Just got my first dual core computer and have noticed some unexpected behavior. Machine is Compaq Presario AMD athlon 4450e 2.3GHz w/ 3MB RAM running Vista Home Premium SP2. I have noticed when AQUA for instance is "on deck" only one core will be utilized by BOINC. Is this a function of BOINC or AQUA? If a BOINC issue, is there anything that can be done, and, if not, will it be addressed in a future release?

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AQUA is a pioneer of "multi-threaded" applications - one task is assigned to all available cores. Most (all?) other projects are "single-threaded" - you would see a separate task for exach available resource: two tasks on your dual core, four on quads, more if you have compatible GPUs as well.

Check with Task Manager (assuming Windows) to see what your actual CPU usage is with 1 x AQUA or 2 x anything else. I think you'll find it's the same.

What I'm wondering is why only one core seems to be used before and only before AQUA runs. I understand that AQUA will use both cores while in progress, but how can it (or BOINC) cause one core not to be used? Seems like a waste of a core for that time period. Why does BOINC not simply allow the core to be used and then suspend the task into memory when AQUA begins to run?

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Ah. Which version of BOINC are you using? We keep going back to v6.10.18 as the 'recommended' version, but that goes back a long way: we were actively working our way through some multi-threaded scheduling bugs at the time it was first promoted.

Read BOINC v6.10.19 available: corrects 'idle CPU' bug on the AQUA message board.

Was at v6.10.18, think I'll give v6.10.19 a try. Sounds like this should cure my problem. Thanks for the help, I'll let you know how it goes.

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