Force Flow
01-03-2004, 04:22 AM
A very interesting article on the subject of dual processors.
The initial assumption that I see people make right off the bat once I even bring up the topic of a dual processor computer is that since it has two processors it should then be twice as fast, right? I mean after all isn't 2000 Mhz x 2 = 4000 MHz? Wrong.
This concept of double speed makes sense to most people; however, it is far from the truth. Having two CPU's in your machine will not make it twice as fast. Instead it introduces a concept further referred to as multitasking. I am sure everyone is perfectly familiar with this term in the realm of computers. Multitasking refers to the process of letting the operating system perform multiple tasks at what seems to the user as simultaneously. In computers with only one processor this is done by switching executions very quickly between each program, thus giving the impression of simultaneous execution. This sort of behavior is also referred to as task switching or timesharing. Practically all modern day operating systems have this ability.
http://www.themodfathers.jolt.co.uk/?page=&action=show&id=6782
The initial assumption that I see people make right off the bat once I even bring up the topic of a dual processor computer is that since it has two processors it should then be twice as fast, right? I mean after all isn't 2000 Mhz x 2 = 4000 MHz? Wrong.
This concept of double speed makes sense to most people; however, it is far from the truth. Having two CPU's in your machine will not make it twice as fast. Instead it introduces a concept further referred to as multitasking. I am sure everyone is perfectly familiar with this term in the realm of computers. Multitasking refers to the process of letting the operating system perform multiple tasks at what seems to the user as simultaneously. In computers with only one processor this is done by switching executions very quickly between each program, thus giving the impression of simultaneous execution. This sort of behavior is also referred to as task switching or timesharing. Practically all modern day operating systems have this ability.
http://www.themodfathers.jolt.co.uk/?page=&action=show&id=6782