Is hyper-threading really necessary??

[veightar]

Ok, Using a single core computer processor, I thought as it is, hyper threading will end up speeding up my pc like crazy. But it seems to do nothing for the Pc. You might be thinking, this guy just does single tasking, but I really love multi tasking that is why I'm really into this multi threading thing.
The initial processor I tried on was a Pentium 4 2.8GHz processor. but the tasking seems to be decreasing.
now, im wondering, is it me or the multi threading business dont work so awesome like I thought.

[cyberneticsoldier]

The reason hyper threading won't enhance performance so much is because it's still only one processor. The only thing hyper threading does is use unused cpu cycles to do other stuff. So basically you get ~1.3 processors in total, not 2. If you want to multitask I suggest buying a real dual core processor.
Depending on how much multitasking you want to do you can even go for quad or hexacore these days, but that's only if you have deep enough pockets xD

By the way, why are you discussing this now? The processor you tried this on is (in computer years) ancient and so is hyper threading, it's nothing new. I think if you google hyper threading you'll find a ton of information, including how it works and why you don't see the increase you expected to see.

[stardom]

HT on a P4 2.8..wow..i thought my p4 3.0 was nice back in the day. until i bought a new game and it didnt support MMX intrusions. now im rocking an OEM i pulled out of a Gateway i burned up. a AMD quad 4 - 1.8GHz OCed to 2.0 which supports MMX intrusions and multitaks like a charm.

[Smith6612]

HT on a P4 2.8..wow..i thought my p4 3.0 was nice back in the day. until i bought a new game and it didnt support MMX intrusions. now im rocking an OEM i pulled out of a Gateway i burned up. a AMD quad 4 - 1.8GHz OCed to 2.0 which supports MMX intrusions and multitaks like a charm.

If I'm not mistaken, the Pentium 4s support MMX instructions as well as SSE 1, 2, and 3.

There's no true benefit from HyperThreading other than the fact that it helps to speed up calculations slightly. Nothing else to it, and obviously won't make a single core processor act like a dual-core processor.

[justin.scherer14]

Hyperthreading was used back in the day to make a single-core processor act like a dual-core processor. It was the "innovation" of those days. Now, we learned that the hyperthreading does not do much. Like the first guy said, it makes a computer maybe have 1.3 processors running. If you wanted to do anything with the processor that you have is overclocking it but that is still not the greatest idea. The best idea is getting a new computer, preferably one that you would build yourself. I have been building computers now for two years and they are not hard to build. Yeah not to brag but my newest computer has a hexa-core from AMD running at 3.2 GHz. If you need any help on getting a new computer or parts just ask.

[crabbypup]

older computers like that are great as a home server. i have been using mine for folding@home, but i recently took one of my folding boxes (3.0ghz p4 OC'ed to 3.45ghz, 1.5gb DDR RAM, 80gb SATA) and put CentOS 5.5 on it for use as a web server. we have been doing web development in class, but there are no class access web servers in the school.

there are great uses for old computers, just not as a primary desktop. heck, even my AMD athlon x2 QL-60 (1.9ghz/core) is kinda on the wimpy side for my needs. building myself an athlon quad soon.