How to test dual core is working? [solved]

senduran · n00b Joined: 05 Aug 2005 Posts: 71

I have an AMD 4400+ with MSI K8T Neo2 motherboard. I'm not conviced that the second core is ever being used for anything. Eg. using wmmon+smp no activity is ever shown for the second processor, and top gives no indication of there being 2 processors. Running two infinite loops shows each at 50% cpu usage.

This is a freshly installed gentoo with kernel-2.6.12-gentoo-r6 setup like:

fleabag · n00b Joined: 12 Jan 2005 Posts: 8

If you have two processors/cores then top should show this and both of your test processes should be pegged at 100%.

Have you checked that the BIOS is compatible with X2?

senduran · n00b Joined: 05 Aug 2005 Posts: 71

fleabag · n00b Joined: 12 Jan 2005 Posts: 8

Not a clue I'm afraid. My 2 x Opteron 248 comes up fine, both procs detected with no trouble. Haven't got hold of an X2 yet!

Coogee · Apprentice Joined: 23 Apr 2002 Posts: 184 Location: E.U.

I have an X2 4200+ and I never had a problem to enable both CPUs. (I tested several kernels, because I had stability issues with the Ondemand cpufreq governor. The best one for me is the latest vanilla-kernel 2.6.13-rc5.)

During boot-up (or dmesg) you should see messages about enabling 2 CPUs (CPU0 + CPU1). Also, you can see a second penguin sitting on the top of the screen ;-)

The only thing you have to do is enabling SMP in the kernel configuration. And that's what you did. So, it should work.
(Btw: I don't know why you also enable Hyperthreading and NUMA, but this should not cause a problem.)

Are you sure that the kernel you use is really the kernel you configured?

gilesjuk · Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2005 1:49 pm Post subject:

Look for the line:

"Brought up 2 CPUs"

But yeah, as others have said, enable SMP.

Don't enable powernow in the power settings tho, as this appears broken at this time. Even on 2.6.13-rc4.
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pdr · Guru Joined: 20 Mar 2004 Posts: 549

And check your bios for updates again - my Asus A8N SLI booted up perfectly fine with my X2 4200+ - it jus treated it as a single cpu until I flashed the bios.

senduran · n00b Joined: 05 Aug 2005 Posts: 71

I've now tried it with hyperthreading, NUMA and powernow off, the kernel configured is really the one that is used. I'm using the latest motherboard bios.
The only thing left is the kernel version - I'm on 2.6.12-r6. How do I get 2.6.13-r4 (or anything else)?

feivelda · Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 8:03 am Post subject:

http://www.msi.com.tw/program/products/mainboard/mbd/pro_mbd_detail.php?UID=608

I have also this Mainboard.
Some days ago I found an article. there they say, on VIA KT800 chipsets the X2 doesn't work, you need another chipset for this.
On the msi site is no X2 listed.

This means:
Sorry, you need another mainboard

senduran · n00b Joined: 05 Aug 2005 Posts: 71

feivelda · Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 8:36 am Post subject:

I didn't find the page anymore. But at golem.de I've found a report about the kt890, which is incompatible with the X2, but the kt800 shall work.

On the msi site with the bios is written, that there are stable issues. So, what about their support?

robnotts · Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 9:33 am Post subject:

I seem to remember reading somewhere about VIA and the X2, which is why I have an NFORCE4 motherboard... anyway, try this link...

http://www.broadbandreports.com/forum/remark,14030554

Doesn't help, but it proves the point.

Rob.
_________________
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Gentoo Phenom][ X4 955 on AMD790 + Geforce 220GT 8GB/1.75TB (Desktop)
+ MythTV (3xFreeview,1xFreesat HD) on 1080p
Gentoo Turion64 X2 Geforce 6150 2GB/120GB (Laptop)

barbapapa · n00b Joined: 27 Jul 2005 Posts: 16

you clearly had only one core active on the cpu, you should have something like this on /proc/cpuinfo :

i think like the other your bios is not correct for x2 (my guess at 99%). an old bios WILL work on a x2 but will only use ONE core. For info my x2 was my first amd64 so i had flashed the bios with it, no need for another cpu.

processor : 0
vendor_id : AuthenticAMD
cpu family : 15
model : 35
model name : AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4800+
stepping : 2
cpu MHz : 1004.634
cache size : 1024 KB
physical id : 0
siblings : 2
core id : 0
cpu cores : 2
fpu : yes
fpu_exception : yes
cpuid level : 1
wp : yes
flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 ht syscall nx mmxext fxsr_opt lm 3dnowext 3dnow pni cmp_legacy
bogomips : 2011.35
TLB size : 1024 4K pages
clflush size : 64
cache_alignment : 64
address sizes : 40 bits physical, 48 bits virtual
power management: ts fid vid ttp

processor : 1
vendor_id : AuthenticAMD
cpu family : 15
model : 35
model name : AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4800+
stepping : 2
cpu MHz : 1004.634
cache size : 1024 KB
physical id : 0
siblings : 2
core id : 1
cpu cores : 2
fpu : yes
fpu_exception : yes
cpuid level : 1
wp : yes
flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 ht syscall nx mmxext fxsr_opt lm 3dnowext 3dnow pni cmp_legacy
bogomips : 2011.35
TLB size : 1024 4K pages
clflush size : 64
cache_alignment : 64
address sizes : 40 bits physical, 48 bits virtual
power management: ts fid vid ttp

senduran · n00b Joined: 05 Aug 2005 Posts: 71

Yes, I think it's clear both cores aren't working. I'd still like to try latest kernel just in case. Can someone tell me how? If I do emerge -p gentoo-sources-2.6.13-r4 I get

robnotts · Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 4:29 pm Post subject:

Do exactly as it says...

senduran · n00b Joined: 05 Aug 2005 Posts: 71

robnotts · Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 5:44 pm Post subject:

Hmmm, correct, there is no gentoo-sources-2.6.13-r4

I assumed there was with you trying that command!

Rob.
_________________
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Gentoo Phenom][ X4 955 on AMD790 + Geforce 220GT 8GB/1.75TB (Desktop)
+ MythTV (3xFreeview,1xFreesat HD) on 1080p
Gentoo Turion64 X2 Geforce 6150 2GB/120GB (Laptop)

senduran · n00b Joined: 05 Aug 2005 Posts: 71

robnotts · Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 7:08 pm Post subject:

http://packages.gentoo.org/search/?sstring=gentoo-sources

shows the available gentoo-sources...

http://packages.gentoo.org/search/?sstring=vanilla-sources

shows the available vanilla sources (without the gentoo patches).

There are 2.6.13 versions in the vanilla versions, but obviously these will not be patched with some of the gentoo features.

Rob.
_________________
---

Gentoo Phenom][ X4 955 on AMD790 + Geforce 220GT 8GB/1.75TB (Desktop)
+ MythTV (3xFreeview,1xFreesat HD) on 1080p
Gentoo Turion64 X2 Geforce 6150 2GB/120GB (Laptop)

senduran · n00b Joined: 05 Aug 2005 Posts: 71

In the end I tried the Asus A8V - with no changes to software side it booted up and both cores are working. Moral of the story: when they say 'compatible with X2' they only mean it works, not that both cores are usable.