Applications that cannot run two threads will run more slowly, but most interactive programs are I/O bound (waiting for the user to hit a key) so it will not usually be noticed.

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BOINC WIKI

Thank you! I went into the BIOS and enabled the hyperthreading. I don't know why it was disabled to begin with. Are there particular disadvantages to this feature?

-- garyZ

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You hit your own answer. HT looks like 2 processors to XP. The 2.8 is either not HT (there were a few released), or has HT off in the BIOS. If it is the latter you can turn it on, and be at 50%. If not, you need a program like Threadmaster to bring it down.

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Classic is designed to use 100% of the CPU. A CPU with HT will only be 50% utilized unless you run two instances of Classic SETI. I know of no way to reduce CPU usage on a non-HT CPU. BOINC gives the option of only using one CPU if so desired (had to say that).

I've been using Classic SETI for years now, and am still using it because of less than happy (IMO) experiences with earlier incarnations of BOINC. I understand Classic is going away, but I'm still getting new work units and aparently they are still being tallied.

If Classic is going away soon, this may be a moot question, but here it is:

I have Classic installed at home (XP-Pro, P4 3.8GHz, hyperthreading). It taps 50% of the CPU, and I leave it running all the time.

I installed it on another machine (XP-Pro, P4, 1GB, 2.8GHz - not sure about the HT), and it taps 100% the CPU. I'd like it to use just 50% on the other machine, so I feel "comfortable" running SETI all the time, instead of just when the screensaver runs.

Is the discrepancy just because of potentially different hyperthreading capabilities? Can I make the 100% machine into a 50% machine? (Yeah, I know - get BOINC, right? :-)

Thanks.

-- garyZ