This guide is if you have a AMD Dual core CPU
Bottom
Assuming you just installed all hardware and are about to or have just installed XP 32bit.
If your about to install XP and it doesn't include SP2 go here.
1. Install latest motherboard drivers eg. Nvidia, VIA etc.
2. Install latest video card drivers eg. Nvidia,ATI etc. For motherboard drivers and video card driver links please go here.
3. Install latest updates from here.
Now onto setting up dual core to run correctly under XP.
1. Install the amd drivers,AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 Dual Core Processor Driver for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 Version (exe) 1.3.2.16 download it from here.
2. Install XP Dual-Core Hotfix Download the hotfix from here. After installing, restart. NOTE: Don't run the hotfix on XP 64 bit.
3. Edit your registry to enable the HOTFIX, follow these steps
| 1 | Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK. |
|---|---|
| 2 | Right-click HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager, point to New, and then click Key. |
| 3 | Type Throttle for the new key name. |
| 4 | Right-click Throttle, point to New, and then click DWORD Value. |
| 5 | Type PerfEnablePackageIdle for the value name. |
| 6 | Right-click PerfEnablePackageIdle, and then click Modify. |
| 7 | In the Edit DWORD Value box, type 1. In the Value data box, make sure that Hexadecimal is selected, and then click OK. |
| 8 | Exit Registry Editor. |
4. Next step make sure your BOOT.ini is set up correctly with this command in it, /usepmtimer to so this right click on My Computer go to properties, now click on the advanced tab, next under startup and recovery click on settings, Now click on EDIT.
This is how you want your boot.ini to look.
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional Main O/S" /fastdetect /usepmtimer
5. Install the AMD DUAL CORE OPTIMIZER, download it from here.
Now checking it’s all working
If the Task Manager (ctrl+alt+del) is NOT showing two cores, and won't allow you the option of showing a single graph per CPU in task manager, then your system is NOT actually using both cores.
It will look like this if it's working.
What to do it two core aren’t showing up in the task manger
Now if the task manager is NOT showing two cores, and won't allow you the option of showing a single graph per CPU in task manager, then your system is NOT actually using both cores.
How to get both cores to show up in XP
Change the computer type:
* 1. Go to device manager
* 2. Open the Computer selection.
* 3. Right click the option that shows (probably ACPI Uniprocessor PC or Standard PC) and select properties
* 4. Click the driver tab
* 5. Click the update driver button
* 6. Select no, then click next
* 7. Select install from a specific location, then click next
* 8. Click the don't search option, then click next
* 9. Select ACPI Multiprocessor PC from the list and click next
* 10. Follow the prompts and reboot when prompted
Your task manager should now show two processors, etc.
Another application you can use to see what’s going on is AMD Power Monitor
This application is used to monitor the current frequency, voltage, utilization, and power savings of each core of each processor in a system. This application also has a system tray icon that can be used to view and select power schemes on the system. The system tray icon will show the average utilization of every core on the system.
To download go here.
This is what the Power Monitor looks like while running.
Another check you can do to make sure your dual core CPU was detected correctly.
Right click My Computer, and click Properties. Click the Hardware tab, and then click the Device Manager button. Then click on Processors, you should see two listings.
How to assign assign a process to a processor (Affinity)
You will need to do this with some programs particularly older applications you may hav ethat play up under dual core doing this they will only see your CPU as a single core.
To assign a process to a processor
One in the Task manager CTRL+ALT+DEL nn the Processes tab, right-click the process you want to assign, click Set Affinity, and then click one or more processors.
After rebooting you system these settings need to be redone.
Other Programs you can use to set core Affinity
CPU Affinity Setter v1.08
Set CPU affinity for running programs with favorites list. Go here and click on CPU Affinity Setter v1.08 to download.
ImageCFG.exe
To download and how to use it please go here.