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Does Parallels use both processing cores?
- Thread starter daneoni
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There's a simple way to test this. While Parallels is running, open Activity Monitor and look at the number of threads listing for Parallels. If it has more than 1, it's taking advantage of both cores.
Yes, it does. I also allows Windows programs to take advantage of both cores as well (given if the programs themselves are written that way)
No, I don't think it does. If you have it working on both cores, would you explain how you do that? Because mine only seems to operate on one.
No, it doesnt.
From one of the parallels guys on Parallels forum.
1. Current design is very optimal for dual core systems - 1 core for Windows XP, 1 core for Mac OS X - optimal performance for both systems. So I don't see any reason to give Windows XP both cores and left Mac OS X without CPU power.
2. If you take Mac Pro with 4 cores - then it is make sense. We will introduce this feature in next major version - 3.0.
http://forums.parallels.com/showthread.php?t=3987&dual+core
From one of the parallels guys on Parallels forum.
1. Current design is very optimal for dual core systems - 1 core for Windows XP, 1 core for Mac OS X - optimal performance for both systems. So I don't see any reason to give Windows XP both cores and left Mac OS X without CPU power.
2. If you take Mac Pro with 4 cores - then it is make sense. We will introduce this feature in next major version - 3.0.
http://forums.parallels.com/showthread.php?t=3987&dual+core
I could be wrong (HA, wouldn't be the first). However I thought a single core program would top out at 100% CPU usage? See screen shot.
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Look at the number of threads. Parallels has 17. Therefore, at least some of the processing Parallels is doing is going to the other core. Remember, a dual-core CPU has 200% CPU time available to allocate (100% per core).
like many programs, parallels is multithreaded. but it gives the win desktop only one thread/cpu to work with. now parallels itself will be doing other things at the same time, like managing network, coherence, virtual harddisk management, etc etc, hence it has multiple threads for these tasks.