Multiprocessor computers have been around for quite a while, but dual-core processors are a relatively new offering. Both Intel and AMD dual-core processors are showing up in consumer-level servers, desktop systems, and laptops. A dual-core processor is essentially a single CPU chip that’s actually two processors. Since it’s really a single plug-in chip, though, you see only a single CPU chip plugged in when looking at the motherboard.
If you’re using a Windows 2000, XP Professional, or Windows Server operating system, you can open the Performance tab in Windows Task Manager (as shown in Figure 1) to see that multiple processors are recognized by the operating systems. Notice that the CPU Usage History has two windows; each window represents a processor
|