Threads on the CPU
Threads on the CPU
Threads in a CPU refer to the individual execution units within a core that can handle multiple tasks simultaneously. For your Intel i7 10710U, which has 6 cores and 12 threads, each core can process several threads at once, improving performance for multitasking and parallel workloads.
A thread represents a logical unit. Typically, a physical core is divided into two logical cores, which can turn a 6-core processor into a 12-core one. The speed of a thread is generally lower than that of a real core, but this trade-off is often compensated by the overall improvement in multi-core processing. Many contemporary Intel CPUs organize cores into P-cores (performance cores) and E-cores (efficiency cores). For instance, an i5-12500H features 12 cores with 16 threads, consisting of 4 P-cores and 8 E-cores. The distinction lies in the fact that E-cores handle one thread each, whereas P-cores manage two threads. AMD processors don’t employ this method; they are either fully multithreaded or not multithreaded at all (though the latter is rare on well-specified devices).
It doesn't really mean a 12-core processor is being built. What's changing inside the CPU is minimal—just some extra registers, though this could vary based on how the design works. Even without SMT, each core might act as two logical cores in Windows. This means that with Hyper-Threading versus AMD’s setup, the ratio stays about one physical to two logical cores, though it's possible cores could have more logical ones. The idea is that a logical core lets the physical one handle more tasks while waiting, acting like another processing unit the OS can use. This also raises power usage since the CPU spends more time working. If your app can handle multiple threads, adding logical cores inside a single physical one can boost performance by roughly 30%, which is meaningful but only if the software supports it and its parts can run in parallel.