Do you need your PC to become faster without going for a hardware makeover? Then consider hyper-threading the cores of your central processing unit (CPU).
You might ask, “What is hyper-threading, and how does it work?” Well, keep reading to find out.
What Is Hyper-Threading Used For?
Intel refers to simultaneous multithreading (SMT) as hyper-threading. It means splitting each of the physical cores in a CPU into virtual cores known as threads.
So let’s say a CPU has two cores (i.e. dual-core). In this case, enabling hyper-threading creates four threads, allowing each core to perform two tasks at the same time.
This process improves the efficiency and boosts the performance of your CPU. You can then run more than a few demanding programs at the same time without experiencing any lag.
However, it is power-demanding and, as a result, might make your PC heat up.
Do I Need Hyper-Threading?
If you normally run applications like browsers and Microsoft Office, then you won’t need hyper-threading (HT). But most video games that are now being released usually do well on hyper-threaded CPUs.
It helps only if the tasks you perform require it, in which case there can be as much as a 30 percent increase in speed and performance.
Also, if you have to make a choice between two CPUs where one has more physical cores while the other has fewer but with hyper-threading enabled, it is better to go for the former.
For instance, if you have an opportunity to use a quad-core (four cores) CPU without hyper-threading enabled, it is preferable to choose it over a dual-core (two cores) hyper-threaded CPU.
However, if the HT-enabled CPU also has four cores, then the choice will now depend on the kind of apps you run on your computer. If they are not demanding enough to make full use of the virtual cores, then hyper-threading won’t cause a difference in performance.
How to Enable Hyper-Threading
Enabling HT requires that you enter your system’s BIOS settings. You can look up how to do so for your device.
Once you are in BIOS, here’s what you have to do:
- Select Processor and then click Properties in the menu that opens.
- Turn hyper-threading on.
- Select Exit & Save Changes from the Exit menu.
Keep in mind that not all processors allow hyper-threading. However, some CPU cores are hyper-threaded by default, so you won’t need to trouble yourself with turning on the feature manually.
To know if it is already enabled, here’s what you have to do:
- Press the Windows logo key + R combination on your keyboard to open the Run dialog.
- Type ‘CMD’ in the text field and press Enter or click OK to open the Command Prompt window.
- Type ‘wmic’ (don’t include the inverted commas) and press Enter.
- Type ‘CPU Get NumberOfCores,NumberOfLogicalProcessors /Format:List’ and press Enter.
The results will show the ‘Number of cores’ and ‘Number of logical processors’ entries. If they both have the same value, it means that your CPU cores are not hyper-threaded. But if the number of logical processors is two times the number of cores, then hyper-threading is enabled.
We hope you’ve found these hyper-threading technology tips useful.
Pro tip: If your system and applications frequently hang or crash, we recommend you run a scan with Auslogics BoostSpeed. The tool takes care of speed-reducing issues and other problems that prevent your PC from performing optimally.
