quad core cpu

[old man john]

Hello. I have been searching for information on quad core cpu’s for some time, and have found that the only info is for Dr. Frankenstein to get out his electron microscope and dissect it and add, or remove, millimicron thin solid gold wires. Don’t need this info, as I can not find the on/off switch on my microscope. What I would like to know is how to make my quad core’s all work, not just one kicking butt while the other 3 just stand around like the local street workers.
Now this reminds me of when I was researching 64 Vs 32 bit. I came to the conclusion that it is best to get the 64, but understand that it will take a bit for programs to be built for the 64 format. OK I said I can still use the 32, and when the 64 programs come out I will be ready to go!
Here it is, today, 1 ½ years later, and I am done getting use to going from XP to Vista to 7. I have been getting to know my new computer and 7. I am starting to play with said computer and find I know nothing of what I thought I did. Start with FSB, use to be go to bios and check it, now there is something about multipliers, and speeds and some other neat stuff. Use to be FSB was right out there in the open when you went to buy a MB. Now you need to hunt for it, hidden in mumbo jumbo wordage. I have to admit that I have not kept up with all the new info since I built my first system back in 2000 other than going from a 283 to P4 cpu’s and MB’s on each new build to this build of a quad cpu.
If I have read correctly in the hours of searching, there is a similarity in quad cpu’s and the 32/64 bit OS. Is it true in order to get all 4 cores to run I need the application to be multi thread? I mean does the app need to be written so the HT can make the cores all work at their best? So after all these words it comes back around to…is there a way, tweak, or app to get all 4 cores to fire equally? I sure hope this makes sense to someone. Here is system info. Thanks

Manufacturer ASUSTeK Computer INC.
Model M3A78-EM
North Bridge AMD 780G Revision 00
South Bridge AMD SB700 Revision 00
CPU AMD Phenom(tm) 9850 Quad-Core Processor
Cpu Socket Socket AM2+ (940)
System Slots 4 PCI

Memory Summary 8192 Mbytes
Memory Type DDR2 (PC2-6400)
Speed 400 MHz (DDR2 800)

Number of Logical Processors 4
Number of Physical Processors 1
CPU #1 AMD Phenom X4 9850
CPU Name AMD Phenom(tm) 9850 Quad-Core Processor
CPU Code Name Agena
Vendor AuthenticAMD
Number of Bits 64
Instruction Set MMX (+), 3DNow! (+), SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSE4A, x86-64, NX, VMX
Platform Name Socket AM2+ (940)
Revision DR-B3
Technology 65 nm
Original Clock 2500 MHz
Original System Clock 200 MHz
Original Multiplier 12.5
CPU Clock 2502 MHz
System Clock 200.2 MHz
HT Link 2001.9 MHz
Number of Cores 4
Core #1
Speed 1251.2 MHz
Multiplier 6.25
Core #2
Speed 1251.2 MHz
Multiplier 6.25
Core #3
Speed 1251.2 MHz
Multiplier 6.25
Core #4
Speed 1251.2 MHz
Multiplier 6.25
Virtual Technology Supported Yes
Hyper Threading Supported No
Cache
L1 Data Cache 4 x 64 KBytes
L1 Instructions Cache 4 x 64 KBytes
L2 Cache 4 x 512 KBytes
L3 Cache 2048 KBytes

[max3]

correct me if i am wrong, you have all 4 cores working on same freq:

Number of Cores 4
Core #1 Speed 1251.2 MHz Multiplier 6.25
Core #2 Speed 1251.2 MHz Multiplier 6.25
Core #3 Speed 1251.2 MHz Multiplier 6.25
Core #4 Speed 1251.2 MHz Multiplier 6.25

But, load on all 4 cores is not equal, i.e. only one core seem to be working hard while others are idling -is this right ?

In your specs, i did not see anything related to current OS installed...
Also, can you please, do a screen shot or list of processes running, while that one core is loaded and others are idling...

A bit of HT technology can be found in this paper, i think no need for microscope and dr.frankie to understand whats written there:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/7/7/577a5684-8a83-43ae-9272-ff260a9c20e2/Hyper-thread_Windows.doc

[old man john]

Hi Max, yes 3 of the cores are just sitting there while the 4th runs at about 75%. I have win 7 64 bit installed. I decided to kick the cpu up a notch by having 3 browsers open, a word doc open, and was encoding a dvd, and all 4 were working. The first 3 were at 50% and the last was at about 80%.
I take it having all 4 cores at the same freq is not the way it should be? This is how it came to me, and I have not messed with it. There are 51 processes running now, without loading anything. I don’t know how to do a screen shot of all of them without it being 4 pages long. I will read the paper you have linked and see how much I can keep under the hat without it leaking out my ears!