multi core cpu control - is there a need?

[nudone]

i came across this util today over at shell extension city: CPU-Control by Koma Code.

http://www.koma-code.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=88&Itemid=93

it allows you to configure how the cores are used in a multi core system. so, you can specify whether an application should run on one core or use both.

is there any real point to this. i have a dual core cpu but as i understand it, the software has to be designed to use both cores for there to be any advantage over using one.

this app would be handy for running apps that will only run correctly on a single core - i remember having a game like that (might have been ut2003). but other than that scenario is there any use to this app.

i ask as i'd like to obviously get the most out of my dual core machine and if this app can help then i'll use it.

[mouser]

I get requests to add affinity control to Process Tamer occasionally.  I'd also like to hear from people in the know how you would use such customization options to improve your pc usage.

[f0dder]

For applications that aren't multi-threaded, you can gain some advantage of locking affinity to a single core - especially if the system, other than that, is mostly idle. Windows tends to schedule threads in a "load balancing" kind of way; for multicore CPUs with separate cache per core (rather than the shared approach of core2), it's a bit more optimal to stay on one core and avoid cache reloads and such.

I don't know how much you can really gain by this, as I haven't done any hard tests - but (placebo or not ) some single-threaded things do seem slightly smoother/faster with affinity locking on my AMD64x2.

[nudone]

sounds like it's only going to be useful to me if i play unreal tournament 2003 again.

[Gothi[c]]

I think the results will depend very much on how the application is implemented and how exactly it's using threads (if at all), how frequent threads are created/destroyed and how intensive each individual thread is. It would seem logical to me that with these tools you would be able to gain some (little?) gain for one application while you are slowing down another,...