Dell PowerVault MD3620i: Optimizing Performance

Optimizing Performance

Hyper-Threading

®

Hyper-Threading is an Intel

technology that can enhance overall computer performance by

allowing one physical processor to function as two logical processors, capable of performing

®

®

certain tasks simultaneously. It is recommended that you use the Microsoft

Windows

XP

Service Pack 1 (SP1) or later operating system because Windows XP is optimized to take

advantage of Hyper-Threading technology. While many programs can benefit from Hyper-

Threading, some programs have not been optimized for Hyper-Threading and may require an

update from the software manufacturer. Contact the software manufacturer for updates and

information about using Hyper-Threading with your software.

To determine if your computer is using Hyper-Threading technology:

1

Click the

Start

button, right-click

My Computer

, and then click

Properties

.

2

Click

Hardware

and click

Device Manager

.

3

In the

Device Manager

window, click the plus (+) sign next to

Processors

. If Hyper-Threading

is enabled, the processor is listed twice.

You can enable or disable Hyper-Threading through system setup. For more information on

accessing system setup, see "System Setup" on page 131. For more information on Hyper-

Threading, search the Knowledge Base on the Dell website at support.dell.com.

PCI Express Cards

PCI Express is the next generation technology for graphics cards and PCI cards. The PCI

Express x16 slot is used in place of the AGP graphics card slot. The dimensions of PCI Express

card slots are different from those of the PCI card slots, and the cards are not interchangeable

(you cannot install a PCI card in a PCI Express card slot, or a PCI Express card in a PCI card

slot).

Some benefits of PCI Express technology include:

• Greater available bandwidth — PCI Express bus bandwidth is 250 MB/s in each direction per

lane simultaneously, while PCI bus bandwidth is 133 MB/s in one direction at a time.

• Prioritization of service — Multiple PCI cards installed in a computer all share a common

bus, but each PCI Express card operates on its own channel. Activities such as video

conferencing and web camera functions can be automatically prioritized through the device

software to reduce latency.

Optimizing Performance 37

NVIDIA SLI Dual Graphics Technology

With NVIDIA SLI (Scalable Link Interface) dual-graphics technology, an optional second PCI

Express graphics card will significantly increase graphics performance on your computer.

Benefits of this technology can be seen in the improved portrayal of the 3-D graphics used in

gaming and design applications.

Each graphics card includes a GPU (graphics processing unit). The two GPUs dynamically share

their workload to provide the best possible performance. For a given application, the SLI

software selects the optimum rendering (processing) mode. The two most basic modes are split

frame rendering and alternate frame rendering. In split frame rendering, the GPUs divide the

work; each GPU renders part of every frame that displays. In the alternate frame rendering

mode, each GPU alternately renders the full-screen image.

www.dell.com | support.dell.com

For more information, see the documentation that came with your graphics card.

38 Optimizing Performance