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Resolved What is the use of a quad-core with W7?

Discussion in 'Windows 7' started by rickduley, 2013/11/29.

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  1. 2013/11/29
    rickduley

    rickduley Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    I am using
    Intel Core i5-3470 CPU @ 3.20GHz, 8,0GB RAM, Intel HD Graphics
    MS Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit SP1

    I don't know why I bothered buying a quad-core machine. Windows 7 only ever seems to use one core. :rolleyes:

    It doesn't make much of a fist of multi-tasking either. Currently I am moving a large file from my hard drive to my external drive. While that is going on MAGIX Movie Edit Pro MX Plus is setting up to parse a video file into scenes - it's not even parsing right now, just setting up. Everything else grinds to a halt. XP would handle that on a dual-core and have time to play me some music while it did so. :eek:

    Is there a Service Pack in the offing which will take advantage of the increased CPU power available, and do so without being strangled by simple data transfer. :confused:
     
    rickduley,
    #1
  2. 2013/11/29
    James Martin

    James Martin Geek Member

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    Interesting point.

    How do you monitor your CPU usage? Through Task Manager?
     
    James Martin,
    #2


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  4. 2013/11/29
    rsinfo

    rsinfo SuperGeek Alumni

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    Win 7 Pro used both the cores in my Athlon II X2 computer. Same with Win 8 Pro.

    Don't recall anybody having that problem.
     
    rsinfo,
    #3
  5. 2013/11/29
    retiredlearner

    retiredlearner SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    Hi rickduley, Have you had a look in BIOS?
    I upgraded my comp this year (My System) and you have to go into the BIOS and adjust/set how many cores you want to operate in.
    Usual Default is minimum core setting - so have a look and see if you can make the CPU more efficient. Neil.
     
    retiredlearner,
    #4
  6. 2013/11/30
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    When you look in Task Manager - Performance tab how many cores are showing? Screenshot from my original i7 while loading Photoshop.
     

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    PeteC,
    #5
  7. 2013/11/30
    TonyT

    TonyT SuperGeek Staff

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    It's not the operating system that is causing any lags. It the software you may be using. To take advantage of multiple cores the software must be coded in such a way so as to utilize the cores' functionality. Most software is not coded that way. Read this:
    Software impact
     
    TonyT,
    #6
  8. 2013/11/30
    rickduley

    rickduley Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Yes, I don't have any other way.
     
    rickduley,
    #7
  9. 2013/11/30
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    Try CoreTemp - shows temps and load.
     
    PeteC,
    #8
  10. 2013/11/30
    rickduley

    rickduley Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    From the article on that link:
    "There has been a perceived lack of motivation for writing consumer-level threaded applications because of the relative rarity of consumer-level demand for maximum use of computer hardware. Although threaded applications incur little additional performance penalty on single-processor machines, the extra overhead of development has been difficult to justify due to the preponderance of single-processor machines. "

    1. ... the relative rarity of consumer-level demand for maximum use of computer hardware. I find that hard to believe. In this rush-rush-rush world of ours everyone I know is constantly cursing their computer for being too slow.

    2. ... the preponderance of single-processor machines. How long has it been since you were able to purchase a single-core machine. About a decade in Australia! :eek:

    I can appreciate the fact the software producers (I hesitate to call many of them developers) are insufficiently professional to want to produce the best software they can. It's too much like hard work. However, having done a bit of multi-thread programming I can say that it is not all that difficult, and I am sure that there are far more innovative programmers that me around the place. You do, however, need an OS that can handle more than one task at a time without tripping over its own flat feet. :eek:

    As I cited in my original post, "Currently I am moving a large file from my hard drive to my external drive. While that is going on MAGIX Movie Edit Pro MX Plus is setting up to parse a video file into scenes - it's not even parsing right now, just setting up. Everything else grinds to a halt. XP would handle that on a dual-core and have time to play me some music while it did so. " Give Windows 7 a couple of jobs to do simultaneously and it has a fit of the vapours! :mad:
     
    rickduley,
    #9
  11. 2013/11/30
    rickduley

    rickduley Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    rickduley,
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  12. 2013/11/30
    SpywareDr

    SpywareDr SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    SpywareDr,
    #11
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  13. 2013/11/30
    James Martin

    James Martin Geek Member

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    Ah, be careful not to press the big green download button, :mad: or you'll be installing junkware. I respect Major Geeks, but their page layout is one of the more confusing I ever seen.

    I think I have the mess finally removed. :rolleyes:
     
    James Martin,
    #12
  14. 2013/11/30
    James Martin

    James Martin Geek Member

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    Take at look at these if you want try a few more options...

    SpeedFan

    CPU Thermometer


    Both are rather small programs, but Speed Fan has to be installed - however, it has more to offer, too.
     
    James Martin,
    #13
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  15. 2013/12/01
    TonyT

    TonyT SuperGeek Staff

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    The developer's problem is that quite often a software is coded and then updated over the years, new features added, bugs fixed, etc. Then, new hardware become available and the software would require a rewrite from the ground up to take advantage of the new hardware features. That's not worth the time & energy for the developer, the ROI is not there.

    By default, Windows 7 does not take full advantage of multi core processors. Some adjustments can be made to get full use of Windows 7 & your CPU. See:

    Processor Affinity setting in Windows 7
     
    TonyT,
    #14
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  16. 2013/12/01
    SpywareDr

    SpywareDr SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    :confused:

    There is no "big green download button" on MajorGeeks:
     

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    SpywareDr,
    #15
  17. 2013/12/01
    SVEN

    SVEN Well-Known Member

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    Pardon me for butting in here, but there must be a setting to activate the affinity setting automatically, because no matter what program I open, they all are set to use all 6 processors. I followed the link that TonyT gave above and followed the instructions there.
    I have a lot of "new" software, but even office front page from 2002 is using 6 cores.
    Is there a global setting?

    Thanks
    Sven
     
    SVEN,
    #16
  18. 2013/12/01
    James Martin

    James Martin Geek Member

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    Over to the right and down just a bit. Your screenshot missed it.
     
    James Martin,
    #17
  19. 2013/12/01
    SpywareDr

    SpywareDr SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    . . .
     

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    SpywareDr,
    #18
  20. 2013/12/01
    James Martin

    James Martin Geek Member

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    Maybe it's a browser issue. I'm using Firefox.

    Wait, I see you're using FF too. :confused:
     

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    James Martin,
    #19
  21. 2013/12/01
    SpywareDr

    SpywareDr SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    Hmmm. Don't see one here in Firefox, Chrome or IE. <-shrug->
     
    SpywareDr,
    #20
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