Performance Monitor - Processors

I'm studying for my first M.S. test and am having trouble understanding when to add a second processor or upgrading to a faster processor.
Example:
Memory: Pages/sec = 10
Processor: % Utilization = 99
Physical Disk: % Disk Time = 20
System: Processor Queue Length = 2.5
Exam Cram book says add a second processor. Wouldn't a faster processor work, especially it the system board doesn't have an available processor slot?
Thanks for any help.

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Comments

Ricka182

You could only go as fast on the CPU as the mobo accepts. A faster processor only means it calculates faster, it still receives the same workload. You would add a second processor if you had many applications running simutaneously. Once you have two CPUs, you could "assign" processor affinity to individual applications to help split the workload on just one CPU.

Webmaster

The key item in your example is the System: Processor Queue Length = 2.5. An additional CPU (or Intel P4 with Hyperthreading) would help more (effectively making it 1.25 threads waiting) in this case than adding a faster CPU,which would 'just' process current threads faster, but eventually has less influence on the queue (unless you get a much fast CPU of course.)

jagacharaja

I'm sorry for this, but what does Ricka mean by "mobo"...??

Special_k21

I'm sorry for this, but what does Ricka mean by "mobo"...??

I believe Ricka was referring to the motherboard. If you have a P4 and a motherboard that maxes out at 2.8, what good is it to purchase a P4 3.2 processor?

jagacharaja

Yeah, that makes sense - thanks!!!