Windows extremely slow in SMP mode with Pentium D 930

[wing0]

I recently upgraded from 2.2.4 to 3.0.0 and noticed this problem.

I tried creating a new guest with VT-x enabled and set CPU to 2. The set up went extremely slow.
Now, it has been upgraded to 3.0.2, and Windows is still running very slow.
Sometimes within the task manager, it would idle around 17-18% per core.

I looked up the D930 and it supports VT-x and i'm giving the guest 1GB out of 3GB of available memory.
VBox is running on top of SLED10 sp2.

What else could be the problem?

[mobrien118]

Howdy,

I'm having the same problem. My motherboard is an ECT 954CGT-M/1333 (V3.0). I have a core2 duo 1.86 GHz and 4GB (reads as 3.1GB) of memory.

I don't understand what happened. It was working great with 1 processor, so I figured, "lets give this SMP thing a shot". I ran a tool to change the kernel, which I neither have the link for, nor can I find where I got if from. Then, it was sloooooooow. Then, I tried to change it back to one processor, but, like I said, I can't find that tool that switches the kernel, and the "Uniprocessor" isn't showing up in the list of compatible drivers.

What a bummer.

Anyone have any ideas, or know where I can find that tool I am talking about?!?

Thanks!

--mobrien118

[vbox4me2]

Running a single core with a multicore HAL is no problem, the other way around can be a problem, so there is no real need to go back, but here is that link: http://www.google.nl/search?hl=nl&q=HAL ... .zip&meta=

Or: http://forums.techarena.in/xp-hardware/827896.htm

[wing0]

I have actually went back to single cpu + SATA mode for now...
I still don't see SMP being all that stable or beneficial. Maybe wait till next update.

[mobrien118]

Sorry wing0, I didn't meant to hijack your thread.

II just wanted to post back and say that I reset XP to the Uniprocessor HAL, and it is working MUCH, MUCH faster again now.

So, just to let you know, simply changing it back to a single processor in VB (which did seem to help a LITTLE), doesn't afford you the same speed as using the "Uniprocessor HAL".

Good old Windows!

BTW, Windows 7 doesn't seem to have this problem. It operates smokin' fast with 1 or 2 processors on my system.

--mobrien118