old software + dual core = ???

[tomos]

I'm looking at buying a new computer*

Someone told me some older software might have problems working with dual core processors -
I've never heard that - anyone have any opinions there?

I still have, for example, Photoshop 5.5 - I've often considered upgrading but really find it's always done what i need - besides I would have needed a new computer to run a more recent version - it would be ironic if buying a new computer then forces me to upgrade...

thanks,
tom

* (Struggling between getting a cheap online built PC or getting a lot more expensive one built locally)

[mwb1100]

I wouldn't worry about it.

I think those kinds of problems are very, very rare. You'd probably have a higher likelihood of problems if you had something that used an ancient device driver.

If you do encounter problems, there are several fixes/workarounds, including being able to disable the 2nd core in BIOS settings.

A less drastic approach can be found fromthe July 2006 issue of CPU magazine:

Kill The Core

If you have a dual-core system, you already know you can press CTRL-ALT-DELETE to open the Task Manager and keep tabs on both cores via the Performance tab. Task Manager has a few other tricks that will let you use both cores as efficiently as possible.

By default, Windows assigns process threads to each core so that the two balance the load as evenly as possible. This is great because spikes in processor usage don’t bring all running apps to a halt as they would in a single-CPU environment. Some apps refuse to run in this configuration, but it is possible to force particular processes to use a particular core. Select the Processes tab, right-click a process’ entry, and click Set Affinity. Uncheck the CPU box that you don’t want the process to use, and the app will only run on the core that remains checked.

Unfortunately, Set Affinity is a single-use fix. Shut the app down, fire it up again, and it will try to access both cores again. To permanently force a program to use one core, download RunFirst (free; www.activeplus.com/us/freeware/runfirst), which can permanently make any program use the first core. ImageCFG (free; www.robpol86.com/Pages/imagecfg.php) lets you force any program to use either core.

[tomos]

thanks mwb 

It's good to know something can be done about it if a problem arises

[Grorgy]

I read a review about this somewhere to because I was interested when i went to a dual core, they said that the worst they had experienced was that the older programs didnt take advantage of the dual cores, which made me feel more comfortable about it. And there is always the fix above if something does go wrong

[Laughing Man]

Usually doesn't benefit from dual core (or suffer usually). That's pretty much. Though with emulators it's pretty funny cause they'll run at an extremely fast rate that you can't even see anything. Though that's why you activate the framerate limiter lol.

[f0dder]

There's a few things that cause problems with apps on multicore - and that's basically programs that are timing-sensitive and written in a bad way. This includes just about all games based on the Unreal game engine.

Btw this only affects AMD dualcore CPUs, not the ones from intel... and can usually be fixed, anyway, by limiting CPU affinity so the app only runs one a single core.

[lanux128]

if you are into gaming, it may be necessary to install the AMD Dual-Core optimizer so that games don't crash.

here's what AMD says about the patch..

The AMD Dual-Core Optimizer can help improve some PC gaming video performance by compensating for those applications that bypass the Windows API for timing by directly using the RDTSC (Read Time Stamp Counter) instruction. Applications that rely on RDTSC do not benefit from the logic in the operating system to properly account for the affect of power management mechanisms on the rate at which a processor core's Time Stamp Counter (TSC) is incremented. The AMD Dual-Core Optimizer helps to correct the resulting video performance effects or other incorrect timing effects that these applications may experience on dual-core processor systems, by periodically adjusting the core time-stamp-counters, so that they are synchronized.

• http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/content_type/utilities/Setup.exe

[f0dder]

Sounds like an ugly workaround >_< - if your incompatible and rdtsc-using apps/games aren't mulithtreaded (and most won't be), just use a tool to limit affinity to one core...

[wreckedcarzz]

I have a dual-core "family" PC that I bought with my dad recently and I am not happy with it. Just my personal opinion, based mainly on the lower GHz and that most apps still don't take advantage of it. I have a Celeron D 3.5Ghz (single core) in my personal desktop and it works perfectly. Fast and no problems.
Just my opinion.
-Brandon

[f0dder]

I'm very happy about my dualcore AMD, definitely a step up from single core. I did choose a dualcore with the same per-core GHz rating as my old singlecore, which meant going from a 3500+ to a 4400+...

But I'd rather have a dualcore somewhat-slower-per-core system than a single-core super-fast system. Multitasking is just so much smoother, especially with heavy stuff running in the background. Loving it 

Celeron? Ewww, handicapped cache (but cheap - we do like that).

[Curt]

I have no idea, but I would think multi core machines would be a great plus at pc startup? I am right now thinking on EVEREST and Outlook which I used to have placed in Start. I was using a startup manager and had to give both Everest and Outlook a full minute each to start, before the next program could be launched - but if my PC is all calm these two programs will both cold-start in less than ten seconds! I imagine such behavior at startup improves a lot on multicore?

[Curt]

Celeron? Ewww, handicapped cache (but cheap - we do like that).

Can Celeron D's cache be improved, or do I have to get a new processor / motherboard / PC ??


- mine is 3.33 GHz but slow !??

[Lashiec]

Of course it can be improved... if you have a Intel-like lab at your house

I'm afraid the only thing you can do is buy a new processor with a new motherboard as well. I think you don't need a new PC. Bah, until the Core 2 Duo, the entire Intel lineup of processors was terrible.

wreckedcarzz, lower GHz doesn't have to do anything with performance. The improvements in other areas make the dual cores more powerful than their single core counterparts (unless you bought a Pentium D, of course).

[Carol Haynes]

If an app does have problems why not simply limit it to one core? Just change affinity in Task Manager by right clicking on the process.

[f0dder]

If an app does have problems why not simply limit it to one core? Just change affinity in Task Manager by right clicking on the process.

That's what I've been saying for a while

Curt: you can buy a non-celeron processor - depending on which board you have. If your machine is recent enough that you have a socket-775 you're pretty lucky, as upgrading the CPU will be easy. If you have one of the older systems, getting a (reasonably priced!) CPU might be hard, and otherwise you'd have to exchange motherboard, cpu, ram and possibly your graphics card as well.