Disabling hyperthreading???

[wildonion]

I helped a friend of mine purchase a Compaq Presario S5400NX desktop for the specific purpose of recording/editing music with Digidesign ProTools.

Digidesign specifies that Hyperthreading must be disabled before installing ProTools. Easy enough, right? Just disable Hyperthreading in the BIOS, right? Wrong.

I couldn't find where to disable Hyperthreading in the BIOS. So I contacted Compaq support. Here is their answer:

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The option to disable Hyperthreading in the BIOS is not available in your model. However, you would be able to run the software in a compatibility mode. For more information on how to run in a software in a compatibility mode, please visit the following website:

http://tinyurl.com/q2vz
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How can the option to disable Hyperthreading not be available? I always had reservations with Compaqs...but the features and price were right. Now I know why I had reservation.

Does anyone know if there is anything that can be done to disable Hyperthreading, or are we S.O.L?

Much thanks in advance.

 

[ekÆsine]

it is impossible to disable hyperthreading, this is handled by the processor only, not user. this is what compaq was telling you also, but in a politically correct manner. there is something wrong with digidesign instructions or you did not understand them correctly.

 

[m3incorp]

Exactly what ek said. Hperthreading is built in the new P4 processors.

 

[Bleep]

it is impossible to disable hyperthreading, this is handled by the processor only, not user. this is what compaq was telling you also, but in a politically correct manner. there is something wrong with digidesign instructions or you did not understand them correctly.

I have the option to enable/disable H/T in bios. Not sure if the switch in the bios actually does anything, but it does have the option.

As far as the compaq goes...no idea. Never owned one.

 

[g5orbust]

Compaq tweaks the BIOSes on their computers to keep people from f***ing them up. I have a new Compaq as well and the BIOS on it doesnt even show the CPU's core multiplier and voltage settings, nor does it allow any access to tweakable subsystems. Pretty shitty if you ask me.

 

[illippinno]

it is impossible to disable hyperthreading, this is handled by the processor only, not user.

actually, i have the option of enabling or disabling HT. it may depend on the motherboard, i'm guessing. because i have the asus p4p800, which from what i read, was meant for ht processors. so in the bios, theres an option for me to enable or disable HT.

but yeah, thats kinda weird that some pc arent able to have the option of enabling or disabling ht.

 

[ekÆsine]

thats's very strange, .... i wonder why you would need to disable it at all though?

 

[illippinno]

i dont either. and honestly, i dont see the difference with using HT or without. I mean, i recently upgraded from a 2.4 P4 to a 2.8 P4 w/ HT, and nothing really feels different. performance on games and sound and photo programs are about the same also, so yeah.

 

[TranquilityBase]

Of course theres an option to enable/disable HT, and yes it is specific to the motherboard. The thing is, some people notice a lag in applications with hyperthreading enabled. It's useful if say ur playing a game and music and and antivirus and firewall are all on at the same time. I saw a guy on some forums who posted pics of him testing the HT technology by having like 7 or 8 instances of Quake 3 on at the same time. Without HT u usually get like 200 fps on one of the games and the other one is totally frozen. With HT enabled, all the 8 instances of Quake were operational and each one was at around 30 fps.

 

[wildonion]

Well, Compaq informed me of a BIOS update that may allow disabling of Hyperthreading. I'll try that on my friend's computer later tonight.

As far as why Hyperthreading is required to be disabled...I don't know. I think the manual says it degrades performance in some way...but I'm not sure, as the Pro Tools isn't mine....and I haven't had a chance to read the manual at length.