Is a multiple processor/CPU's speed (combined/total) in the thousands of Ghz or ten's of thousands?

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
4thcoming

4thcoming

Distinguished
Jan 27, 2012
24
0
18,510
CPU's that have multiple processors in them, like AMD's 6 (or 8 core) chipset or Intel's i5 or i7, if each processor/CPU is between 3.4Ghz and 4.0Ghz, then would the combined total of speed be in the thousands still or tens of thousands?

(For example: 4 CPU's/processors that are each 3.4Ghz, would they be more like 12,000 Ghz combined and if so why don't companies list it like that?)
 
Solution
Moonsfang
Not every process however can be divided evenly amongst all the cores. Some things can be split up and some cant. You have handles, threads, and processes. For instance if you open up a game you will generally see only one or two processes in the task manager, and you will see multiple threads and handles. Multi core CPUs are just more efficient when running multiple things at once and can help reduce loads by giving different processes to different cores. Then there is scaling.. http://www.extremetech.com/computing/116561-the-death-of-cpu-scaling-from-one-core-to-many-and-why-were-still-stuck/2
Sort by date Sort by votes
Moonsfang

Moonsfang

Honorable
Oct 15, 2013
258
0
10,860
Not every process however can be divided evenly amongst all the cores. Some things can be split up and some cant. You have handles, threads, and processes. For instance if you open up a game you will generally see only one or two processes in the task manager, and you will see multiple threads and handles. Multi core CPUs are just more efficient when running multiple things at once and can help reduce loads by giving different processes to different cores. Then there is scaling.. http://www.extremetech.com/computing/116561-the-death-of-cpu-scaling-from-one-core-to-many-and-why-were-still-stuck/2
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution
B

bigpinkdragon286

Splendid
Oct 3, 2012
4,648
35
28,590
Companies don't list processor speed as a combined total of cores multiplied by core speed as it would be a very misleading thing to do. As Moonsfang said, programs do not get divided evenly among all of the processing cores found on a CPU, plus there is arbitration overhead when using multiple cores in a single application, so you will never get perfect scaling. It is enough to know core count, frequency, and have a relative idea of IPC (instructions per cycle) to have an understanding of how a processor will perform. We wouldn't be helped by manufacturers adding more useless metrics to their parts to further confuse consumers. :)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Moonsfang

Moonsfang

Honorable
Oct 15, 2013
258
0
10,860


As if it isn't already confusing enough for the average person. Even people that know what there talking about can get confused when you have so many different things to go by as it is. Doesn't help that the actual processor name are all so similar.. It's probably the reason that all the microarchitectures have their distinct code names such as Haswell, Ivy Bridge, ect.. It would probably be a lot more simple with few numbers and more distinct features. I'm sure there is a lot of people that get sick of doing their own research because of it and then turn to ask other people or just make a lazy uniformed decision.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
hunter315

hunter315

Champion
May 12, 2009
10,653
3
51,960
The frequency is the same, each core has a signal going to it that alternates four billion times a second for a 4GHz processor, just because you have 4 cores doesn't mean you now magically formed a signal that alternates 16 billion times a second, they are all feeding from the same clock signal.


Now, your MIPS and FLOPS have increased, those are the actual metrics of computing performance, for a perfectly parallel task 4 cores means you can perform four times as many instructions per clock cycle but each clock cycle still happens in 1 four billionth of a second(aka 4GHz)

Avoid confusing clock speed with how much a CPU can do, as soon as you cross between micro architectures the clock speed is a meaningless number. Good example of this is how 3.3GHz Core2Quads were notably outperformed by the 2.66GHz i7 920 when it first launched, the core2's had a 25% advantage in clock speed, but the i7 architecture was about 30% more efficient per clock so it easily closed the gap.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
8350rocks

8350rocks

Distinguished
Mar 14, 2013
6,235
0
18,460


That's a good layman's summation.

Look at it like this...

Within the same manufacturer, and architecture generation, clockspeed is a relative comparison of speed of the processor.

For example, one can compare the FX 6300 and FX 8350, the 6300 runs @ 3.5 GHz and the 8350 @ 4.0 GHz, the 8350 will be notably faster.

Now, if you compare the FX 6200 (bulldozer) to the 6300 (piledriver), the 6200 runs @ 3.9 GHz, giving it a clockspeed advantage. However, the 6300 is 15% more efficient processing instructions. This means the 11.4% advantage in clockspeed is actually overcome by the greater efficiency in the 6300. The 6300 will be faster at lower clockspeeds.

You can do the same with Intel as well.

Use clockspeed as a reference point in the same generation of the same architecture, as a relative measure of performance
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
logainofhades

logainofhades

Titan
Moderator
Apr 27, 2009
37,552
3,221
143,290
I heard a Best Buy sales guy trying to sell a laptop to this old couple and he combined the clock speed among all 4 cores. I think he saw the look on my face as he quickly moved away. :lol: I am amazed that I haven't been kicked out of a Best Buy yet. Far too many don't have the slightest clue as to what they are attempting to sell.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Moonsfang

Moonsfang

Honorable
Oct 15, 2013
258
0
10,860


Whenever I'm in a best buy and see them doing that I always correct them. Sometimes management in best buys know what they are talking about. But thats typically only if they're an ethusiast or gamer. They hire people that are good salesmen and nothing more. Your better to attempt to fix your own pc even if you have no idea what your doing than take it to them so they can make more non exsistent problems for you to pay them for.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Moonsfang

Moonsfang

Honorable
Oct 15, 2013
258
0
10,860


Yeah true.. Although some of they're employees make a lot more than they should.. I've seen some Geek Squad members get $12/hr.. Best Buy intentionally trains morons though and make them into lying salesmen. You could have taken it in there with an unplugged SATA cable and they may have said the same thing.

 
Upvote 0 Downvote
logainofhades

logainofhades

Titan
Moderator
Apr 27, 2009
37,552
3,221
143,290


You can hire high school and college kids that are competent even at those wages. BB just hires idiots.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom