two dual core xeons an WIN XP pro

[Guest]

Hi
I am thinking of building workstation with 2 dual core xeons.
With HT enabled system will have 8 (logical) cpus.
My question is will WIN XP pro handle 8 cpu system?
If not any other recomendations?

Thanks

 

[George Hester]

I believe XP Pro is the same for all the Client operating systems. Two CPUs
that's it. XP might allow 4 but that's it. Check the Microsoft site to get
the final answer.

 

[Steve N.]

Hi
I am thinking of building workstation with 2 dual core xeons.
With HT enabled system will have 8 (logical) cpus.
My question is will WIN XP pro handle 8 cpu system?
If not any other recomendations?

Thanks

2 x 2 = 4. Where'd you come up with 8?

The CPU limit for XP Pro is 2 physical CPUs, not logical CPUs, which is
what you'll have.

Steve

 

[Guest]

Thanks George and Steve
I reality cpu's use only two sockets, but they contain two cpu each.
and HT turned on(+4) task manager sould show 8 cpu's.
Now, win xp pro will count sockets, phisical cpu's, logical cpu's?

 

[Kerry Brown]

All versions of XP count sockets. Not sure about win2k.

http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/highlights/multicore.mspx

Kerry

 

[Guest]

Thank Kerry for the link.
WIN XP pro will do the job.

 

[Steve N.]

All versions of XP count sockets. Not sure about win2k.

http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/highlights/multicore.mspx

Kerry

 

[Steve N.]

All versions of XP count sockets. Not sure about win2k.

Same for Win2K but to enable 2nd socket you have to re-install.

I don't think 2K has HT support, though, unless it came with SP3 or 4.

Steve

 

[Guest]

Thanks Steve, but i think I'll go with XP.

 

[George Hester]

No it doesn't. XP or later that's it. And yes a reinstall will be
necessary to recognize the other CPU. Cannot be done in Dvice Manager
looking at a Dual system there will explain why.

 

[Leythos]

No it doesn't. XP or later that's it. And yes a reinstall will be
necessary to recognize the other CPU. Cannot be done in Dvice Manager
looking at a Dual system there will explain why.

I've done it in the Device Manager without any problem on a number of
machines. I just installed a P4/HT CPU in a machine that had a non-HT
CPU in it two days ago - it came up and detected the change and
installed the proper Multi ACPI CPU for it. Later that day I did another
machine that didn't autodetect it and manually changed the ACPI CPU to
MULTI manually and it worked fine. Both machines show up with Dual CPU
graphs in the Task Manager.

 

[Steve N.]

I've done it in the Device Manager without any problem on a number of
machines. I just installed a P4/HT CPU in a machine that had a non-HT
CPU in it two days ago - it came up and detected the change and
installed the proper Multi ACPI CPU for it. Later that day I did another
machine that didn't autodetect it and manually changed the ACPI CPU to
MULTI manually and it worked fine. Both machines show up with Dual CPU
graphs in the Task Manager.

We were talking about Win2K.

Steve

 

[Leythos]

We were talking about Win2K.

That was unclear from your post, but you can replace the HAL in 2000
also, without a reinstall.

 

[Steve N.]

That was unclear from your post, but you can replace the HAL in 2000
also, without a reinstall.

It would have been clear if you hadn't snipped out the part that
mentioned Win2K earlier. But you are apparently right, the odd thing is
that M$ says you have to re-install the OS to enable Dual CPU support
but I found an article to the contrary here:

http://windows.about.com/library/tips/bltip111.htm

Steve

 

[Leythos]

It would have been clear if you hadn't snipped out the part that
mentioned Win2K earlier. But you are apparently right, the odd thing is
that M$ says you have to re-install the OS to enable Dual CPU support
but I found an article to the contrary here:

http://windows.about.com/library/tips/bltip111.htm

Again, sorry, I don't read entire threads all the time and this was one.
From the item I read I was answering correctly.

I don't know if the same works on NT4, as we never had a need to do it,
but it's worked on Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows 2003. Most of
the XP and 2003 systems have auto-detected the additional CPU and auto-
installed the new HAL. Most of the 2000 systems we've done required a
manual change of the HAL.

 

[George Hester]

Mmm... I don't have Dual CDP graphs in my Task Manager in my Dual System. I
have a CPU Usage History Graph and a Page File History Graph. That's it.
And let's not get into whether the system recognizes the Dual CPUs or not.
Windows XP SP2 Professional.

 

[George Hester]

Yes that article you mentioned is what I was going on. I guess there is
something to say about empiracal evidence.

 

[Leythos]

Mmm... I don't have Dual CDP graphs in my Task Manager in my Dual System. I
have a CPU Usage History Graph and a Page File History Graph. That's it.
And let's not get into whether the system recognizes the Dual CPUs or not.
Windows XP SP2 Professional.

Open TaskManager, select View, select One Graph PER CPU.

If you don't see two at that point then you either don't have the MULTI
CPU kernel installed or your machine is not working correctly.

Open Device Manager, select Computer, under Computer you should see
"ACPI Multiprocessor PC" if you have a HT or Dual CPU system.

 

[George Hester]

Like I said I do not want to get into whether the system recognizes the 2
CPUs. Other than that I do not have "select One Graph PER CPU." In Device
Manager under Computer I have MPS Multiprocessor PC. That is because by
default ACPI is NOT enabled in a dual processor machine. And no that is not
an option.