Hyperthreading: Two CPUs in One?
PC World | at | by Mike
The latest Pentium 4 processor not only passes another megahertz milestone by running at 3.06 GHz, it also introduces Intel's new hyperthreading technology to the desktop. Hyperthreading enables one processor to act like two. As a result, it can simultaneously tackle multiple applications (or a single application that has multiple threads), put idle CPU cycles to use, and boost system performance by up to 25 percent--all without requiring specially written applications, according to Intel.
Sounds good, doesn't it? Exclusive PC World tests on three of the first systems to use the new processor, however, show that hyperthreading's benefits largely are application- or even task-specific. For example, on the office applications that most people use--such as Microsoft's Word and Excel--hyperthreading had a neutral or slightly negative impact. And on tests specifically designed to expose the benefits of hyperthreading, many improvements were too slight to be detectable by the average user, except with select filters in Adobe Photoshop, with various video and photo programs such as Adobe Premiere and Roxio VideoWave, and on certain multitasking tests.