Question about SMP in Windows

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I am watching the A+ Core 2 Windows videos. There is a slide in the Common Operating Systems Part3 (at the 29:37 mark) that I have taken a screen shot of and attached. The pic shows that Windows 7 supports multi-processing as well as 64-bit addition SMP. I'm confused what the difference is, if any. Thanks Eric

@Eric-Antosia great question sir! This is what is called symmetric multiprocessing, in which there are multiple identical processors share a single common interconnection to shared memory, I/O devices, or the same data path. This is the case in multicore processors where each ALU(core) is treated equally. The opposite it another form of multiprocessing where each is treated differently in a master/slave configuration, with the master controlling the tasks of the operating system,.

Here is a brief list of AMD and Intel CPUs that support SMP:

• Intel

  • Intel Pentium Pro; Intel Pentium II; Intel Pentium III
  • Intel Pentium D
  • Intel Core; Intel Pentium Dual-Core; Intel Core 2
  • Intel Core i7
  • Intel Core i5
  • Intel Xeon
  • Intel Itanium; Intel Itanium 2

• AMD

  • Athlon MP
  • Athlon 64 X2
  • Turion 64 X2
  • AMD Opteron
  • Phenom
  • Phenom II
  • Athlon II
  • FX
  • Ryzen
  • Epyc

Thanks Wes,

So just confirming my understanding and repeating in my own words.

Multi-Core is where one of the cores would be controlling the OS and the remaining cores would be parsed out work as needed. Thus all the cores would not be working equally,

SMP is where all the Cores of CPU, sharing the same data paths to the RAM, are dividing the work up evenly.

Did I grasp the concept correctly?

Multicore processing is an example of symmetrical processing another example is think about Xeon processors on a single server, you could have 64 CPUs (which are each multicore processors) that have access to the same communication paths to memory, I/O...etc vs. asymmetrical processing which follows a hierarchal architecture used in old DEC PDPs, CDC and IBM machines as example.

Thanks Wes!!

I initially missed symmetric vs asymmetric part of your first reply. That makes more sense. thanks for your response. And thank you sir for the videos. I'm new to IT and your A+ videos are great.

Sincerely,

Eric

@Eric-Antosia you are more than welcome, thank you for tuning in and please, when you have questions do not hesitate to ask.