only using half my Pentium 4. Now, I know Deus Ex doesn't suffer, but I'm worried about high end games. Are my non Photoshop/Maya applications only getting half the power they deservere due to hyperthreading? Is there a safe, easy way to turn it off? Is it worth it either way? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Wouldn't it make more sense to run said high-end applications and check your CPU usage while they're running? Then you can see for yourself.
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  • MedHeadMedHead Join Date: 2002-12-19 Member: 11115Members, Constellation
    I'll trade processors with you, Tycho. Mine doesn't have hyperthreading, so you won't have to worry.

    Will my processor being an Athlon chip be of any concern to you? Or that it's a year old?
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  • MedHeadMedHead Join Date: 2002-12-19 Member: 11115Members, Constellation
    Whenever I try to raise a priority on a program, it causes the program to run slower for some reason...
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  • redeemed_darknessredeemed_darkness Join Date: 2003-01-21 Member: 12565Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-TychoCelchuuu+Aug 2 2004, 10:46 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (TychoCelchuuu @ Aug 2 2004, 10:46 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin-redeemed darkness+Aug 3 2004, 12:46 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (redeemed darkness @ Aug 3 2004, 12:46 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> depends on your OS <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    XP Pro. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Then stop complaining <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    Apparently by sp2 you might notice increases in performance but that was an old promises by MS at the start of the year
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  • RedfordRedford Monorailcatfjord Join Date: 2002-04-28 Member: 528Members, NS1 Playtester
    Hyperthreading emulates a second processer perfectly - to the point where task manager is confused, and programs that do not like multiprocessing will crash. Do not be fooled that your task manager says that you are using 50% of your CPU speed. When you do not need hyperhtreading, it isn't on. Because windows sees that you have two processors, and only one is being used (really, the second one is virtual and only exists when you need it) it reports 50% CPU usage. 100% on the first and 0% on the second averages to 50%. You are still getting 100% usage.


    Of course, some engines dislike multiprocessing as well. hyperthreading emulates this well enough that these engines crash. The most notable one is the "Dark" engine, which ran SS2, thief, and thief2. Simply don't activate the second virtual CPU for these games though the task manager and it'll work fine.
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