[AccessD] Multi-Core Processors

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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