Is this right (How extra cores work)

[ganon11000]

I'd like to confirm I'm not being stupid by saying this to people but my belief is:
Imagine a core is a lane in a road and cars are processes, and with dual core there are 2 lanes but the same speed limit on the cars as there was in single core. Same goes for quad core, 4 lanes same speed cars and for Hexa and Octa.....
Is that anywhere near right??

[kalniel]

Depends on the application, but yes, for some applications you can describe it very simply like you have done. (In reality, even on a single core there are parts where several cars can go at the same time, and in multiple cores there are times when cars still have to wait for each other).

[ganon11000]

I know, sometimes the cars are stupid and follow each other but to sum it up in a simple way it's alright?

[jim]

Not all processes are single-threaded - I guess you could consider those as extra-wide vehicles able to use multiple lanes at the same time. So if you had a video encoding process that used 6-threads simultaneously, it could still block a single lane/process from moving.

[Shirty]

How might hyperthreading fit in to this analogy?

[jim]

I guess hyper-threading would split one lane into two mini-lanes. You could either run two smaller vehicles side by side, or have one straddle both lanes.

[technodean]

Strangely I have always described cores as tyre fitters/ mechanics, with four cores each guy can remove a wheel & with hyperthreading they get to use 2 hands, not as powerful as two people but makes it easier.

[Kumagoro]

Maybe you need to add roundabouts, junctions, zebra crossings and then pelican crossings in there as well.

[ganon11000]

Maybe you need to add roundabouts, junctions, zebra crossings and then pelican crossings in there as well.

when I said simple................

[kalniel]

I guess hyper-threading would split one lane into two mini-lanes. You could either run two smaller vehicles side by side, or have one straddle both lanes.

Or having two small vehicles following each other nose to tail in place of one large vehicle.

[Willzzz]

Having more cores is kinda like having a bus. If you have lots of people who all want to go to the same place it's great, most of us still stick to cars though.

[kalniel]

Having more cores is kinda like having a bus. If you have lots of people who all want to go to the same place it's great, most of us still stick to cars though.

Nah multi core is best when you want to go to completely different places

[Pob255]

Actually with the road analogy, cores are more like separate 1 lane roads.
Some bits of software can only send out one car at a time, others can send more than one at a time, and each one will send a group of cars, ie progarm A will send 10 cars but can only do it one at a time, where as program B also sends 10 cars but can do it two at a time.
Hyper threading a like having two lanes at the start and end which merge into one.
What this means is that if progarm A will send 10 cars but can only do it one at a time and program C which only wants to send 2 cars one at a time, without hyper threading program C has to wait until all 10 cars from progarm has left before it can start sending cars, but with hyper threading program C's cars can merge into the lane between program A's cars

Yes that's really rough but the car thing is a bit of an over simplification.