[AccessD] Multi-Core Processors

Well, RAM is cheap relatively speaking.  I would go with 8 gigs minimum.  You can always add more 
later.  Or just get 16 (usually the max you can put in it) and be done with it.

I have consolidated my systems recently and am using VMs heavily.  I have a VM server (Windows 2008 
x64) with a quad core AMD and 16 gigs running 3 VMS.  I have a SQL Server (Windows 2008 x64) with an 
8 core processor and 32 gigs RAM running SQL Server.  I have a linux box running  my Unraid storage. 
  It has a quad core and 4 gigs I believe.

My laptop has a dual core (no hyper threading) and 4 gigs (of which 3 is available) running Vista 
X32.  I sit at my laptop but spend most of my time in a VM or otherwise remote desktopping into a 
remote machine.  Thus the power of the laptop is of limited impact.  I do have an external keyboard, 
mouse and dual monitors on the laptop.  It is really the power of the machine I remote into that 
makes the biggest difference.  In your case, more / faster is better.

John W. Colby
www.ColbyConsulting.com

On 6/18/2011 8:57 PM, Rocky Smolin wrote:
> And how much RAM do you need before adding more doesn't improve response?
>
> I keep Outlook open all the time and it seems to be a processor hog.
> Sometimes two access apps - with code windows.
>
> TIA
>
> Rocky
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of jwcolby
> Sent: Saturday, June 18, 2011 5:46 PM
> To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
> Subject: Re: [AccessD] Multi-Core Processors
>
> Rocky,
>
> The operating system takes care of it all.  Windows (or Linux) has
> waaaaaayyyy more threads running at a time that there are cores, regardless
> of how many cores you have.  The OS decides what core to run a thread on.
> Even applications such as Word may be multi-threaded, for example the spell
> checker in Word runs on its own thread to spell check the document in real
> time as you type in words.  Firefox has a thread looking things up on Google
> as you type.  Like that.
>
> Open task manager and click the processes tab.  Every single one of those
> processes requires *at
> least* one thread.  So anyone who says more cores doesn't help obviously has
> no understanding of how multi-tasking works.
>
>
> For my money, the more (real) cores the better.  4 real cores is better than
> 2, and is better than 2 real cores and two hyper threads.  Of course 4 real
> cores and 4 hyper threads is better yet.
>
> For my money, buy as many cores as you can afford.  A hex core with hyper
> threading will (currently) be the best you can get.  Kinda.  I have a server
> which has dual sockets which can each have a 12 core AMD processor so I
> could have 24 real cores available if I could afford that.  I can't, but I
> do have a single 8 core processor.  I use that box for SQL Server.
>
> Intel cores are (currently) faster and so it is misleading to directly
> compare AMD real cores to Intel real cores.
>
> A quad core Intel with hyper threading is probably going to be faster than a
> hex core AMD without hyper threading *for most applications*.  For a SQL
> Server OTOH perhaps not.
>
> For your case given that you are flush, go Intel i7 with as many cores as
> you can afford.  Make sure it has Hyper threading, though I think all i7s do
> have that.
>
> You will be happy for a long while.
>
> John W. Colby
> www.ColbyConsulting.com
>
> On 6/18/2011 8:27 PM, Rocky Smolin wrote:
>> Dear List(s):
>>
>> In order to take advantage of multi-core processors, do the
>> applications need to be modified?  Or is it taken care of by the
>> operating system or the chip?
>>
>> IOW, I start an access app, open an mdb, then I retrieve my email from
>> Outlook.  Do those two apps run in separate cores theoretically
>> improving the response time?  Does the Word doc I open then run in a
>> third core (of a presumably quad core processor).
>>
>> And if I open the file open or save dialog box in an app like an
>> Office app, does that run in a separate core?
>>
>> I'm trying to decide if I need/should get dual, quad, or hex core
>> processor in a new comp.
>>
>> MTIA
>>
>> Rocky
>>
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