Today’s PCs are typically powered by monster CPUs packing four or more cores, and Windows generally does a good job of divvying all of that power up between your apps. But sometimes you want just a bit more control over which processor-hungry apps should be tamed, and that’s where something called processor affinity comes in. Here’s how to restrict specific apps to individual CPU cores for better system-wide responsiveness and, for older apps, stability.
How to Stress Test a Mac CPU
If your Mac is experiencing random shutdowns or poor performance, a CPU stress test may help identify the cause. While there are third party utilities that can stress test your Mac, here’s how you can perform basic CPU stress testing with an easy Terminal command.
How to Find Your Mac’s Exact CPU Model
When buying a new Mac, Apple provides basic CPU info but hides the specific processor model. This is fine for most users, but those troubleshooting issues or hoping to compare their Mac to a PC or older Mac may want to know exactly which CPU is powering their system. Here’s how to quickly find your Mac’s CPU model via Terminal.
OWC Launches ‘Turnkey’ 2013 Mac Pro CPU Upgrade Service
Other World Computing extended its Turnkey upgrade service to the 2013 Mac Pro Tuesday, offering customers CPU and RAM upgrades for Apple’s latest flagship. In addition to performing the complicated upgrade for you, OWC also offers CPU options not available from Apple.
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Manufacturing Issues Push Intel’s Broadwell CPUs to Early 2014
Intel’s next processor architecture, Broadwell, won’t be ready this year due to a manufacturing issue. Intel told investors this week that, while they think they have the problem solved, units won’t be ready for sale until early 2014.
Intel Claims Haswell Will Offer 50% Better Battery Life
The industry has long been told that Intel’s upcoming Haswell architecture, scheduled for a formal launch June 4 at Computex, will bring improvements to battery life, but recent comments by the company indicate that the improvements could be significant. Intel’s Rani Borkar revealed Thursday that the platform will offer 50 percent more battery life for laptops than current generation Ivy Bridge-based systems. Intel has discussed several times that, while all computing platforms will receive performance and efficiency boosts, the true…
Intel COO Brian Kzranich to Replace Retiring CEO Otellini May 16
After announcing his plan in November 2012 to retire this month, Intel CEO Paul Otellini’s successor has been named. SEC filings Thursday revealed that Intel’s board of directors has elected COO Brian Krzanich as the company’s next CEO. “After a thorough and deliberate selection process, the board of directors is delighted that Krzanich will lead Intel as we define and invent the next generation of technology that will shape the future of computing,” said Andy Bryant, chairman of Intel. “Brian…
Intel Details Haswell GPUs, Brands High-End GT3e “Iris Pro”
Intel revealed the details of the GPU lineup for its upcoming Haswell microarchitecture late Wednesday. The company announced that it is introducing three tiers of GPUs that will cater to most performance and power efficiency requirements. Along with the new GPUs is a new name to help distance the parts from the public’s perception that integrated graphics solutions offer poor performance. The high end GPUs will take on the name “Iris,” while lower end models will retain the current “HD…
Intel’s Haswell CPUs to Launch June 4 at Computex
After a minor delay, Intel’s next generation of Core series processors, codenamed “Haswell,” will arrive in early June, according to a humorous announcement from the company on Friday. Assuming that the countdown begins at the time of Intel’s post, Haswell should launch Monday, June 3, at 11:00 pm EDT (Tuesday, June 4 at 11:00 am CST), which just happens to coincide with the start of the important computer trade show Computex, held annually in Taipei, Taiwan. The public launch of…
Next Xbox Gains AMD x86 CPU, Loses 360 Backward Compatibility
After earlier rumors suggested that Microsoft’s next Xbox will be powered by an AMD GPU, new information Monday points to an AMD CPU as well, opening the door for an advanced integrated offering from the struggling chip maker. According to sources speaking with Bloomberg, Microsoft will use an AMD solution that combines the company’s Jaguar CPU technology with a 7000 series GPU. This closely matches the hardware specifications for Sony’s PlayStation 4, which was announced in late February. Microsoft’s current…