Simultaneous Multi-Threading (SMT) a.k.a Hyper-Threading is actually a way of fooling the operating system into thinking it's hooked up to two CPU's by making a single chip operate like two separate ones, It does offer some benefits but not across the board.
Running programs that support independent simulteanous threads, the operating system not knowing any better allows the threads to run independently on both CPU's even though there is only one physical processor, in some applications there could be performance gains up to 25%, but at the same time enabling HT will make others lag
Now the main question.
Intel CPU's do 6 operations per clock cycle. Some people believe that HT will double that as there are 2 virtual processors. However they are incorrect, it does not.
HT splits the 6 operations per clock cycle into 2 seperate ones. So in other words you have 2 CPU's doing 3 operations per clock cycle each.
This does not offer many benefits to some applications.
e.g. With HT on
3.4GHZ x3 = 10.2
3.4GHZ x3 = 10.2 (TOTAL: 20.4)
e.g. With HT off
3.4GHZ x6 = 20.4 (TOTAL 20.4)
These are exaclty the same. So it offers no benefits in the operations the CPU is able to perform. Main benefits are seen in programs that allow multi-threading.
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The following software supports Intel's HT technology.
Music
Adobe Audition*
Cakewalk Plasma* 2003
Cakewalk Pyro* 2003
Cakewalk Sonar* 2.0
MAGIX Audio Cleaning Lab* 3.0
MAGIX MP3 Maker* 3.0 Platinum
MAGIX Music Maker* 2003
MAGIX Music Maker* 7
MAGIX Music Studio* 2003
MAGIX Music Studio* 7
MUSICMATCH Jukebox Deluxe* 8.2
Native Instruments Battery*
Native Instruments FM7*
Native Instruments Kontakt*
Native Instruments Reaktor* 3
Pinnacle Clean!* 4.0
Pinnacle myMP3Pro* 4.0
Sony Screenblast* ACID* 4.0
Sony Sound Forge* 7.0
Windows* Media Player 9 Series
Photography
ACDSee*
Adobe Illustrator* CS
Adobe Photoshop* Album* 2.0
Adobe Photoshop* CS
Adobe Photoshop* Elements* 2.0
Microsoft* Digital Image Pro 9
Microsoft* Digital Image Suite 9
Pinnacle Expression*
Pinnacle Instant PhotoAlbum*
Roxio PhotoSuite* 4.0
Ulead DVD PictureShow* 2.0
Ulead PhotoImpact* 8
Tools and Productivity
3DNA Desktop* v.90
Abbyy FineReader*
Adobe Acrobat* 6.0
Buzz 3D MySpace*
Cortona VRML Client* 4.1
DartTrainer*
EarthViewer* 3D Pro
GlobalStreams Vibe Phone*
Pinnacle InstantCOPY*
Reallusion CrazyTalk* Web Edition
Video
Adobe Photoshop* Album 2.0
Cakewalk MediaWorks*
Home Media Networks Showshifter*
huperDVR 2400*
MainConcept EVE*
Microsoft* Digital Image Suite
RealOne Rhapsody*
Roxio* Easy Media Creator* 7
Screenblast Acid* 4.0
Screenblast Movie Studio*
SnapStream Personal Video Station*
3Sonic MyDVD* Studio Deluxe 5
Traktor DJ*
Ulead DVD PictureShow* 2
WinDVD* Platinum 5
Zinio*
Running programs that support independent simulteanous threads, the operating system not knowing any better allows the threads to run independently on both CPU's even though there is only one physical processor, in some applications there could be performance gains up to 25%, but at the same time enabling HT will make others lag
Now the main question.
Intel CPU's do 6 operations per clock cycle. Some people believe that HT will double that as there are 2 virtual processors. However they are incorrect, it does not.
HT splits the 6 operations per clock cycle into 2 seperate ones. So in other words you have 2 CPU's doing 3 operations per clock cycle each.
This does not offer many benefits to some applications.
e.g. With HT on
3.4GHZ x3 = 10.2
3.4GHZ x3 = 10.2 (TOTAL: 20.4)
e.g. With HT off
3.4GHZ x6 = 20.4 (TOTAL 20.4)
These are exaclty the same. So it offers no benefits in the operations the CPU is able to perform. Main benefits are seen in programs that allow multi-threading.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The following software supports Intel's HT technology.
Music
Adobe Audition*
Cakewalk Plasma* 2003
Cakewalk Pyro* 2003
Cakewalk Sonar* 2.0
MAGIX Audio Cleaning Lab* 3.0
MAGIX MP3 Maker* 3.0 Platinum
MAGIX Music Maker* 2003
MAGIX Music Maker* 7
MAGIX Music Studio* 2003
MAGIX Music Studio* 7
MUSICMATCH Jukebox Deluxe* 8.2
Native Instruments Battery*
Native Instruments FM7*
Native Instruments Kontakt*
Native Instruments Reaktor* 3
Pinnacle Clean!* 4.0
Pinnacle myMP3Pro* 4.0
Sony Screenblast* ACID* 4.0
Sony Sound Forge* 7.0
Windows* Media Player 9 Series
Photography
ACDSee*
Adobe Illustrator* CS
Adobe Photoshop* Album* 2.0
Adobe Photoshop* CS
Adobe Photoshop* Elements* 2.0
Microsoft* Digital Image Pro 9
Microsoft* Digital Image Suite 9
Pinnacle Expression*
Pinnacle Instant PhotoAlbum*
Roxio PhotoSuite* 4.0
Ulead DVD PictureShow* 2.0
Ulead PhotoImpact* 8
Tools and Productivity
3DNA Desktop* v.90
Abbyy FineReader*
Adobe Acrobat* 6.0
Buzz 3D MySpace*
Cortona VRML Client* 4.1
DartTrainer*
EarthViewer* 3D Pro
GlobalStreams Vibe Phone*
Pinnacle InstantCOPY*
Reallusion CrazyTalk* Web Edition
Video
Adobe Photoshop* Album 2.0
Cakewalk MediaWorks*
Home Media Networks Showshifter*
huperDVR 2400*
MainConcept EVE*
Microsoft* Digital Image Suite
RealOne Rhapsody*
Roxio* Easy Media Creator* 7
Screenblast Acid* 4.0
Screenblast Movie Studio*
SnapStream Personal Video Station*
3Sonic MyDVD* Studio Deluxe 5
Traktor DJ*
Ulead DVD PictureShow* 2
WinDVD* Platinum 5
Zinio*