[ubuntu-uk] Do I have a quad-core netbook (surely not?!)

[Liam Gallear]

Hi there,

In your output check out the Core ID, you have two 0's and two 1's. So you CPU has threading enabled.

Thanks and Regards,

Liam Gallear

On 28 Jun 2011, at 13:26, J Fernyhough <j.fernyhough at gmail.com> wrote:

> On 28 June 2011 13:21, Ross Mounce <ross.mounce at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Dear list,
> <snip>
>> I believe the processor is a dual core Atom
>> N550 http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=50154
>> Two questions: A) Why does it show as 4 processors? Are these all real? Have
>> I somehow 'unlocked' another couple *hopes*?
> 
> It's a dual-core processor with hyper-threading, appearing to the OS
> as having four cores. Two are real, two are "virtual". The design came
> in with the P4, in essence it tries to interleave instructions so the
> core is used more efficiently.
> 
>>                        B) If it's just 4 threads, can I optimally run 4
>> separate instances of a 32-bit program one each on each thread/core without
>> losing overall efficiency? (The program I have in mind is a bit
>> technical/obscure, and no, it doesn't have a 64-bit version)
> 
> You shouldn't lose any efficiency - otherwise Intel wouldn't have
> added it. :) It basically tricks the OS into doing basic
> multithreading so the program doesn't have to.
> 
> Jonathon
> 
> -- 
> ubuntu-uk at lists.ubuntu.com
> https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk
> https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/