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View Full Version : Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) setting and multi-core processors

KSmut
13th November 2006, 23:56
Just wondering what people are setting their HAL for dual-core processors (X2, Presler, Conroe, etc.). Should it be set to something other than "ACPI Uniprocessor PC"?
JohnnyMalaria
14th November 2006, 00:54
You shouldn't have to set it at all. It should be determined at the time of installing the OS.

If you have upgraded the CPU since installing the OS, you probably need to use the OS installer to 'repair' it.

Certainly, "ACPI Uniprocessor PC" is not what you need!
KSmut
14th November 2006, 06:52
Oops! My mistake...it reads "ACPI Multiprocessor PC", not Uniprocessor. Should I switch the HAL to something else, like "MPS Multiprocessor PC"? Is there any benefit to that?
JohnnyMalaria
14th November 2006, 15:19
The MPS HALs are intended for multiprocessor motherboards that don't support ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface).

Using the MPS HAL will take away all the power management from the OS. If that's your goal, you might as well just turn off the power management features for the ACPI HAL in Control Panel.
KSmut
14th November 2006, 19:35
That's what I thought but I wasn't 100% sure how these dual-core and multi-core processors would react. On my old dual PIII board (VP6) I had to enable MPS and don't recall if my dual-xeon (PC-DL) board had it enabled too. I guess MPS is more for physically separate processors and/or systems that don't allow for power management in the OS?
zambelli
15th November 2006, 03:46
On that subject... What is the proper procedure for making sure WinXP recognizes both CPUs when upgrading from a single-core to a dual-core system? The assumption is that only the CPU changed.
Solo_Senshi
15th November 2006, 04:12
Hello, I believe you have to completely re-install when you change the processor. At least that's what I've heard.
Angelus
15th November 2006, 04:33
I would think that you only have to do a repair installation, to make Windows detect the new hardware and assign any related drivers to it. You surely don't need to reformat and reinstall Windows when just upgrading the CPU.
Solo_Senshi
15th November 2006, 04:42
Personally I haven't swapped CPU's, but it's good to know that a repair install will work for that, much quicker.