Windows XP reg tweak for better Barton performance

[Mr Dead]

Just read this on another forum, anyone know if it actually has any benefit?

"I found this bit of info on one of the news groups.
Apparently W*ndows XP by default does not recognize the barton has 512k l2 cache so here is a registry tweak to fix that (?)
I've just tried it with Aquamark3 and my cpu score increased by 100.
Some of you barton guys give it a go and let us know your results to see if it's good or just more hot air.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\SessionManager\MemoryManagement.
Find the DWORD entry: SecondLevelDataCache. If entering it as hexadecimal 256KB = 100 and 512KB = 200 in hexadecimal, and so on."

[OCmatrix]

Hey that does work! I got 213marks in 3Dmark

[Mr Dead]

Nice to know, simple easy and FREE!!! and it gives a bit of a performance boost.

[Drisler]

Originally posted by OCmatrix
Hey that does work! I got 213marks in 3Dmark

Are you sure?

I tried this a long time ago

There was no difference. I gathered that i saw no difference because this L2 cache setting is just there for compatiblity purposes. Like used for older systems, where the CPU had their external L2 cache on the motherboard. So changing this setting in systems with modern CPUs would have no effect on the performance of the system.

[Iolao]

Originally posted by Drisler
Are you sure?

I tried this a long time ago

There was no difference. I gathered that i saw no difference because this L2 cache setting is just there for compatiblity purposes. Like used for older systems, where the CPU had their external L2 cache on the motherboard. So changing this setting in systems with modern CPUs would have no effect on the performance of the system.

ditto

[G|-|oST]

This setting can also be changed in the x-teq x-setup. Here is what it says regarding this setting:

Windows NT/2K/XP's L2 Cache size is optimized for 256K. Newer computer's L2 caches commonly exceed 256K . Use this plugin if L2 cache size exceeds 256K.

Enter your system's L2 Cache as a number, e.g. 512K cache should be entered as "512" [no quotes].

Be sure you do *not* set the value to more L2 cache than you actually have installed. To determine the amount of L2 cache you have installed, check with your vendor, computer's documentation, or watch the BIOS screen when you boot up your machine as the L2 cache amount is usually displayed during this time as well.

NOTE: Level 2 (L2) CPU cache size can be sized this way, ONLY IF using earlier CPUs: Intel (and compatibles) 386, 486, Pentium, Pentium Pro, AMD K5/K6/K7, Cyrix, etc, with off-chip L2 cache SRAM memory (external, off the CPU die).

If using newer CPUs: Intel Pentium II/III/IV/Celeron/Xeon, AMD Athlon/Duron/Thunderbird, etc, with on-chip L2 cache SRAM memory (internal, on the CPU die), L2 cache size can *NOT* be altered!


So this does nothing for a Barton.

[Iolao]

Originally posted by G|-|oST

So this does nothing for a Barton.

Nonetheless I set that setting to 512 to get placebo effect

[Drisler]

Originally posted by Iolao
Nonetheless I set that setting to 512 to get placebo effect

Me too..