Use the Task Manager to optimize the efficiency of your dual-core processor.
The AMD 64 X2 brand of processors use dual-core technology which offers much more versatile operating environments over single-core processors. Combining the AMD 64 X2 with Windows 7 allows you to manage processor usage through the Windows Task Manager. With the Task Manager, you can manage which core your applications use and assign processor priorities. This allows you to optimize the performance and efficiency of your AMD 64 X2 processor. Assigning affinity to programs can boost the speed of your computer when you are working with a processor intensive application. Affinity allows you to dedicate one of your cores to intensive software while using the other core to run the other programs.
Instructions
1. Right-click your task bar and click "Start Task Manager." Alternatively, press the "Ctrl" "Alt" and "Delete" keys simultaneously on your keyboard to open the Task Manager.
2. Click the "Processes" tab. This displays a list of all currently running programs on your computer.
3. Click the "CPU" column once. This will sort the processes in the order of usage. While the processes using the most processor threads will be listed at the top, the processes using the least amount of threads will be at the bottom.
4. Right-click a processor-intensive application and click "Set Affinity." This will open a "Processor Affinity" window on your screen. By default, both processor boxes will be checked.
5. Click in the box next to "CPU 0" to remove the check mark and then click the "OK" button. This will prevent the program from draining the processor cycles on one of your cores.
6. Right-click the same process again and click "Set Priority." Click "Above Normal." This will grant the selected program a higher priority than the rest of the programs ensuring that it receives more attention from "CPU 1" than the other programs on the list.
7. Right-click a handful of the other programs running and click "Affinity." Click to remove the box next to "CPU 1". This will further optimize the processor intensive program by ensuring "CPU 1" has a sufficient amount of threads available for it.
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