Re: Buying a new computer, questions!
On Mon, Feb 02, 2004 at 12:57:27AM -0800, Nano Nano wrote:
> I am going to buy a new computer this week (yay Bush tax cuts!) -- will
> it work with Linux?
>
> Intel Pentium 4/ 3.2C GHz 800MHz FSB, 512K Cache, Hyper Threading
> Technology - Retail
>
> Asus 875P Chipset Motherboard for Intel Socket 478 CPU, Model "P4C800-E
> DELUXE" -RETAIL
>
> Corsair XMS Extreme Memory Speed Series, Low Latency (Twin Pack) 184 Pin
> 512MB(256MBx2) DDR PC-3200 - Retail
> (x2 = 1gig)
>
> plus a good case will be $960! woot!
> The other stuff will come over from my old PC.
>
> Will Linux be happy with Hyperthreading and this particular Mobo? I'm
> going to do some googling but I wondered if any could share experiences.
1. I have a Mobile Pentium 4 with h/t running unstable with 2.4 kernel;
seems A-OK to me
2. Read in O'Reilly "Understanding the Linux Kernel" 2nd Ed. that:
"Very recently, Intel introduced the hyper-threading technology.
Basically, the hyper-threaded CPU isa microprocessor that executes two
threads of exectuions at once; it includes serveral copies of the
internal registers and quickly switches between them. Thanks to this
approach, the machine cycles spent when one thread is accessing the RAM
can be exploited by the second thread. A hyper-threaded CPU is seen by
the kernel as two different CPUs, so Linux does not have to be
explicitly made aware of it. However, Lnux breaks the "oldest idle rule"
and forces an immediate resceduling when it discovers that a
hyper-threaded CPU is running two idle processes."
--
Mike
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