Does upgrading to a HyperThreaded CPU require a reinstall of Windo

Hello,

I have a P4 2.4 GHz non-HyperThreaded CPU on a machine running WindowsXP
(SP3; all updates). I am planning on putting in a 3.06 GHz HyperThreaded CPU
into the machine (all other hardware will remain identical).

I have read that to maximise usuage of the HT CPU, I should re-install
WindowsXP to have the MicroSoft WindowsXP Pro SP3 install the proper
multithreading kernel.

Is this true? Or can I just put the CPU in and reboot? Or...Although the
current install wil recognise the HT CPU, to truly maximise the usuage of it,
I should in fact do a fresh install so that the multithreading kernel will be
promperly complied on install?

Any suggestions would be helpful.

Thanks,
CH

Ch, I think you are getting WinXP and Linux mixed up.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/810231





"cement_head" wrote in message
...
Hello,

I have a P4 2.4 GHz non-HyperThreaded CPU on a machine running WindowsXP
(SP3; all updates). I am planning on putting in a 3.06 GHz HyperThreaded
CPU
into the machine (all other hardware will remain identical).

I have read that to maximise usuage of the HT CPU, I should re-install
WindowsXP to have the MicroSoft WindowsXP Pro SP3 install the proper
multithreading kernel.

Is this true? Or can I just put the CPU in and reboot? Or...Although the
current install wil recognise the HT CPU, to truly maximise the usuage of
it,
I should in fact do a fresh install so that the multithreading kernel will
be
promperly complied on install?

Any suggestions would be helpful.

Thanks,
CH

cement_head wrote:
Hello,

I have a P4 2.4 GHz non-HyperThreaded CPU on a machine running WindowsXP
(SP3; all updates). I am planning on putting in a 3.06 GHz HyperThreaded CPU
into the machine (all other hardware will remain identical).

I have read that to maximise usuage of the HT CPU, I should re-install
WindowsXP to have the MicroSoft WindowsXP Pro SP3 install the proper
multithreading kernel.

Is this true? Or can I just put the CPU in and reboot? Or...Although the
current install wil recognise the HT CPU, to truly maximise the usuage of it,
I should in fact do a fresh install so that the multithreading kernel will be
promperly complied on install?

Any suggestions would be helpful.

Thanks,
CH



No need to perform a fresh install.

Just boot up then have a look in the control panel
and see how the CPU is detected


Chances are it will be automatically detected...but
If the new one is not picked up properly
just update the drivers as you would any other component

they are of course already built in to Windows


I've done it many times when upgrading machines from single to dual
cpu's etc

cement_head wrote:
Hello,

I have a P4 2.4 GHz non-HyperThreaded CPU on a machine running WindowsXP
(SP3; all updates). I am planning on putting in a 3.06 GHz HyperThreaded CPU
into the machine (all other hardware will remain identical).

I have read that to maximise usuage of the HT CPU, I should re-install
WindowsXP to have the MicroSoft WindowsXP Pro SP3 install the proper
multithreading kernel.

Is this true? Or can I just put the CPU in and reboot? Or...Although the
current install wil recognise the HT CPU, to truly maximise the usuage of it,
I should in fact do a fresh install so that the multithreading kernel will be
promperly complied on install?

Any suggestions would be helpful.

Thanks,
CH

You can change the HAL, via the "Computer" entry in Device Manager.

For example, if you had a single core processor, the "Computer" entry in
Device Manager should say "ACPI Uniprocessor PC". Changing the driver
to using "ACPI Multiprocessor PC", changes the HAL (hardware abstraction layer)
to handling multiprocessor cases. That involves a different set of files,
which are already on your C: drive somewhere. You could make that
change, after the new processor is installed, and Hyperthreading is
enabled in the BIOS.

"HAL options after Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 Setup"

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309283

(Some of the files involved are mentioned on this page)

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/237556

Some HAL changes are easy, such as the one described above. If
the "Computer" entry had a name of "Standard PC", you'd be in for
a lot more trouble, but you'd already have hints of that,
because of the lack of power management features (no soft-off).

Paul

cement_head wrote:
Hello,

I have a P4 2.4 GHz non-HyperThreaded CPU on a machine running WindowsXP
(SP3; all updates). I am planning on putting in a 3.06 GHz HyperThreaded CPU
into the machine (all other hardware will remain identical).

I have read that to maximise usuage of the HT CPU, I should re-install
WindowsXP to have the MicroSoft WindowsXP Pro SP3 install the proper
multithreading kernel.

Is this true? Or can I just put the CPU in and reboot? Or...Although the
current install wil recognise the HT CPU, to truly maximise the usuage of it,
I should in fact do a fresh install so that the multithreading kernel will be
promperly complied on install?

Any suggestions would be helpful.

All you need to do is enable Hyper-Threading in the BIOS and Windows XP
will recognize it without you needing to do anything else.

Certainly none of my business but I have to ask what do you intend to
gain performance wise by doing this upgrade? With all due respect I
submit to you that at best the gains (if any) will be negligible and
that at worse your machine might be slower and that you may end up
disabling HT to improve performance of the machine! Unless a particular
application vendor instructed you to do this to improve performance with
their application this upgrade is probably just a waste of time and money.

John

Thanks Guys, that answers my question.

Cheers,
CH

"John John - MVP" wrote:

cement_head wrote:
Hello,

I have a P4 2.4 GHz non-HyperThreaded CPU on a machine running WindowsXP
(SP3; all updates). I am planning on putting in a 3.06 GHz HyperThreaded CPU
into the machine (all other hardware will remain identical).

I have read that to maximise usuage of the HT CPU, I should re-install
WindowsXP to have the MicroSoft WindowsXP Pro SP3 install the proper
multithreading kernel.

Is this true? Or can I just put the CPU in and reboot? Or...Although the
current install wil recognise the HT CPU, to truly maximise the usuage of it,
I should in fact do a fresh install so that the multithreading kernel will be
promperly complied on install?

Any suggestions would be helpful.

All you need to do is enable Hyper-Threading in the BIOS and Windows XP
will recognize it without you needing to do anything else.

Certainly none of my business but I have to ask what do you intend to
gain performance wise by doing this upgrade? With all due respect I
submit to you that at best the gains (if any) will be negligible and
that at worse your machine might be slower and that you may end up
disabling HT to improve performance of the machine! Unless a particular
application vendor instructed you to do this to improve performance with
their application this upgrade is probably just a waste of time and money.

John
.

Multi-threading, multitasking, video processing, gaming, and being able to do
heavey computational loads and still being able to access my system.

"John John - MVP" wrote:

cement_head wrote:
Hello,

I have a P4 2.4 GHz non-HyperThreaded CPU on a machine running WindowsXP
(SP3; all updates). I am planning on putting in a 3.06 GHz HyperThreaded CPU
into the machine (all other hardware will remain identical).

I have read that to maximise usuage of the HT CPU, I should re-install
WindowsXP to have the MicroSoft WindowsXP Pro SP3 install the proper
multithreading kernel.

Is this true? Or can I just put the CPU in and reboot? Or...Although the
current install wil recognise the HT CPU, to truly maximise the usuage of it,
I should in fact do a fresh install so that the multithreading kernel will be
promperly complied on install?

Any suggestions would be helpful.

All you need to do is enable Hyper-Threading in the BIOS and Windows XP
will recognize it without you needing to do anything else.

Certainly none of my business but I have to ask what do you intend to
gain performance wise by doing this upgrade? With all due respect I
submit to you that at best the gains (if any) will be negligible and
that at worse your machine might be slower and that you may end up
disabling HT to improve performance of the machine! Unless a particular
application vendor instructed you to do this to improve performance with
their application this upgrade is probably just a waste of time and money.

John
.

Unfortunately the only part of HyperThreading that that was effective in
the real world was the "Hype". In controlled bench marking using
software that was designed to take advantage of that feature they could
improve performance by 25%. Real world use shows otherwise.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/10749...us_in_one.html

So go ahead and plug the new chip. The jump from 2.4 to 3.0 will get you
a nice bump. Toggle HT off if you don't see a performance increase.


cement_head wrote:

Multi-threading, multitasking, video processing, gaming, and being able to do
heavey computational loads and still being able to access my system.

"John John - MVP" wrote:


cement_head wrote:

Hello,

I have a P4 2.4 GHz non-HyperThreaded CPU on a machine running WindowsXP
(SP3; all updates). I am planning on putting in a 3.06 GHz HyperThreaded CPU
into the machine (all other hardware will remain identical).

I have read that to maximise usuage of the HT CPU, I should re-install
WindowsXP to have the MicroSoft WindowsXP Pro SP3 install the proper
multithreading kernel.

Is this true? Or can I just put the CPU in and reboot? Or...Although the
current install wil recognise the HT CPU, to truly maximise the usuage of it,
I should in fact do a fresh install so that the multithreading kernel will be
promperly complied on install?

Any suggestions would be helpful.

All you need to do is enable Hyper-Threading in the BIOS and Windows XP
will recognize it without you needing to do anything else.

Certainly none of my business but I have to ask what do you intend to
gain performance wise by doing this upgrade? With all due respect I
submit to you that at best the gains (if any) will be negligible and
that at worse your machine might be slower and that you may end up
disabling HT to improve performance of the machine! Unless a particular
application vendor instructed you to do this to improve performance with
their application this upgrade is probably just a waste of time and money.

John
.