Multi-threaded Applications & Multicore Processors
Just finished up reading a review of Quad vs Dual core Intel processors (specifically Core2Duo 6420 vs Core2Quad 6600). The practice of the review was good. They used a system where the processors could simply be traded out on the motherboard. The processors use all the same settings other than the selection of the processor. This made a very easy comparison. However, the review lacked a certain sense of panache not to mention a key bit of substance.
The panache that it lacked came largely from the spelling mistakes and mistaken use of words such as to and too. Specifically, regarding substance, it lacked information about using multiple applications and defaulted to the summary of "you can't really rely upon a review to tell you if a multi-core processor is good for you" diatribe. Come on people, do some use case scenarios! Install the normal stuff that people are running and test some conditions. I'm always running into people that have 2-3 Internet Explorer windows open with their Outlook (or Outlook Express) and a word processor like Word 2007. This is where the strength of multiple cores comes into computing today. Sure, it would be nice if the applications themselves were multi-threaded, but there is still a strong use case scenario for multiple processors in a system (whether they be multiple cores or multiple stand-alone processors). When loading multiple applications, the system can spread the individual applications across the different processors. If Outlook starts hogging resources... it gets limited to that one processor. This allows the system to continue functioning while Outlook is busy "searching" for that email you need for an hour or two.
NOTE: You'll probably note that I didn't include a link to the review. I didn't simply because I felt that I needed to be a bit scathing to get the point across and I didn't want to make them look bad because they've been a good member of the modding community for a while now. Hopefully, they run across this and it can help them in the future.
The panache that it lacked came largely from the spelling mistakes and mistaken use of words such as to and too. Specifically, regarding substance, it lacked information about using multiple applications and defaulted to the summary of "you can't really rely upon a review to tell you if a multi-core processor is good for you" diatribe. Come on people, do some use case scenarios! Install the normal stuff that people are running and test some conditions. I'm always running into people that have 2-3 Internet Explorer windows open with their Outlook (or Outlook Express) and a word processor like Word 2007. This is where the strength of multiple cores comes into computing today. Sure, it would be nice if the applications themselves were multi-threaded, but there is still a strong use case scenario for multiple processors in a system (whether they be multiple cores or multiple stand-alone processors). When loading multiple applications, the system can spread the individual applications across the different processors. If Outlook starts hogging resources... it gets limited to that one processor. This allows the system to continue functioning while Outlook is busy "searching" for that email you need for an hour or two.
NOTE: You'll probably note that I didn't include a link to the review. I didn't simply because I felt that I needed to be a bit scathing to get the point across and I didn't want to make them look bad because they've been a good member of the modding community for a while now. Hopefully, they run across this and it can help them in the future.
posted by Andrew 'Mickey Knox' Gearhart @ 09:49
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