Processor Scalability and Linux

[Robert Myers]

On Sun, Aug 8, 2010 at 2:41 PM, Joshua C. <joshuacov at googlemail.com> wrote:

>
> Well, the question is not why I need "that much" power but simply will
> a linux app run better on a 6-core than on a 4-core processor? Of
> course it depends on the ability of this app to utilize all this
> cores/threads. And I know that whatever is on the market today will be
> obsolete in less than a year. This doesn't change the question:
>
> How can I judge if a particular _linux_ app will work well with a
> 6-/4-core cpu? What to look for? How does the OS interact with the app
> in allowing it to use the resources? Is the app solely responsible for
> utilizing all the system resources? Are more cores/threads really
> better?
>
> This is what I mean with scalability. As for the windows-apps: most of
> them (still) cannot use all the cores and a more-than-2-cores cpu is a
> waste-of-money in most of the time. Lets go back to linux.
>

Chrome uses all eight threads if I open enough tabs, but I don't use Chromium.

Otherwise, more cores/threads will potentially be useful to you if

1. You are doing media processing.

2. You are a developer and know how to do things like parallel builds
and/or write your own parallel code.

3. You are running virtual machines.

The ability to use multiple cores/threads has little to do with the
OS.  Most "ordinary" applications still don't make good use of
multiple cores.

>From what you've said so far, it sounds like the number of cores you
buy is just marketing hype as far as you should be concerned.

Robert.