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RAM beyond 32 GIGs

derbothaus said:
This is not true. Sorry.
A thread is an execution unit. Kind of like an atom to a CPU. They are scheduled, then processed. Hyper threading gives the ability to schedule 2 threads per cpu core instead of the one.
They are not "part" of the cpu in any way. Nor does anyone call a cpu a thread or use thread to refer to virtual processors. For lack of a better analogy, a thread is digested by the cpu.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thread_(computer_science)
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I don't claim to have a high level knowledge of the topic. And frankly in this case knowing/describing the technically correct answer isn't very important to me (nor I'd gather to most of us mortals).

What is important is this:
Old CPUs could schedule 1 thread...
Newer CPUs can schedule 2 threads...

"Virtual" might not be technically accurate but it gets the point across.

My Mac Pro features 16 threads...which is the equivalent of 16 cpus from yester-year. My programs see 16 cpus even if there are only half as many that are physically present.
 
I am not trying to be nit picky at all. This is a technical forum and it is in everyones best interest to have the correct info available. We all learn things here. That is why we log in and ask questions. I was not trying to jump on you. But it sounded like you were answering a question someone else posed and the info you gave them was wrong. It happens to everyone. Quite often it happens to me. :cool:
 
IceMacMac said:
Unlike 3d apps which seem to be far more efficient at multi-processor rendering, AE basically spawns clones of itself to handle rendering multiple frames at the same time. It's like having 4 or 8 or 12 (whatever) copies of the program open at the same time.
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ah, that makes perfect sense! thanks :)

IceMacMac said:
What is important is this:
Old CPUs could schedule 1 thread...
Newer CPUs can schedule 2 threads...
Click to expand...

well about that, some processors like the POWER7 have 4 threads pr core :)
POWER7 is ppc by the way.
 
derbothaus said:
I am not trying to be nit picky at all. This is a technical forum and it is in everyones best interest to have the correct info available. We all learn things here. That is why we log in and ask questions. I was not trying to jump on you. But it sounded like you were answering a question someone else posed and the info you gave them was wrong. It happens to everyone. Quite often it happens to me. :cool:
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I was grateful for your post and for the information. No worries at all! :D

I just wanted to say that sometimes there are two ways to describe things: one manner that is more technically accurate and another way that will work for us who can't swim in those kinds of deep waters but need to understand the salient items that effect our work.
 
mulo said:
well about that, some processors like the POWER7 have 4 threads pr core :)
POWER7 is ppc by the way.
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I didn't know that yet. Good to know. I imagine we'll see even deeper hyper-threading as time goes on?

I wanted to add a report: I've booted to the 64bit kernel with no issues so far. I'm ordering RAM from OWC to go to 48. Pricey but I think it will be a good investment.
 
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Hellhammer said:
Intel Knight's Ferry provides four threads per core. Although that is still in development and aimed at very high-end users, it shows that Intel is at least developing quad-HT. At some point, we should see that in regular CPUs too.
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128 threads. Holy Crap! I get the impression that the individual threads are not very robust.
 
Few days later...an update.

I'm now running with 48 GIGs of RAM with the kernel set to 64 bit.

Apple had a line in the Terminal that you could run to permanently reset the boot settings.

So far...so good!

I just went in and loosened the chains of some of my After Effects cores...and bumped the RAM allocations all the way around.
 
The final chapter: Due to system instability over the past few weeks, I've decided that it isn't worth it. I've retreated to 32 GB.

It might not be the RAM or the 64 bit kernel...but I've got to get my system stable again.
 
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