Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 3.3
illustrates how a dual-core processor handles multiple applications for faster
performance.
Figure 3.3
How a single-core processor (left) and a dual-core processor (right) handle multitasking.
It's important to realize that multicore processors don't improve single-task performance
much. If you play non-multithreaded games on your PC, it's likely that you would see
little advantage in a multicore or hyperthreaded CPU. Fortunately, more and more soft-
ware (including games) is designed to be multithreaded to take advantage of multicore
processors. The program is broken into multiple threads, all of which can be divided
among the available CPU cores.
Thefollowingsections discussthemajorfeatures oftheseprocessorsandthedifferentap-
proaches Intel and AMD take to bring 64-bit multicore computing to the PC.
Processor Manufacturing
Processors are manufactured primarily from silicon, the second most common element on
the planet. (Only the element oxygen is more common.) Silicon is the primary ingredient
in beach sand; however, in that form it isn't pure enough to be used in chips.
The process by which silicon is formed into chips is a lengthy one that starts by growing
pure silicon crystals via what is called the
Czochralski method
(named after the inventor
oftheprocess).Inthismethod,electricarcfurnacestransformtherawmaterials(primarily
quartz rock that is mined) into metallurgical-grade silicon. Then to further weed out im-
purities, the silicon is converted to a liquid, distilled, and then redeposited in the form of
