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Can I Run Two 2.4GHz 533FSB Xeons (with HyperThreding) in Windows XP PRO?

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If I remember correctly the only desktop based Windows that support dual processors is Windows 2000 Pro and Windows XP Pro. I think Windows NT also supported duallies.
 
I thought only NT4.0 Server, Win2K Advanced Server, and Win2003 Server were capable of running more than two CPU's.

My WinXP Pro license says "1-2 CPU" on it, as does my Windows 2000 license.

Am I missing something?
 
I thought only NT4.0 Server, Win2K Advanced Server, and Win2003 Server were capable of running more than two CPU's.

My WinXP Pro license says "1-2 CPU" on it, as does my Windows 2000 license.

Am I missing something?


i think you are exactly right....the win xp pro version only can run two cpus...and i think the windows2000 server can run 4, and maybe more...
 
The difference is, a dually Xeon with HT only has 2 logical CPU's and 2 virtual. As I said, Win XP Pro is the only mainstream MS OS thus far to take advantage of a dually with HT and will show 4 CPU usage graphs in the task manager. I know this for a fact as I run some dually Xeon's at work with XP Pro.
 
The difference is, a dually Xeon with HT only has 2 logical CPU's and 2 virtual. As I said, Win XP Pro is the only mainstream MS OS thus far to take advantage of a dually with HT and will show 4 CPU usage graphs in the task manager. I know this for a fact as I run some dually Xeon's at work with XP Pro.


i don't mean to disagree with you about more than 2 virtual cpus...but i had just read that not more than 2 real cpus could run on win xp pro----

i remember this because i was surprised that it was something wind 2000 pro had over the xp version...maybe there are other things that xp lacks on compared to the win 2000 pro OS that i am not aware of?
 
theotherphil said:
The difference is, a dually Xeon with HT only has 2 logical CPU's and 2 virtual. As I said, Win XP Pro is the only mainstream MS OS thus far to take advantage of a dually with HT and will show 4 CPU usage graphs in the task manager. I know this for a fact as I run some dually Xeon's at work with XP Pro.

Ok. I just wanted to clarify, for certain.
 
The hyperthreaded dual boxes at my work run happily on Win2K Server.

For the MS OS'es:
Pro = up to 2 CPU's
Server = up to 4 CPU's
Advanced Server = up to 8 CPU's
Data Center = up to 32 CPU's

How "logical" cpu's fit into that, I dunno.
 
Logical CPU's are the "real" CPU's. The "virtual" CPU's (HT) are not taken into account when comparing the number of CPU's that the OS supports.

Win2K server will work just fine (as will 2K Pro) but only XP has optimised code to utilise the hyper threading ability of the P4/ Xeons IIRC.
 
ALL OSs have Licences, if you have ever bought a copy of NT4 Workstation you will see that Printed on the CD is written "1-2 processor version" this means that although you can install it on an 8CPU system it will only take advantage of TWO, this is the same thorough all OSs till NT5.1.

If you look at the relavent page for your OS on the microsoft site you will see how many CPUs you OS can take advantage of, NT4 workstation is 2, Win2k Pro is 2, the rest of the family is HERE , Win XP Pro (NT5.1) is more like .NET in itsper CPU licencing alocation, and it realises that while there are 4 Virtual CPUs, there are in fact on 2 physical (logical) so logs licences for only 2, This is why NT5.1 can use dual HT CPUs (Intel Xeon's with HT) Pentium 4HT CPUs cant SMP as you probably know, although to the OS they count as 2 so can use any OS from NT4 Workstation.
 
Virtual CPUs count towards the CPU count of all OSs from NT3.51 to Win2k DCS
e.g Win2k Data Centre Server can support upto 32CPUs OR 16CPUs with HT Technology.

If you doubt this try a system with 2 Xeon Prestonia core CPUs with Win2k Professional, if you do you will see in the Task Manager CPU graph that while the BIOS shows 4 CPUs Win2k only sees 2 this as I have said before is because of Per CPU licencing.

ONLY NT5.1 (how ever the cut down home user version Win XP Home cant I have read but I have never tried this) and above can use dual HT Technology CPUs
 
Yes you are right but it is also capable of running dual HT CPUs (like is said above) it sees to 4 CPUs and realises that althogh there are 4 CPUs there are only 2 Physical and 2 virtual so logs licences for only 2 CPUs and uses 4
 
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