Dual-core AMD Turion: slow out of the gate
The early results on AMD’s dual-core Turion 64 X2 mobile processor are not encouraging, neither in terms of performance nor power management. Our first Turion 64 X2-based laptop, the HP Compaq nx6325, just finished up in the CNET Labs, and we thought we’d share the results here ahead of the review. With a Turion 64 X2 TL-56 processor running at 1.8GHz, the HP Compaq nx6325 produced an overall SysMark 2004 score of 155, which trails by a healthy 17 to 18 percent the scores from similarly outfitted systems, such as the Panasonic ToughBook 74 and the Compaq Presario V3000, that use a 1.8GHz Intel Core Duo chip.
One possible explanation: the Turion 64 X2 serves up half the L2 cache (1MB) found on the Core Duo (2MB). Core Duo chips can dip into a larger pool of L2 cache as they make their way through SysMark workloads. Perhaps under heavy multitasking scenarios, the fact that each core on a Turion 64 X2 chip has its own L2 memory cache (as opposed to the Core Duo’s single repository that the two cores must share) can help AMD’s processor enjoy better results.
Although the nx6325 topped the Core Solo-based Toshiba Tecra A6 by 15 percent on SysMark, we expected a Turion 64 X2 system to be able to swim along side its dual-core Intel competition rather than treading in the muddy waters between Intel’s single- and dual-core mobile offerings.
SysMark 2004 performance
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
| BAPCo SysMark 2004 rating | SysMark 2004 Internet-content-creation rating | SysMark 2004 office-productivity rating |
HP Compaq Presario V3000 (Core Duo T2400)
190
242
149
Panasonic ToughBook 74 (Core Duo T2400)
187
239
147
HP Compaq nx6325 (Turion 64 X2 TL-56)
155
203
119
Toshiba Tecra A6-S513 (Core Solo T1300)
132
146
120
In another underwhelming performance, the HP Compaq nx6325 finished behind its predecessor on CNET Labs’ MobileMark application benchmark.
The older HP Compaq nx6125 features a single-core AMD Turion 64 chip running at 2GHz, and it bested the dual-core nx6325 on our mobile application performance benchmark. Power-saving features factor heavily into the test, which is run while a laptop is on battery power, but the nx6325 doesn’t offer much more in terms of battery life, lasting a mere 7 minutes longer.
Granted, this is our first glimpse at a Turion 64 X2-based laptop. We’ll be able to present a more rounded picture of AMD’s new dual-core mobile chips as we’re able to test more systems, but if the HP Compaq nx6325 is any indication, Intel’s Core Duo can rest easy for now.
MobileMark 2005 performance
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
| Battery life (in minutes) | Application performance |
HP Compaq Presario V3000 (Core Duo T2400)
254
211
Toshiba Tecra A6-S513 (Core Solo T1300)
235
208
HP Compaq nx6125 (Turion 64 ML-37)
219
171
HP Compaq nx6325 (Turion 64 X2 TL-56)
226
161
How to Install WSL 2 on Windows 10 (Updated)
If you want to try out the improved Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (aka WSL 2) in the latest Windows versions here’s how — I cover everything you need to do to install it, in this post.
WSL 2 is a big upgrade to the original WSL Microsoft introduced in 2017. More than a simple version bump, WSL 2 is faster, more versatile, and uses a real Linux kernel for the first time.
Plus, new Linux kernel updates will be released as Windows 10 software updates — which is kinda crazy when you think about it!
Improved performance was Microsoft’s motivation for created the souped-up WSL2. And it figured the best way to do that was to add full system call compatibility, i.e. put a real Linux kernel right at the heart of things.
“[This] new architecture presents a better platform for the WSL team to deliver features that make WSL an amazing way to run a Linux environment in Windows,” say Microsoft of the tech.
The crazy shows no sign of abating either as Microsoft plans to let users run desktop Linux apps on Windows 10 and leverage GPU-intensive tasks.
And the best news is that it is much easier to install WSL on Windows 10, as this updated guide shows.
Requirements
To install WSL 2 on Windows 10 you need the minimum:
- Windows 10 May 2020 (2004), Windows 10 May 2019 (1903), or Windows 10 November 2019 (1909)
- A computer with Hyper-V Virtualization support
I’d be mighty surprised if anyone who’s reading this guide doesn’t meet those requirements but, if you don’t you can use WSL 1 rather than WSL 2.
What’s awesome is that if you use Windows 10 May 2020 (2004) update or later you can install WSL2 with a single command, or a single click — no hassle.
Installing WSL 2 on OS Build 2004 (or later)
Single command easy
To install WSL 2 on Windows 10 OS Build 2004 or later you can open a command prompt (with Administrator permissions) and type in the following command:
wsl.exe --install
As soon as you hit enter the process gets to work enabling WSL, any optional features required, fetches the latest WSL Linux kernel version, and installs Ubuntu as the default distro:
The process is fast
Once done, reboot your computer.
Log in to Windows 10 and the command prompt will open again. This time you’ll be walked through setting up Ubuntu with a username and password (these don’t need to be the same as your Windows username and password).
Once done you can you can launch the ‘Ubuntu’ app from the Start Menu to get started, or install the Microsoft Terminal app to start exploring your newly-installed Ubuntu install — don’t forget to run an apt update && apt upgrade though — this is a REAL Ubuntu system, after all!
Install WSL 2 (Old Method)
If you use an older version of Windows 10 you can still install WSL 2 (Microsoft backported WSL 2 to older versions of Windows 10 in Windows Update KB4566116) but the process isn’t as simple as in the 2004 update.
To install WSL 2 on Windows 10 (OS Build 1909 or 1903) you need to follow 4 steps:
- Enable WSL 2
- Enable ‘Virtual Machine Platform’
- Set WSL 2 as default
- Install a Linux distro
I walk through each step in turn below.
I recommend using the PowerShell app, which you need to run as an administrator. You can find PowerShell in the Windows Start Menu.
Note: it is possible to install WSL 1 using a GUI too but it’s much faster to use the command line, and since WSL is a CLI tool it kinda makes sense too!
Step 1. Enable WSL
Regardless of which version of WSL you want to use you first need to enable it. To do this open the PowerShell tool as an Administrator and run the command below. Be careful not to mistype or leave out any character in the command:
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart
Only want to use WSL 1? You can skip to step 4.
Step 2. Enable ‘Virtual Machine Platform’
WSL 2 requires Windows 10’s “Virtual Machine Platform” feature to be enabled. This is separate from Hyper-V and hands some of the more interesting platform integrations available in the new version of the Windows Subsystem for Linux.
To enable Virtual Machine Platform on Windows 10 (2004) open PowerShell as Administrator and run:
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart
To enable Virtual Machine Platform on Windows 10 (1903, 1909) open PowerShell as Administrator and run:
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName VirtualMachinePlatform -NoRestart
To ensure all of the relevant bits and pieces fall neatly in to place you should restart your system at this point or you may find that things don’t work as intended.
Step 3. Set WSL 2 as default
Open PowerShell as Administrator and run this command to set WSL 2 as the default version of WSL:
wsl --set-default-version 2
You can (at any time) configure a distro to run in WSL 1 mode if you need to.
Step 4. Install a distro
With WSL and the necessary virtualisation tech all in place all that is left for you to do is pick and install a Linux distro from the Microsoft Store.
Several different distros are available, including OpenSUSE, Pengwin, Fedora Remix, and Alpine Linux. But my personal recommendation is (naturally) Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (though 18.04 LTS and 16.04 LTS are also available).
To install Ubuntu on Windows 10 open the Microsoft Store app, search for “Ubuntu 20.04”, and hit the “Get” button:
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS on the Microsoft Store
Whilst you in the Microsoft Store I highly recommend that you also install the open source Windows Terminal app. This tool is designed to give you the best possible WSL experience:
Windows Terminal on the Microsoft Store
5. Use WSL 2
When you installed Ubuntu (or a different Linux distro) a shortcut was added to the Start Menu. Use this to “open” Ubuntu (or whichever distro you chose). The first time you run the distro things will seem a little slow.
This is expected; the distro has to unpack and decompress all of its contents — just don’t interrupt the process.
You will also be promoted to set a username and password for use on the distro. Try to pick something you won’t forget.
Convert Ubuntu on WSL 1 to WSL 2
If you use WSL 1 you can upgrade an existing WSL 1 installation to WSL 2. To convert an existing WSL 1 distro to WSL 2 run the following in PowerShell, e..g,:
wsl.exe --set-version Ubuntu 2
You should replace ‘Ubuntu’ with the name of whichever distro your WSL 1 install runs.
Let me know if this guide worked for you in the comments!
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80 CPU is much smaller compared to the Turion 64 MT-30 and is equal to 8 Kilobytes 2.80 and is 1024 Kilobytes Comparison of instructions and technologies
| Technology or instruction name | AMD Turion 64 MT-30 | Intel Pentium 4 2.80 | Short description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deeper Sleep state | — | Deeper sleep state. | |
| PowerNow! | — | «PowerNow!» idle frequency reduction technology. |
| Technology or instruction name | AMD Turion 64 MT-30 | Intel Pentium 4 2. 80 |
Short description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MMX (Multimedia Extensions) | — | Multimedia extensions. | |
| SSE (Streaming SIMD Extensions) | — | Streaming SIMD processor extension. | |
| SSE2 (Streaming SIMD Extensions 2) | — | Streaming SIMD Processor Extension 2. | |
| SSE3 (Streaming SIMD Extensions 3) | — | Processor Streaming SIMD Extension 3. | |
| AMD64 | — | 64-bit microprocessor architecture developed by AMD. | |
| 3DNow! | — | Optional MMX extension for AMD processors. |
| Technology or instruction name | AMD Turion 64 MT-30 | Intel Pentium 4 2. 80 |
Short description |
|---|---|---|---|
| EVP (Enhanced Virus Protection) | — | Improved virus protection. |
Benchmarks
Overall performance rating
The summary rating is calculated according to an internal formula, taking into account all indicators: test results in programs, number of cores and threads, overclocking technologies, instructions, socket, base frequency, year of manufacture, architecture, temperature data , as well as other indicators.
PassMark CPU Mark
The benchmark has a wide pool of tests for a comprehensive evaluation of computer performance, in particular the processor. Among which are floating point calculations, integer calculations, compression, game physics calculations, extended instruction checking, encryption, multi-threaded and single-threaded tests. In this case, you can compare the data with other configurations in the database.
Almost all of our CPUs have been tested in PassMark. Perhaps the most common benchmark tester on the Internet. The Performance Test showed slightly better performance for the Turion 64 MT-30 processor (246 points) over the Pentium 4 2.80 (235 points). The Pentium 4 2.80 falls slightly behind in this test.
Cinebench 10 (32 bit) Single-threaded test
It is possible to test many processor systems. The main testing mode for speed is spatial light sources, photorealistic rendering of a 3D scene, working with light, global illumination simulation, multilevel reflections, and procedural shaders. Released by MAXON, it is based on the 3D editor Cinema 4D. The test is carried out in Windows, Mac OS X. It uses the method of geometric optics — ray tracing. This benchmark for processors and video cards is already outdated in our time. The Single-Thread version in its test uses only one core and one thread for rendering.
Cinebench 10 (32 bit) Multi-thread test
Multi-Thread version is another test option in Cinebench R10 that already uses multi-thread and multi-core testing mode.
It is important to note that the possible number of threads in this version of the program is limited to 16.
Cinebench 11.5 (64-bit) Multi-threaded test
Multi-threaded version of the CINEBENCH R11.5 test, it has the ability to load the CPU at 100% using all cores and threads. It differs from previous versions of the program, 64 threads are supported here.
Cinebench 11.5 (64-bit) Single-threaded test
Maxon’s excellent multifunctional Cinebench R11.5. In tests, as before, the ray tracing process is used, a highly detailed 3D room is calculated with many translucent and glass and crystal balls. His tests are still up to date. In this case, Single-Core tests are performed using one core and one thread. The test score is the frame rate per second setting.
Cinebench 15 (64-bit) Multi-threaded test
Multi Core version of Cinebench 15 will load your system to the fullest, demonstrating everything it can. All CPU cores and threads are involved in rendering highly detailed 3D models.
The program is suitable for testing modern multi-threaded CPUs from AMD and Intel, as it is capable of using 256 threads.
Cinebench 15 (64-bit) Single-threaded test
Cinebench Release 15 is the latest tester from the Finnish company Maxon. In this version of the Single Core program, one thread is used for rendering. It tests the entire system: both video cards and processors. For the CPU, the result of the calculation is the number of PTS points, and for video cards, the value of frames per second. FPS. A complex 3D scene is rendered with many highly detailed objects, light sources and reflections.
Geekbench 4.0 (64-bit) Multi-threaded test
This is already a 64-bit multi-threaded Geekbench 4 benchmark. It is the multiplatform support for different devices and operating systems that makes Geekbench tests the most common now.
Geekbench 4.0 (64-bit) Single-threaded test
The Single-Core test uses one processor thread.
The program, as before, like its earlier versions, runs on OS running Linux, Windows, Mac OS. The latest single-threaded version of Geekbench 4 to date for testing desktop PCs and laptops. For the first time, iOS and Android smartphones are also supported in this version of the tester.
Geekbench 3 (32 bit) Multi-thread test
Multi-thread version of Geekbench 3 — can allow you to make a strong synthetic test of your processor and demonstrate how stable your system is.
Geekbench 3 (32 bit) Single-threaded test
Cross-platform Geekbench is often used to test the system under Mac, but it works on both Linux and Windows. The main purpose is to check the speed of the CPU. The Single Core version of the program loads no more than one processor core and one thread.
Geekbench 2
Our archive contains almost two hundred processor models that have test data in this benchmark. An outdated version of the Geekbench 2 tester. To date, there are newer updates, the fourth and fifth.
X264 HD 4.0 Pass 1
In fact, this is a practical test of processor performance by transcoding HD files to H.264 format or the so-called MPEG 4 x264 codec. The number of frames processed per second. — result of checking. Ideal test for multi-thread processors and multi-core. This test is faster than Pass 2 because it renders at the same rate.
X264 HD 4.0 Pass 2
This is a slightly different, slower test based on video file compression. The same MPEG4 x264 codec is used, but encoding occurs at a variable rate. As a result, we get a higher quality video file. It is important to be aware that a very real task is being carried out, and the x264 codec is used in many video programs. The final value is also measured in frames per second. Therefore, the results of testing really reflect the effectiveness of the platform.
3DMark06 CPU
This benchmark is often used by gamers and overclockers and those who like to overclock processors.
Benchmark to evaluate the performance of the central processor, and video system. Based on DirectX 9.0 by Futuremark. Processors are tested in 2 ways: the game artificial intelligence searches for a path, and the second test emulates the system using PhysX.
3DMark Fire Strike Physics
Approximately 200 CPUs on our site have 3DMark Fire Strike Physics test data. It includes an arithmetic test that makes calculations in game physics.
WinRAR 4.0
Everyone knows the archiver. Checks were made under the control of the Windows operating system. The compression speed of the RAR algorithm was estimated; for this, huge amounts of random data were generated. The resulting speed during compression «Kb / s» — this is the result of testing.
TrueCrypt AES
Not exactly a benchmark, but the results of its work can evaluate the performance of the system. It can fully function in different operating systems Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.