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Processor Speed ...

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Washbush:
Here is an End of the Semester Bonus Exam for you ....

1.  What conditions might act on the processor and cause it to run slow?

2.  What actions can be taken to cause a slow processor to run faster?

3.  In a machine with multi core, multi processors, can some of them be disabled somehow?

Bonus Bonus Question  (25 Points)

What would cause a machine to not complete a shutdown but only if it is asked to reboot?  If it is told to simply shut down, it does so properly.  (Hint:  There are four green lights on the back panel that are labeled A, B, C, D.  When told to reboot, the computer shuts down the display and goes no further.  At that point lights A and C are green, lights B and D are yellow.)

Hand in your test answers before leaving.  Best wishes for a great Summer Vacation!

Professor Jobs
 :confused:

Shane:
Did you want me to answer these? lol


--- Quote ---1.  What conditions might act on the processor and cause it to run slow?
--- End quote ---

Too many answers for this one. Low power, heat, other running processes, bios settings and so on....


--- Quote ---2.  What actions can be taken to cause a slow processor to run faster?
--- End quote ---

Again this one has a lont of answers as well, but the answers have to do with what is causing the slowness in the first place. But if a cpu is running in the right conditions, such has getting enough power, isnt over heating and the clock speeds are set properly in the bios then you cant really speed up a cpu unless you overclock it. If you have other things such as other program using the cpu then closing those will free up those cpu cycles for something else to use it. This is why multiple cores are good to use as you can multitask much better.


--- Quote ---3.  In a machine with multi core, multi processors, can some of them be disabled somehow?
--- End quote ---

Yes, in the bios and if the bios offers that option. Normally the CPU has to be unlocked, but a lot of the newer ones come with that option to disable cores. The only reason to disable cores is to reduce heat and power usage, or if you are over clocking.


--- Quote ---What would cause a machine to not complete a shutdown but only if it is asked to reboot?  If it is told to simply shut down, it does so properly.  (Hint:  There are four green lights on the back panel that are labeled A, B, C, D.  When told to reboot, the computer shuts down the display and goes no further.  At that point lights A and C are green, lights B and D are yellow.)
--- End quote ---

This sounds like an old question since I have seen 4 lights on a system for this in years lol. But the problem would only come to the motherboard. When Window shuts down or reboots it sends the command at the end of the process to the motherboard, which then either powers off the system or reboots based on the command. I have seen motherboards who had a bug in the bios where it wouldn't accept the commands and so a bios update was needed. The motherboard is in control of the shutdown and reboot of the power.

Shane

Washbush:
That is really great!  You get A+++ and 100 bonus points.

I hear you say bios several times.  I have not touched the bios since I took the computer out of storage.  But I did before I put it away.  I'll see what I can learn re: bios settings, clock speeds, etc.  Everything else you have mentioned I have double and triple checked.

One more question .... since almost everything is on the hard drive, is it a big deal to replace the motherboard?

J

Shane:

--- Quote ---One more question .... since almost everything is on the hard drive, is it a big deal to replace the motherboard?
--- End quote ---

Yes, because it uses a certain socket type cpu and certain types of memory. Plus Windows has drivers loaded for that motherboard. So you would need to reinstall Windows, plus since it is a older system you would end up having to replace the memory and cpu as well and possibly the power supply to handle the newer more powerfull hardware.

But besides doing all that I would first check to see if there is a firmware update for the bios and then make sure you have all the Windows updates as MS would have updated the OS to handle motherboards like that. So doing both may fix the reboot problem.

Shane

Washbush:
Hi Shane ...

I just realized why I have been thinking about Alan Ladd lately.  :>)

I decided today that this computer has until midnight next Sunday to shape up or out it goes.  I have exhausted all of my patience.

Well, there are fewer and fewer options every day.

Tomorrow is BIOS day in southern Indiana.

John

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