i7-8700 Threads Question?

[slipd]

Hi guys,

As above. All my monitoring apps are reporting 6 threads, whereas the Intel spec says 12...

Thoughts?

 

[tamzzy]

have you disabled hyperthreading in bios?

 

[slipd]

have you disabled hyperthreading in bios?

Not intentionally but now you've got me thinking... would disabling also keep my temps elevated?

I'll have to investigate. Thanks!

 

[tamzzy]

would disabling also keep my temps elevated?

no it shouldn't

elevated temps:
- a program/process/virus using lots of CPU
- didn't remove the plastic protection on the cooler plate
- cooler not mounted properly/with enough pressure
- dried out/not enough thermal paste
- undersized cooler
- (aio cooler pump dead/not enough liquid left)

 

[slipd]

So, it appears it's disabled...

When I can get access to it, it's remotely managed, it'll be getting re-enabled.

 

[Tetras]

would disabling also keep my temps elevated?

Is actually the opposite, enabling hyper threading will increase the temps and power consumption.

So, it appears it's disabled...

When I can get access to it, it's remotely managed, it'll be getting re-enabled.

What kind of PC is this? Is it a server? It might have been disabled for security reasons, or just because the primary workload(s) don't benefit from it.

 

[slipd]

Is actually the opposite, enabling hyper threading will increase the temps and power consumption.


What kind of PC is this? Is it a server? It might have been disabled for security reasons, or just because the primary workload(s) don't benefit from it.

The chip is in a little Dell Optiplex box I have at home, serving me as a Plex server whilst I'm on the road with work - which is most of the time at the moment

No idea why it's disabled... I bought it second-hand, but reset the bios, so it must have been something I've done. For Windows 11 compatibility maybe?

 

[tamzzy]

For Windows 11 compatibility maybe?

nope.
the only reason why i can think why HT is disabled would be for meltdown/spectre mitigation

 

[Dg834man]

People used to disable it for performance reasons in gaming.

 

[PrincessFrosty]

Hi guys,

As above. All my monitoring apps are reporting 6 threads, whereas the Intel spec says 12...

Thoughts?

I had the same CPU. It's 6 physical cores because each has hyperthreading you get a total of 12 cores (6 physical, 6 logical). So yes sounds like that is disabled, there's really no reason it should be for a regular CPU unless there was some really fancy specific config that required it. You'll get a small performance boost in most desktop usage from it being enabled (about 5% IIRC). There's no reason to disable it for Windows 11.

If you reset the BIOS when you bought it and the value is off now, it might just be crap dell default BIOS config, just switch it back on in BIOS, it's designed to be run with hyperthreading. It's really quite an impressive CPU, I only recently upgraded from it, shame it's not the unlocked k variant because it overclocked like mad.

 

[slipd]

Thanks everyone, sorry, meant to pop back with an update... Yep, hyperthreading was indeed disabled in the bios - no idea why but it was either a default setting (I changed the cmos battery AND reset the bios when I inherited the rig) or I must have done it accidentally - either way, all is good now and reporting correctly