PC shows 2 Processors when I have only got one

I built this PC myself about 18 months ago (hence the most likely reason for the problem mentioned below)

Anyway, all the system info shows 2 CPUs and some applications like Photoshop show that this machine has got 2 processors, when it just has one.

How do I configure the machine to correct this? I am concerned that perhaps it might be affecting performance.

BIOS or OS?

FYI, ASUS P4C800-E Deluxe Motherboard. P4 2.8 Prescott CPU.

Cheers

I’d say if it runs like it has two, leave it alone! :wink:

no it doesn’t :blush: more like half a CPU some days, but I’m a speed freak so maybe that’s an opinion.

It’s normal and is in this case called hyper-threading. In short it’s a way of dual CPU emulating giving up to like 30% performance gain at the most.

YingFan

[quote=“YingFan”]It’s normal and is in this case called hyper-threading. In short it’s a way of dual CPU emulating giving up to like 30% performance gain at the most.

YingFan[/quote]
Ah ha, yes my processor has hyper-threading, but geez I didn’t realize that it would show up as hardware like that. :sunglasses:

Thanks - is F.com great? less than 30 mins and now I can sleep at night again. :wink:

[quote=“YingFan”]It’s normal and is in this case called hyper-threading. In short it’s a way of dual CPU emulating giving up to like 30% performance gain at the most.

YingFan[/quote]
It’s also possible you’ve been visited by processor gnomes.

[quote=“miltownkid”][quote=“YingFan”]It’s normal and is in this case called hyper-threading. In short it’s a way of dual CPU emulating giving up to like 30% performance gain at the most.

YingFan[/quote]
It’s also possible you’ve been visited by processor gnomes.[/quote]

The gnomes are dangerous.

Step 1: Trick Truant into thinking he has 2 processors.
Step 2:?
Step 3: Profit!

[quote=“Frost”][quote=“miltownkid”][quote=“YingFan”]It’s normal and is in this case called hyper-threading. In short it’s a way of dual CPU emulating giving up to like 30% performance gain at the most.

YingFan[/quote]
It’s also possible you’ve been visited by processor gnomes.[/quote]

The gnomes are dangerous.

Step 1: Trick Truant into thinking he has 2 processors.
Step 2:?
Step 3: Profit![/quote]
man, you gotta think of step two to be able to fool me.

Could your processor be a dual core cpu? I’ve read somewhere that new pentium chips are already dual core.

Hmm… no chance of dual-core. It must be hyper-threading.
BTW, I’ve found that in Windows 2000 the performance is actually lower when you enable hyper-threading (at least in some applications).
It seems that only Windows XP and recent Linux distributions take advantage of hyper-threading.

Hmm… no chance of dual-core. It must be hyper-threading.
BTW, I’ve found that in Windows 2000 the performance is actually lower when you enable hyper-threading (at least in some applications).
It seems that only Windows XP and recent Linux distributions take advantage of hyper-threading.[/quote]
it is a Prescott 2.8E processor with 800mhz FSB, 1mb L2 cache. Oh and Hyperthreading.
I am running XP OS.

18 months ago, this processor was the shit. But what’s that law in IT?:What you thought was the shit 18 months ago, is just shit now.

Anyway, here is a picture I took of it last night. (geez that macro feature on the digicam is good) I’m sure this picture holds all the answers I am looking for…

Good thing you provided that picture. I think I’ve spotted the problem. There appears to be a little dust on the left side of the CPU. Clean that off, and it should be fine.

:wink:

I honestly have no idea what to tell you about your “problem” since I’ve never used hyperthreading before. However, it does make a little bit of sense that the hyperthreading would be the reason why you have 2 CPUs appearing. What did your google searching turn up about hyperthreading and 2 CPUs?

[quote=“scomargo”]
I honestly have no idea what to tell you about your “problem” since I’ve never used hyperthreading before. However, it does make a little bit of sense that the hyperthreading would be the reason why you have 2 CPUs appearing. What did your google searching turn up about hyperthreading and 2 CPUs?[/quote]

Bruddy good idea.

intel.com/support/processors … 017371.htm

a bit of light reading from intel confirms that my problem is actually a feature and I should be orgasmic at the sight of 2 CPUs in the task manager.

Whew.

[quote=“truant”]18 months ago, this processor was the shit. But what’s that law in IT?:What you thought was the shit 18 months ago, is just shit now.[/quote]That’s Moore’s law, but he didn’t quite put it that way. They had lost it, and Intel made an appeal to find it, luckily someone found it hidden under his floorboards

[quote=“truant”]Anyway, here is a picture I took of it last night. (geez that macro feature on the digicam is good) I’m sure this picture holds all the answers I am looking for…
[/quote]

Wow… you actually took your cpu apart! :bravo: Nice camera, BTW. Does it look anything like this?

Anyway, be careful when you put the cpu back together - you have to refill it with smoke and replace the smoke seal.

[quote=“Andre”] Nice camera, BTW. Does it look anything like this?

Anyway, be careful when you put the cpu back together - you have to refill it with smoke and replace the smoke seal.[/quote]
no it looks more like this:

I put the CPU is the freezer first, so the smoke is still there in a frozen blob. I think my hammer is too big to put it back in tho. :blush: