Are more cores in your CPU really better?
The multi-core CPU is the new thing. Dual-core is everywhere and quad-core is appearing on more and more systems. And of course, there seem to be daily announcements of future 64-core chips and more. The question is, does the average PC user really get anything from all these cores? I have two dual-core machines and they are clearly faster than anything I’ve had before but what about quad-core and beyond? The fact is that software has not caught up to the new multi-threading possibilities. Wired surveys the situation and says, “You’re Not Getting Your Money’s Worth Out of That New CPU”. The reason:
But multicore CPU architectures are creating a nightmare for programmers, particularly those who want to take full advantage of the new chips’ power. The upshot? Much of your brand-new CPU’s potential, like an uneducated brain, is going to waste.
Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007 are supposed to multi-thread but I am unaware of any Windows consumer software (except maybe some games) that can really use multi-core processors to full advantage. Does anybody know of any?
Update: Mary Jo Foley says Microsoft is working on the problem:
Microsoft officials have been talking up, as of late, the need for some fundamental changes in software design and development to accommodate the shift to many cores on client systems. There are several Microsoft Research projects focusing on various aspects of the many-core challenge. The newest and seemingly most far-reaching of these is MS-ManiC.
MS-ManiC stands for “Memory Systems for Many Cores”.
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[...] YouTube Are more cores in your CPU really better? » This Summary is from an article posted at Windows Tips and Tricks on Monday, August 27, 2007 The multi-core CPU is the new thing. Dual-core is everywhere and quad-core is appearing on more and more systems … , like an uneducated brain, is going to waste. Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007 are supposed to multi-thread but I am unaware of any Windows consumer software (except maybe some games Summary Provided by Technorati.comView Original Article at Windows Tips and Tricks » 10 Most Recent News Articles About Windows Vista [...]