What is Hyper Threading? How to enable BIOS support?

Users, at least once engaged in setting up the BIOS, probably noticed that there is a lot of unintelligible parameter of Intel Hyper Threading. And not everyone knows what kind of technology is and why it was created. Let's try to understand what Hyper Threading is, how to enable the use of this support, and at the same time we will find out what advantages for the computer's operation gives such a setting. In principle, there is nothing difficult to understand here.

What is Intel Hyper Threading Technology?

So, what is it? If you do not climb into the jungle of computer terminology, and speak the usual language, this technology was created to increase the flow of commands that are simultaneously processed by the central processor.

As a rule, today modern processor chips use their computing capabilities only by 70%. The rest remains, so to speak, in reserve, just in case. With regard to data flow processing, in most cases only one thread is implemented, even though the processor can be multi-core.

Basic principles of work

To increase the capabilities of the CPU, Hyper Threading technology was developed. It allows either to split one stream of commands into two, or add a second to the already existing one. That's just such a thread is virtual, and does not work in the physical plane. This approach allowed to significantly increase the processor's performance, respectively, and the whole system began to work much faster. In general, the CPU performance gain can fluctuate quite strongly (from 5 to 80%), as will be discussed separately.

However, as claimed by the developers themselves, the brainchild of which was the technology of Hyper Threading, it clearly does not reach the full-fledged processor core. However, in some cases, its use is justified, as they say, one hundred percent. And if you know the essence of Hyper Threading processes (how to include them and apply them in practice), the result will not be long in coming.

A bit of history

Now a little bit of a history of this development. For the first time Hyper Threading support appeared only in Intel Pentium 4 processors, and then its implementation was continued in the Intel Core iX series (where X is a series of processors: 3, 5, 7) and even in processors for mobile devices in the Atom series. It is noteworthy that in the line of processor chips Core 2 it for some reason is missing.

Then, however, the performance gain was rather weak, somewhere at the level of 15-20%, which indicated that the processor itself did not have the necessary processing power, and the technology created overtook its time. However, today Hyper Threading is available in almost all modern chips. In addition, to increase the power of the CPU, the process uses only 5% of the surface of the crystal, thus leaving room for processing the main data stream and instructions.

Performance and conflict issues

Of course, all this is good, but sometimes in the processing of data there may be a slowdown. This is mainly due to the so-called branch prediction module or insufficient cache volume, when it constantly reboots.

If we talk about the main module, the situation here is that in some cases the first thread can request data from the second, and they are not yet processed or are in the processing queue. Equally common are situations where the core of the CPU is too heavy, and the main module, despite this, still sends data to it. Finally, some programs and applications, in particular resource-intensive online games, can be slowed down very much, if only because they do not have optimization for using such technology.

With games, after all, what happens? For its part, the user's computer system tries to optimize the data flows from the application to the server. But the trouble is that the game does not know how to distribute data streams of different types, so to speak, dumping everything in one heap. By and large, it does not happen at all and is not calculated at all.

By the way, often in 2-core processors the performance growth is much higher than, for example, in 4-core processors. The latter simply have enough computing power.

Hyper Threading: How to enable the option in the BIOS?

With the technology itself and the history of its appearance, we sorted out a little. And now we have come close to understanding what Hyper Threading is. How can I include the claimed support for use in the processor? As easy as pie. This is done from the control subsystem (BIOS). The input is made by using the keys Del, F1, F2, F3, F8, F12, F2 + Del, etc. For notebooks Sony Vaio there is a specific input with the help of a special key ASSIST.

In BIOS settings (if this type of processor supports this technology) there is necessarily a tuning line, which in most cases looks like Hyper Threading Technology (sometimes Function). But, depending on the version of the BIOS and the developer of the subsystem, the setting of this parameter can be located either in the main menu (Main) or in the advanced settings (Advanced BIOS Features). To activate the technology, enter the parameter menu and set the value to Enabled. Next, as usual, the changes are saved, and then the system should be rebooted.

What is useful in Hyper Threading Technology?

Finally, there are some advantages to using Hyper Threading. Why is this all done, why increase the processor's processing power?

Those who work with resource-intensive programs, do not need to explain anything. Surely many people know that mathematical, design, graphic, video and audio editors require in their work not so much, but a lot of system resources, because of what the whole system is loaded to such an extent that it starts to slow down. That's why this does not happen, and Hyper Threading support is activated.