2 CPU's - Best build options [SOLVED]

[CloseCall]

Hi,

I need your advise once more. I am installing a new machine and to my surprise it has 2 CPU’s. Well I am no expert when it comes to hardware but I think I need to do something extra CFLAGS or something to use the full potential of the machine.

This is the /proc/cpuinfo the machine:

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processor       : 0
vendor_id       : GenuineIntel
cpu family      : 15
model           : 3
model name      : Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz
stepping        : 4
cpu MHz         : 3000.425
cache size      : 1024 KB
physical id     : 0
siblings        : 2
core id         : 0
cpu cores       : 1
fdiv_bug        : no
hlt_bug         : no
f00f_bug        : no
coma_bug        : no
fpu             : yes
fpu_exception   : yes
cpuid level     : 5
wp              : yes
flags           : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe constant_tsc pni monitor ds_cpl cid xtpr
bogomips        : 6003.61

processor       : 1
vendor_id       : GenuineIntel
cpu family      : 15
model           : 3
model name      : Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz
stepping        : 4
cpu MHz         : 3000.425
cache size      : 1024 KB
physical id     : 0
siblings        : 2
core id         : 0
cpu cores       : 1
fdiv_bug        : no
hlt_bug         : no
f00f_bug        : no
coma_bug        : no
fpu             : yes
fpu_exception   : yes
cpuid level     : 5
wp              : yes
flags           : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe constant_tsc pni monitor ds_cpl cid xtpr
bogomips        : 6000.40

Any tips/advise on how to best build this machine?

Regards,

CloseCall

[leonglass]

This is only a guess but if you are surprised that it has two processors it is probably a dual core processor. I am not completely sure but I think you have to enable Symetric Multi Processing (SMP) in your kernel for this to be used. I am sure someone else will confirm or decry this for you.

[KozmoNaut]

Since both processors have the same physical id, and the 1 cpu core, I would assume that the processor in question is a 3.0GHz Pentium4 with hyperthreading, either a Northwood-C or a Prescott core.

If that is correct, I would select the Pentium4 option under CPU type in the kernel config, enable SMP (symmetric multi-processing), set the number of CPUs to 2, and also enable the hyperthreading scheduler. As for USE flags, CFLAGS etc, I would set the CFLAGS to

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CFLAGS="-Os -march=pentium4 -pipe"

(which is a good, if slightly conservative starting point)

And I would set MAKEOPTS to

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MAKEOPTS="-j3"

To make portage a bit more parallel.

You could also put mmx, mmxext, sse, sse-filters and sse2 in your USE-flags (some software will be further optimized for the CPU with these flags)

I have a 2.6GHz Pentium4 Northwood-C myself and use these settings.

[PaulBredbury]

It has 1 CPU, but the CPU uses hyper-threading, and so appears as 2.

[CloseCall]

Thnx for the quick reply's!

I have been searching the forum and internet on Hyperthreading and there is allot of info on the subject so ill think ill manage from here.

Thnx!,

CloseCall