{"id":14150,"date":"2021-10-21T14:17:48","date_gmt":"2021-10-21T12:17:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/g100.us\/?p=14150"},"modified":"2022-04-27T19:18:47","modified_gmt":"2022-04-27T17:18:47","slug":"cpu-cores-vs-logical-processors-threads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-cores-vs-logical-processors-threads\/","title":{"rendered":"CPU Cores vs. Logical Processors &#038; Threads"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_39 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">TABLE OF CONTENTS<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6684445ee51c4\" class=\"cssicon\"><span style=\"display: flex;align-items: center;width: 35px;height: 30px;justify-content: center;direction:ltr;\"><svg style=\"fill: #7f11e0;color:#7f11e0\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #7f11e0;color:#7f11e0\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\" \/><\/svg><\/span><\/label><label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6684445ee51c4\" class=\"cssiconcheckbox\">1<\/label><input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6684445ee51c4\" checked><nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 \"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-cores-vs-logical-processors-threads\/#What_Are_Cores\" title=\"What Are Cores?\">What Are Cores?<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-cores-vs-logical-processors-threads\/#What_Are_Core_Clock_Speeds\" title=\"What Are Core Clock Speeds?\">What Are Core Clock Speeds?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-cores-vs-logical-processors-threads\/#Is_it_Better_to_Have_More_Cores_or_Less_More_Powerful_Cores\" title=\"Is it Better to Have More Cores or Less, More Powerful, Cores?\">Is it Better to Have More Cores or Less, More Powerful, Cores?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-cores-vs-logical-processors-threads\/#What_are_Threads\" title=\"What are Threads?\">What are Threads?<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-cores-vs-logical-processors-threads\/#What_is_Hyper_Threading\" title=\"What is Hyper Threading?\">What is Hyper Threading?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-cores-vs-logical-processors-threads\/#Do_all_CPUs_support_Hyperthreading_or_SMT\" title=\"Do all CPUs support Hyperthreading or SMT?\">Do all CPUs support Hyperthreading or SMT?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-cores-vs-logical-processors-threads\/#Are_Threads_as_fast_as_Cores\" title=\"Are Threads as fast as Cores?\">Are Threads as fast as Cores?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-cores-vs-logical-processors-threads\/#Do_you_need_a_CPU_with_Hyperthreading_or_SMT_support\" title=\"Do you need a CPU with Hyperthreading or SMT support?\">Do you need a CPU with Hyperthreading or SMT support?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-cores-vs-logical-processors-threads\/#What_Are_Logical_Processors\" title=\"What Are Logical Processors?\">What Are Logical Processors?<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-cores-vs-logical-processors-threads\/#How_Can_You_See_How_Many_Logical_Processors_Your_CPU_Has\" title=\"How Can You See How Many Logical Processors Your CPU Has?\">How Can You See How Many Logical Processors Your CPU Has?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-cores-vs-logical-processors-threads\/#Logical_Processors_vs_Physical_Cores\" title=\"Logical Processors vs Physical Cores\">Logical Processors vs Physical Cores<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-cores-vs-logical-processors-threads\/#Conclusion\" title=\"Conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-cores-vs-logical-processors-threads\/#Over_to_You\" title=\"Over to You\">Over to You<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>There\u2019s so much to take into account when looking for a CPU.<\/p>\n<p>Cores, threads, clock speeds, caches, overclocking potential, operating temperatures, TDP, IPC\u2026 the list goes on and on.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s only natural that all these specifications can become confusing when it comes to the nature of their purpose.<\/p>\n<p>So let\u2019s take it step by step.<\/p>\n<p>In this article, we will take a look at one of the most important aspects related to a processor\u2019s performance: <strong>Its physical cores, threads, and the resulting logical processors<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>What makes each of these components unique? What are they used for? How many do you need for your workloads?<\/p>\n<p>And most importantly: <strong>Do Threads or Logical Processors perform the same as Cores?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Well, before we start mixing up terminology let\u2019s take a closer look at what they mean:<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Are_Cores\"><\/span>What Are Cores?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A CPU core is a CPU\u2019s processor.<\/p>\n<p>Though CPUs used to operate with just a single core, modern-day processors are predominantly multi-core.<\/p>\n<p>This means they have at least two or more cores installed onto an integrated circuit die (or multiple chiplets), and can therefore process two or more tasks simultaneously.<\/p>\n<p>Note that each core can only execute a single task at a time.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14278\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/How-do-cores-work-1.jpg\" alt=\"How do cores work\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/How-do-cores-work-1.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/How-do-cores-work-1-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/How-do-cores-work-1-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/How-do-cores-work-1-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/How-do-cores-work-1-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14278 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"How do cores work\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/How-do-cores-work-1.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/How-do-cores-work-1-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/How-do-cores-work-1-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/How-do-cores-work-1-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/How-do-cores-work-1-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/How-do-cores-work-1.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>If the CPU\u2019s cores are insufficient for the number of tasks being processed, a performance penalty is incurred.<\/p>\n<p>This is known as Context Switch Overhead.<\/p>\n<p>In order for a core to process different tasks, one task must be removed, and the next task must be loaded.<\/p>\n<p>So, simply put, Context Switch Overhead is when the CPU spends a lot of time switching between tasks, rather than processing them.<\/p>\n<p>This\u2019ll become important when we look at what threads are a bit further down.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Are_Core_Clock_Speeds\"><\/span>What Are Core Clock Speeds?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A core\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intel.com\/content\/www\/us\/en\/gaming\/resources\/cpu-clock-speed.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">clock speed<\/a> is a measure of its processing frequency, which is not necessarily a measure of its overall performance.<\/p>\n<p>To be more precise, the term \u201cclock speed\u201d refers to the number of cycles of calculations that the core runs per second.<\/p>\n<p>This metric is nowadays measured in Gigahertz: billions of cycles per second.<\/p>\n<p>The reason why clock speeds are not the sole determining factor of performance for a CPU is because the internal architecture \u2013 the synergy between multiple cores \u2013 and the size of the internal caches are paramount for producing its overall performance.<\/p>\n<p>One CPU might be able to process more <strong><em>per cycle<\/em><\/strong> than another CPU, simply because of its architecture design.<\/p>\n<h4>What Are Base &amp; Boost Clock Frequencies?<\/h4>\n<p>A CPU\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-base-clocks-vs-boost-clocks\/\">base clock speed is the minimum frequency the CPU<\/a> will operate at when idle, or when processing low-level workloads.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast, the boost clock frequency is a metric that signifies how much the CPU\u2019s performance can be enhanced when running more demanding tasks and processes.<\/p>\n<p>Boost clock frequencies are automatically applied and are limited by the resulting heat that can be tolerated by the CPU before it reaches unsafe levels of operations (among other factors).<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_14114\" style=\"width: 2048px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14114\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-14114\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2018\/09\/Turbo-Boost-Turbo-Core.jpg\" alt=\"Turbo Boost (Turbo Core)\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2018\/09\/Turbo-Boost-Turbo-Core.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2018\/09\/Turbo-Boost-Turbo-Core-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2018\/09\/Turbo-Boost-Turbo-Core-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2018\/09\/Turbo-Boost-Turbo-Core-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2018\/09\/Turbo-Boost-Turbo-Core-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14114\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-14114 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Turbo Boost (Turbo Core)\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2018\/09\/Turbo-Boost-Turbo-Core.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2018\/09\/Turbo-Boost-Turbo-Core-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2018\/09\/Turbo-Boost-Turbo-Core-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2018\/09\/Turbo-Boost-Turbo-Core-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2018\/09\/Turbo-Boost-Turbo-Core-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2018\/09\/Turbo-Boost-Turbo-Core.jpg\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-14114\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cores can be overclocked with available temperature and power headroom<\/p><\/div>\n<p>When this occurs, the boost clocking function will automatically be turned off or throttled.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-base-clocks-vs-boost-clocks\/\">This article<\/a> goes into this topic in-depth if you want to learn more.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_it_Better_to_Have_More_Cores_or_Less_More_Powerful_Cores\"><\/span>Is it Better to Have More Cores or Less, More Powerful, Cores?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The answer to this question depends solely on the type of workloads your computer will be working on.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re one of our frequent readers, you\u2019ll most likely be familiar with the terms \u201cactive\u201d and \u201cpassive\u201d workloads.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14279\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/Active-Work-VS-Passive-Work.jpg\" alt=\"Active Work VS Passive Work\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/Active-Work-VS-Passive-Work.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/Active-Work-VS-Passive-Work-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/Active-Work-VS-Passive-Work-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/Active-Work-VS-Passive-Work-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/Active-Work-VS-Passive-Work-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14279 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Active Work VS Passive Work\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/Active-Work-VS-Passive-Work.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/Active-Work-VS-Passive-Work-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/Active-Work-VS-Passive-Work-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/Active-Work-VS-Passive-Work-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/Active-Work-VS-Passive-Work-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/Active-Work-VS-Passive-Work.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Active workloads refer to any process that needs the user to manually manipulate or adjust data in real-time, in order to complete a task.<\/p>\n<p>Typical examples of active workloads include interacting with your Application\u2019s Viewport in real-time in <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/best-computer-for-after-effects\/\">Motion Design<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/best-software-for-3d-modeling\/\">3D Modeling<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/?s=video+editing\">Video Editing<\/a>, or gaming.<\/p>\n<p>Passive workloads, on the other hand, are tasks that are usually easily parallelizable and that can be left unattended - passive.<\/p>\n<p>This mainly refers to rendering tasks, like <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-vs-gpu-rendering\/\">CPU or GPU rendering<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/best-computer-3d-modeling-rendering\/\">3D rendering<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/best-gpu-for-editing-rendering\/\">video rendering<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h4>Active Workloads<\/h4>\n<p>Active workloads are more so dependent on high single-core performance and boost clock speeds.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, such workloads will require fewer, but more powerful, cores for smoother overall operation.<\/p>\n<h4>Passive Workloads<\/h4>\n<p>Passive workloads benefit from high core counts and higher base clock speeds.<\/p>\n<p>These processes will need CPUs with a higher core count, like AMD\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amd.com\/en\/products\/ryzen-threadripper\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Threadripper<\/a> series.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_Threads\"><\/span>What are Threads?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Another aspect that passive workloads benefit from are high thread counts and hyperthreading capabilities.<\/p>\n<p>But what are these \u201cthreads\u201d?<\/p>\n<p>In short, a thread is a set of data that is sent from an application to the CPU in order to be processed.<\/p>\n<p>Threads are not physical components of the CPU, but rather an indicator of the amount of processes the cores can handle.<\/p>\n<p>Remember the Context Switching Overhead we talked about in the Cores section before?<\/p>\n<p>Because a lot of the performance of a Core is wasted on switching between tasks, threading creates multiple virtual cores out of each physical core (usually two threads per core).<\/p>\n<p>This allows for optimized queueing of tasks and utilizes the real core much more efficiently.<\/p>\n<p>Having the ability to process multiple threads allows your CPU to seamlessly switch between workloads and tasks.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_Hyper_Threading\"><\/span>What is Hyper Threading?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wnS50lJicXc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hyperthreading<\/a> on Intel\u2019s CPUs and SMT (Simultaneous Multi-Threading) on AMD\u2019s CPUs are names for the process of splitting physical cores into virtual cores \u2013 allowing a single core to process multiple threads more efficiently.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14280\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/How-does-Hyper-threading-work.jpg\" alt=\"How does Hyper-threading work\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/How-does-Hyper-threading-work.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/How-does-Hyper-threading-work-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/How-does-Hyper-threading-work-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/How-does-Hyper-threading-work-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/How-does-Hyper-threading-work-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14280 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"How does Hyper-threading work\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/How-does-Hyper-threading-work.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/How-does-Hyper-threading-work-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/How-does-Hyper-threading-work-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/How-does-Hyper-threading-work-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/How-does-Hyper-threading-work-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/How-does-Hyper-threading-work.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>It is essentially a way of scheduling threads to be executed by the core without any downtime.<\/p>\n<p>This is accomplished by readying a thread to be processed, while another thread is being executed.<\/p>\n<p>Hyperthreading and SMT aren\u2019t actually the <strong><em>simultaneous<\/em> <\/strong>processing of two threads by one physical core, but rather an efficient way to have two threads prepared for optimized processing - one at a time.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_all_CPUs_support_Hyperthreading_or_SMT\"><\/span>Do all CPUs support Hyperthreading or SMT?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Most CPUs will have the ability of Hyperthreading or SMT and run two threads per Core.<\/p>\n<p>There are some CPUs, though, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/is-intel-celeron-any-good\/\">lower-tier Intel Celeron<\/a> or AMD Ryzen 3 CPUs that do not support Hyperthreading or SMT and therefore will have just one thread running per core.<\/p>\n<p>Intel especially disables Hyperthreading support even on some higher-tier CPUs, mostly for market-segmentation reasons, so be sure to check the product description for Cores &amp; Threads before buying even higher-tier CPUs.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_Threads_as_fast_as_Cores\"><\/span>Are Threads as fast as Cores?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Threads are not as fast as Cores.<\/p>\n<p>Hyperthreading or SMT allows tasks to be scheduled more efficiently, meaning they can use parts of the Core that are currently not actively processing a task.<\/p>\n<p>In a best-case scenario, Threads provide around 50% more performance compared to a physical core.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_you_need_a_CPU_with_Hyperthreading_or_SMT_support\"><\/span>Do you need a CPU with Hyperthreading or SMT support?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>This depends on your workload.<\/p>\n<p>Because a task will always prefer to run on a free Core over a free thread (since Cores are faster than Threads), depending on your type of typical workloads, you might not make use of your CPU\u2019s threads at all.<\/p>\n<p>If you run active workloads such as 3D Modeling or Gaming throughout a typical day, chances are you will not utilize all of your Cores since such workloads can\u2019t be parallelized easily and usually run on just one or two Cores.<\/p>\n<p>For workloads such as CPU Rendering that make use of 100% of your cores and then easily make use of all your available threads as well, though, having a CPU with Hyperthreading or SMT support can make a considerable performance difference.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Are_Logical_Processors\"><\/span>What Are Logical Processors?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Now that we\u2019ve gone through what cores and threads are, defining logical processors is a far easier task.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_14286\" style=\"width: 2048px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14286\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-14286\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/What-are-Logical-Processors.png\" alt=\"What are Logical Processors\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/What-are-Logical-Processors.png 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/What-are-Logical-Processors-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/What-are-Logical-Processors-1024x540.png 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/What-are-Logical-Processors-768x405.png 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/What-are-Logical-Processors-1536x810.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14286\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-14286 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"What are Logical Processors\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/What-are-Logical-Processors.png 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/What-are-Logical-Processors-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/What-are-Logical-Processors-1024x540.png 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/What-are-Logical-Processors-768x405.png 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/What-are-Logical-Processors-1536x810.png 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/What-are-Logical-Processors.png\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-14286\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Logical Processors are Virtualized Processors that the System can address and access<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Logical processors are simply a measure of how many Cores the operating system sees and can address.<\/p>\n<p>It is, therefore, the product (multiplication) of the number of physical cores with the number of threads each core can handle.<\/p>\n<p>So, let\u2019s say you have an 8 core 8 thread CPU.<\/p>\n<p>The number of logical processors you will have will be 8.<\/p>\n<p>This value is a product of the number of physical cores (8), and the number of threads they can handle (1).<\/p>\n<p>But what if your CPU is capable of hyperthreading?<\/p>\n<p>Well then each core can handle two threads, so an 8 core CPU will have 8 * 2 = 16 logical processors.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Can_You_See_How_Many_Logical_Processors_Your_CPU_Has\"><\/span>How Can You See How Many Logical Processors Your CPU Has?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you\u2019d like to see how many logical processors your CPU has, simply open the task manager on your Windows OS (CTRL+Shift+ESC) and click on performance, then highlight the CPU tab, and check the bottom right-hand side of the window.<\/p>\n<p>Right underneath the number of cores of the CPU will be the number of logical processors.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_14151\" style=\"width: 645px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14151\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-14151\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/logical-processors-and-cores-in-the-windows-task-m.jpeg\" alt=\"Logical Processors and Cores in the Windows Task Manager\" width=\"645\" height=\"560\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/logical-processors-and-cores-in-the-windows-task-m.jpeg 645w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/logical-processors-and-cores-in-the-windows-task-m-300x260.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 645px) 100vw, 645px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14151\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-14151 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20645%20560%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Logical Processors and Cores in the Windows Task Manager\" width=\"645\" height=\"560\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20645%20560%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 645w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 645px) 100vw, 645px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/logical-processors-and-cores-in-the-windows-task-m.jpeg 645w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/logical-processors-and-cores-in-the-windows-task-m-300x260.jpeg 300w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/10\/logical-processors-and-cores-in-the-windows-task-m.jpeg\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-14151\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Logical Processors and Cores in the Windows Task Manager<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Logical_Processors_vs_Physical_Cores\"><\/span>Logical Processors vs Physical Cores<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>What is more valuable? Logical processors or physical cores?<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s an easy answer: Physical cores.<\/p>\n<p>Remember, with multithreading you aren\u2019t processing two threads simultaneously, you are simply scheduling the threads so that the single physical core can process them as efficiently as possible.<\/p>\n<p>Logical Processors (or Threads) at most will introduce a 50% performance uplift in workloads that are well parallelized such as CPU Rendering.<\/p>\n<p>Physical Cores will show a 100% performance increase in such workloads.<\/p>\n<p>In single-threaded workloads, you\u2019ll most likely see no performance increase at all, when switching from a CPU without Threading-support to a CPU with Threading-support (all other factors being the same).<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Logical Processors are the number of CPU Threads the Operating system sees and can address.<\/p>\n<p>Because your PC will always schedule tasks on physical cores first before spilling over into using Threads, having a CPU with Hyperthreading or SMT will benefit you the most if you can make use of all of the CPU\u2019s Cores in workloads such as CPU Rendering.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Here\u2019s a simplification<\/strong>: Your CPU Core is your mouth and your two Hands are the Core\u2019s Threads.<\/p>\n<p>The task that should be processed is: eating.<\/p>\n<p>If you take food into one hand and place it into your mouth then chew and swallow and only after you\u2019re finished doing that, you reach out to grab some more food, the mouth sits there idly waiting for more food to be placed into the mouth.<\/p>\n<p>This is a waste of processing time.<\/p>\n<p>With two Hands (two threads), the second hand can already place food into the mouth to be processed while the first-hand looks for more food.<\/p>\n<p>Well, now I\u2019m hungry...<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Over_to_You\"><\/span>Over to You<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>What CPU are you eyeballing and do you need Hyperthreading or SMT support for your kind of workloads? Let us know in the <a href=\"#comments\">comments<\/a> or our <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/forum\/\">forum<\/a>! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s so much to take into account when looking for a CPU. Cores, threads, clock speeds, caches, overclocking potential, operating temperatures, TDP, IPC\u2026 the list goes on and on. It\u2019s only natural that all these specifications can become confusing when it comes to the nature of their purpose. So let\u2019s take it step by step....<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2343,"featured_media":14165,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[74],"tags":[117],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14150"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2343"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14150"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14150\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19046,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14150\/revisions\/19046"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14165"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}