Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Apple Inc. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: OrionX who wrote (51330)	2/24/2006 2:21:55 PM
From: Done, gone.	Respond to of 213177

Thanks! I'm definitely one of these who don't understand all that and would therefore add nothing to the speed conversation, except confusion. (g)

To: OrionX who wrote (51330)	2/24/2006 11:38:30 PM
From: Doren	Respond to of 213177

One nice option is under the "Window" menu called "CPU usage" that'll tell you how busy the cpus are. Older versions of OSX cames with an application called CPU Monitor that does just that. Basically tells you what percent of potential CPU usage you are using. Theoretically, using an app that recognizes both CPUs, in a large calculation project like a 3D rendering, if you have enough RAM and big enough pipes (bus) your usage would be 100%. All three must be balanced to tap the maximum power of your system. Most of the time on my dual gig I use about 5% because activities like typing don't tax the CPU. If I was rendering a 3D movie my CPUs would be taxed to the max where the calculating would be limited by the RAM and bus and writing to the drive would be limited by the disk speed and the bus. The app would be trying to do all three ASAP. 3D people can't ever get enough RAM or fast enough CPUs or buses. SGI had very fast buses if I remember correctly. Some apps like 3D apps require more calculations and so are more RAM intensive. Some like movie rendering apps require a little less calculation and relatively more writing to the disk so those guys like raids. More RAM the better the CPUs can work. Unfortunately since I have a slow bus it's probably rare to use the entire potential of the CPUs since data has to be passed back and forth through the bus. Some apps are only single processor aware. Some apps can use one processor and let you use the other while they calculate in the background. I think that's right but correct me if I'm full of it.