Dell XPS 700 Owner's Manual

Also see for XPS 700: Quick setup guide Setup guide Service manual

Contents

Optimizing Performance 43Optimizing PerformanceUnderstanding Hyper-ThreadingHyper-Threading is an Intel® technology that can enhance overall computer performance byallowing one physical processor to function as two logical processors, capable of performing certaintasks simultaneously. It is recommended that you use the Microsoft® Windows® XP Service Pack 1(SP1), or later, operating system as Windows XP is optimized to take advantage of Hyper-Threadingtechnology. While many programs can benefit from Hyper-Threading, some programs have not beenoptimized for Hyper-Threading and may require an update from the software manufacturer. Contactthe software manufacturer for updates and information about using Hyper-Threading with yoursoftware.To determine if your computer is using Hyper-Threading technology:1 Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.2 Click Hardware, then click Device Manager.3 In the Device Manager window, click the plus (+) sign next to Processors. If Hyper-Threading isenabled, the processor is listed twice.You can enable or disable Hyper-Threading through system setup. For more information on accessingsystem setup, see "System Setup" on page 132. For more information on Hyper-Threading, search theKnowledge Base on the Dell website at support.dell.com.Understanding PCI Express CardsPCI Express is the next generation technology for graphics cards and PCI cards. The PCI Expressx16 slot is used in place of the AGP graphics card slot. The dimensions of PCI Express card slots aredifferent from those of the PCI card slots, and the cards are not interchangeable (you cannot installa 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 lanesimultaneously, 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, buteach PCI Express card operates on its own channel. Activities such as video conferencing and webcamera functions can be automatically prioritized through the device software to reduce latency.book.book Page 43 Thursday, July 20, 2006 11:10 AM