Transitioning the Industry to Multi-Core Processing

One immediate benefit of multi-core processors is how they improve an operating system’s ability to multitask applications. For instance, say you have a virus scan running in the background while you’re working on your word-processing application. This often degrades responsiveness so much that when you strike a key, there can be a delay before the letter actually appears on the screen. On multi-core processors, the operating system can schedule the tasks in different cores so that each task runs at full performance. Another major multi-core benefit comes from individual applications optimized for multi-core processors. These applications, when properly programmed, can split a task into multiple smaller tasks and run them in separate threads. For instance, a word processor can have “find and replace” run as a separate thread so doing a “find and replace” on a big document doesn’t have to keep you from continuing to write or edit.



In a game, a graphics algorithm needing extensive processing power could be one thread, rendering the next scene on the fly, while another thread responds to your commands for a character’s movements. The critical element in multi-core computing is the software. The throughput, energy efficiency, and multitasking performance of multi-core processors will all be more fully realized when application code is threaded and multi-core ready. Intel provides extensive partner programs with software developers, operating system vendors, ISVs, and academia to accelerate the delivery of dual-core and quad-core products. Intel has recently updated the Intel® Threading Building Blocks, Intel® Thread Profiler, and Intel® Thread Checker tools to support our quad-core products.