Multi-Core Processors and AutoCAD

I'll get right to the point  - AutoCAD does not support dual or multi-core processors. So, if you go out and buy a machine with eight-cores, you will be going as fast as a single-core machine for the most part.

If the software is not written to take advantage of multiple cores, then it does not matter how many of them you have. From Autodesk's website on the matter: Support for multi-core processors with AutoCAD:

"Issue

You are using a computer with a multi-core processor, and you have noticed that the acad.exe process does not use 100% of your available CPU resources. You want to know if AutoCAD supports multi-core processors.

Solution

AutoCAD only supports multi-core technology in a couple of very specific areas of the product, including:

• 2D regeneration
• MentalRay rendering

In order to fully benefit from multi-core processors, you need to use multi-threaded software and AutoCAD is predominatley a single-threaded application.

A CPU-intensive operation that uses 100% of the resources of a single-core processor will only use a maximum of 50% of the CPU for that same operation on a dual-core computer, and only 6% of each CPU on a 16-core computer. This is shown in the following image:

Due to the lack of multi-threading, AutoCAD is not capable of using more than 50% of the CPU on a dual-core computer, so there is no significant performance gain over a single CPU computer except for the areas noted above."

Comments

[Scott Kubena]

This command allows for some multiple core use.

Command: WHIPTHREAD

http://docs.autodesk.com/ACD/2010/ENU/AutoCAD%202010%20User%20Documentation/files/WS1a9193826455f5ffa23ce210c4a30acaf-4dd1.htm