XP 32bit only makes use of one core?

ID:277909
 
Jul 19 2008, 6:51 am
I always thought when you had a 32bit operating system, dual cores were treated as one. They worked together for one process, but in 64bit, they worked separately on different processes... RIGHT?

Now some guys telling me that XP 32bit only uses one of my cores? Is that right?
Jul 19 2008, 7:16 am
A dual-core processor shows up as two processors, and they both get used.
Jul 19 2008, 8:43 am
I think this guy might be drawing his conclusion from a common misconception that Windows XP can't do dual core.

Windows XP (Non-professional version) can only use/detect one physical processor, but it can use as many cores within that processor as it wants (Within reason. I imagine there's some kind of upper limit).
Jul 19 2008, 9:29 am
In response to Elation
Just look in the task manager under performance and you can see what both cores are doing.
Jul 19 2008, 9:34 am
In response to Elation
Elation wrote:
I think this guy might be drawing his conclusion from a common misconception that Windows XP can't do dual core.

Windows XP (Non-professional version) can only use/detect one physical processor, but it can use as many cores within that processor as it wants (Within reason. I imagine there's some kind of upper limit).

Hooray for pointless & stupid licensing restrictions!
Jul 19 2008, 10:02 am
In response to Elation
The upper limit probably lives at either 4 cores, or 64, mostly due to what similar Windows server OSes used to get built for.

It wouldn't surprise me if it can do multi-processors, too. After all, how many people do you come across that have tried to install XP on an Opteron system?