When checking for a computer processing power, we may constantly hear the word threads and cores of the CPU. Undoubtedly, each of these two components makes up the computer’s processing power. And the higher their amount, the larger their size.
Threads are the virtual components in the CPU. They are like the number of connections or networks in the circuit board of the processor. On the other hand, cores are the hardware components of the processor itself. It is the site where the actual processing takes place. And inside the cores are networks of threads that link different parts of the cores together.
We can see threads as the white matter of the human brain that links the different parts of the brain’s grey matter (where the actual processing takes place).
The number of threads you have on your computer can impact its speed and multitasking ability. To check for the details about the number of threads on your computer, you can use a shortcut from the function keys or via the details provided in the manufacturer’s manual or system information.
In this article, we will teach you everything about threads, and you will also see how to find the number of threads on your computer or laptop.
What Are Threads?
Threads are the number of logical processors your CPU has. They process data but aren’t the actual core of the processor. All cores will have at least one thread, though CPUs with simultaneously multi-threading will have two threads per core. Most CPUs these days have SMT.
If you are unsure if a CPU has SMT or not, checking to see how many threads there are versus the cores will answer that question. A 2 core CPU with 2 threads does not have SMT, while a 4 core CPU with 8 threads does. SMT is sometimes also known as hyperthreading, Intel’s specific way of delineating their multi-threaded CPUs.
Threads are an indicator of how good a CPU is at multitasking.
How To Find Out How Many You Have?
Here are the ways to get the details about the number of threads on your computer. The methods below are for the popular types of operating systems.
Method #1: For Windows
The fastest way to find out how many cores you have on your Windows PC is to load up Task Manager. You can do this by either pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc or right-clicking on the Start Menu and selecting Task Manager.
Once you have the Task Manager up, go to the Performance tab. On the Performance tab, it will say Logical Processors. That is your thread count.
You can also find out how many threads you have through Windows Device Manager. Open that by right-clicking on the Start Menu and selecting Device Manager. In Device Manager, expand the Processors section, and then it will show you each thread or logical processor.
Method #2: For Mac
To find the number of threads via System Report, click on the Apple Logo. Select “About this Mac,” then “System Report,” then “Hardware.” After that, you will get the Hardware overview. It will list the total number of cores and the number of logical processors if that number is different. Mac OS has been slower to migrate to SMT than Windows.
Method #3: For Linux
From the terminal, type the lscpu command to display information about the CPU architecture. It will list how many cores you have and how many threads there are per core.
It is important to note that Linux also can show how many threads are used for a singular process, so if you are looking at thread count per process, that may not be the same answer as how many threads the processor has.
Method #3: Manufacturer’s Information
Manufacturers will also list the number of threads on the product information sheet if you have that handy. That information is usually listed right under cores for the processor.
This will be on all boxes for processors and most boxes for computers bought from the store. Sometimes it is not listed on the box but rather in the informational packet about the computer included with the box.
Method #4: Third-Party Software
If you are struggling to find the information, mainly because Mac OS does not make it easy to see it, you can use third-party software such as CPU-Z and HWInfo to determine many details about your computer. Both of those programs are free, though they require an installation on your computer.
Much of the information gleaned from the third-party software is stuff you won’t ever need, but it will tell you how many cores and threads you have.
What Is the Benefit of Multiple Threads?
A higher thread count means a computer will be better at tasks like gaming and demanding CAD programs. If you are not looking to do those sorts of tasks with your computer, you may not need to spend as much.
Conclusion
It is not always necessary to know how many threads you have, but the information can be excellent when looking at hardware requirements. You can assume that you have at least one thread per core, though some processors have two threads per core.
More threads aren’t always necessary unless you plan to use demanding software on your computer or if you are planning on running many programs simultaneously.
Windows makes it easy to determine how many threads you have, Linux makes it about as easy as everything else with Linux, and Mac does make it more difficult to find. However, with specific third-party software, you can find the information anyway.
