G
Guest
Not too long ago, I searched and searched for information about the above
entitled subject. I now have some first hand experience with all of the
above, and I thought I'd share the information with you:
Software/Hardware:
XP Pro w/SP2.
MSI K8N Master2-FAR MOBO (the only dual processor SLI capable MOBO currently
on the market...I think)
2 AMD Opteron 280 dual core processors
2 nVIDIA GeForce 7800 GTX 256MB SLI capable graphics cards
Observations:
1. XP Pro will recognize each processor, and each core, as a "separate"
processor. This is confirmed when you open Windows Task Manager and view the
"Performance" Tab. Unfortunately, none of the CPU Usage History graphs are
labeled, so you have no idea which graph represents which CPU or which core.
The CPU Usage scale (the vertical scale to the left of the CPU Usage History
graphs) appears to combine the usage of all 4 (in this case) "CPUs" into one
percentage reading.
2. The "Applications" and "Processes" tabs display information as before
(i.e. as if you had one CPU). No application or process is identified by the
core upon which it is running.
3. There doesn't appear to be any way to "assign" specific functions to a
specific core. My guess is that XP Pro does this internally so that end
users (like myself!) can't screw something up. Each core appears to be doing
something...just what, I couldn't tell you.
4. I assume that some programs (i.e. Adobe Premiere) will assign specific
functions to each CPU, but this will be a specific and unique function of any
program which can recognize multiple CPUs and dual core processors.
5. Scalable Link Interface (SLI) video cards may have been designed to
support high resolution games, but they serve a useful purpose for
home/business applications. Software (in this case supplied by nVIDIA,
controls whether both cards work together to combine both GPUs for faster
video rates (only 1 monitor can be supported in this mode, with extremely
high FPS rates), or whether they function as two "separate" video cards, each
with their own GPU. Since the 7800 GTX has 2 DVI-I video ports, each card
can support two monitors, for a maximum of 4 running at once.
6. Now the neat part. Each DVI-I port supports a digital or an analog
signal. Therefore, you can run any combination of digital or analog monitors
on your card. In my case, I have one NEC LCD 2060NX connected to each 7800
GTX, and one Sony (Dell) CRT connected to one of the 7800s. The CRT connects
to the video card by using an adapter at the card end of the VGA cable to
convert the standard analog cable end into a DVI-I compatible plug which is
recognized by the video card.
7. Now the really neat part. My Sony monitor is a 5 year old 21" CRT. It
has 2 VGA outputs at the rear of the monitor, and an A/B switch on the front
panel. So...I have the CRT connected to both my laptop, and my laptop. I
can switch between the two just by flipping the A/B front panel switch!
8. Each monitor can run at its own resolution, and its own individual
profile (if you calibrate them). In my case, I do video editing and
production for my company. My 2 NEC LCDs run at their native 1600x1200
resolution. I change the CRT resolution from 1024x768 to 800x600 to test how
displays will appear on other end user computers who run more "standard"
resolutions. So, I can maximize my screen real estate by running my
authoring programs on the LCDs, and view the preview video on the CRT.
Extending my desktop across all three monitors allows me to move my mouse
between all three with ease!
entitled subject. I now have some first hand experience with all of the
above, and I thought I'd share the information with you:
Software/Hardware:
XP Pro w/SP2.
MSI K8N Master2-FAR MOBO (the only dual processor SLI capable MOBO currently
on the market...I think)
2 AMD Opteron 280 dual core processors
2 nVIDIA GeForce 7800 GTX 256MB SLI capable graphics cards
Observations:
1. XP Pro will recognize each processor, and each core, as a "separate"
processor. This is confirmed when you open Windows Task Manager and view the
"Performance" Tab. Unfortunately, none of the CPU Usage History graphs are
labeled, so you have no idea which graph represents which CPU or which core.
The CPU Usage scale (the vertical scale to the left of the CPU Usage History
graphs) appears to combine the usage of all 4 (in this case) "CPUs" into one
percentage reading.
2. The "Applications" and "Processes" tabs display information as before
(i.e. as if you had one CPU). No application or process is identified by the
core upon which it is running.
3. There doesn't appear to be any way to "assign" specific functions to a
specific core. My guess is that XP Pro does this internally so that end
users (like myself!) can't screw something up. Each core appears to be doing
something...just what, I couldn't tell you.
4. I assume that some programs (i.e. Adobe Premiere) will assign specific
functions to each CPU, but this will be a specific and unique function of any
program which can recognize multiple CPUs and dual core processors.
5. Scalable Link Interface (SLI) video cards may have been designed to
support high resolution games, but they serve a useful purpose for
home/business applications. Software (in this case supplied by nVIDIA,
controls whether both cards work together to combine both GPUs for faster
video rates (only 1 monitor can be supported in this mode, with extremely
high FPS rates), or whether they function as two "separate" video cards, each
with their own GPU. Since the 7800 GTX has 2 DVI-I video ports, each card
can support two monitors, for a maximum of 4 running at once.
6. Now the neat part. Each DVI-I port supports a digital or an analog
signal. Therefore, you can run any combination of digital or analog monitors
on your card. In my case, I have one NEC LCD 2060NX connected to each 7800
GTX, and one Sony (Dell) CRT connected to one of the 7800s. The CRT connects
to the video card by using an adapter at the card end of the VGA cable to
convert the standard analog cable end into a DVI-I compatible plug which is
recognized by the video card.
7. Now the really neat part. My Sony monitor is a 5 year old 21" CRT. It
has 2 VGA outputs at the rear of the monitor, and an A/B switch on the front
panel. So...I have the CRT connected to both my laptop, and my laptop. I
can switch between the two just by flipping the A/B front panel switch!
8. Each monitor can run at its own resolution, and its own individual
profile (if you calibrate them). In my case, I do video editing and
production for my company. My 2 NEC LCDs run at their native 1600x1200
resolution. I change the CRT resolution from 1024x768 to 800x600 to test how
displays will appear on other end user computers who run more "standard"
resolutions. So, I can maximize my screen real estate by running my
authoring programs on the LCDs, and view the preview video on the CRT.
Extending my desktop across all three monitors allows me to move my mouse
between all three with ease!