With dual core CPUs coming out in the next few months, we're starting to develop our own real world multitasking tests to see if dual core CPUs will really improve performance in those scenarios. So I'm asking you all, let me know what sort of multitasking you all do and we'll do our best to get some of it included in future articles. Either post in the comments or drop me an email.
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bersl2 - Saturday, April 2, 2005 - link
The most stringent test of multitasking ability I might realistically present:Folding@Home
Firefox (add some CPU time if displaying Flash or Java)
OpenOffice
MPlayer
a large compile
the usual complement of supporting programs (precisely: XTerms and attached shells, xconsole, gkrellm, fluxbox, the X server (actually significant), daemons, the kernel)
Alternatively, I leave on Folding but close most other things if I'm going to play UT2k4. Too lazy to shut that off.
I guess you could add the slight overhead incurred by sshd or iptables every time some bot takes a few potshots at root :)
For reference, this is on a 2GHz Williamette.
Fayer - Saturday, April 2, 2005 - link
BTEmule
Windows Media Player(HD-wmv playback)
Network Firewall&Anti-Virus Monitor
MSN messenger
Photoshop
Firefox with 10+ tabs
Matt Smith - Friday, April 1, 2005 - link
I also wouldn't mind seeing something like an "emerge kde" benchmark under gentoo. But I'm sure other websites will do this.Matt Smith - Friday, April 1, 2005 - link
Firefox, Thunderbird, WMP (playing .wma's), Norton (just auto-protect), maybe a couple of Office appsand
A divx encode, large compilation (.NET?), and WinRar encode
Probably just 2 of those last 3 at a time.
jesse - Friday, April 1, 2005 - link
I often have either Photoshop and After Effects open, or Photoshop and Maya- and this is while I have firefox, thunderbird, and iTunes running.Rich - Friday, April 1, 2005 - link
Burning DVD's and zipping up large Outlook PST files . Any database sql statements using aggregation will churn.maharajah - Friday, April 1, 2005 - link
The only time I really multitask at home is when I'm doing MPEG 2/4 encoding with some photoshop work.Normally I need to run the encode at low priority, so that Photoshop and the GUI can be responsive.
It would be interesting to see the MPEG 2/4 encode running at normal and/or high priority on the dual core with Photoshop running at normal priority. Is the OS smart enough to handle these threads, or must the user assign a process to a processor/core ?
Pete - Friday, April 1, 2005 - link
Any update on the status of the the 550 / MCE article(s)?Thanks!
Dmitheon - Friday, April 1, 2005 - link
Why not run the Database load tests you all did in the Dual CPU Database Server Comparison? While not applicable to alot of the home users stuff, it'd be a good way to show how applications designed to take advantage of multi-cpu set ups will benefit. For practical purposes for this audience, a file sharing app on a closed network that is downloading 1 stream, uploading 3 streams, a FlaskMPRG encoder converting a ripped DVD to DivX and running the Half Life 2 AT_c17_12 demo. Run the demo 4 times, by itself, with file share, with encodings, and then with both.RickR - Friday, April 1, 2005 - link
DSCALER would be the ultimate test of a multi-proc system. Whenever I'm watching TV on my PC with DSCALER, everything else slows to a crawl.