Windows and SMP support \ VOGONS

Windows and SMP support

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First post, by emu34b

Posted on 2025-03-20, 19:07

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Hey, I just thought I’d put this question here so that there’s at least a definitive answer on Google or so about running Windows on quad or more socket systems. There are some of these vintage systems out there now, and others will be vintage eventually.

That I know of:

Windows NT 4, 3.5 and 3.1 Workstation - supports 2 way SMP.
Windows NT 4, 3.5 and 3.1 Server - supports 4 and 8 way SMP.
Windows 2000 Professional - Supports 2 way SMP and PAE
Windows 2000 Advanced Server - Supports 4 way SMP and PAE
Windows 2000 Datacenter Server - Supports 4 and 8 way SMP and PAE
Windows XP Professional and Home Edition - Officially supports 2 way SMP and gimped PAE (on 32 bit)
Windows Server 2003 (and R2) - Supports 4 way SMP, PAE, x64
Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Server (and R2) - Supports 8 way SMP, PAE, x64

Windows Vista/7 Home Basic, Starter, Home Premium - no SMP support, uniprocessor only
Windows Vista/7 Pro, Ultimate, Business - 2 way SMP, gimped PAE on 32 bit

Windows 10 Pro for Workstations - 4 way SMP support

I’ll add to the list as needed, if anyone wants to chip in more info I don’t have.

Does anyone know if repacks of XP like Integral Edition that add stuff from Server 2003 (such as the PAE patch) also add the quad socket+ support as well?

Reply 1 of 8, by darry

Posted on 2025-03-20, 19:44

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SMP can be done through multiple cores on a single socket OR multiple sockets (usually also each with multiple cores per socket).

That distinction is important for operating system supports. For example, Windows 7 home supports multi core SMP on a single socket only.

Reply 2 of 8, by emu34b

Posted on 2025-03-20, 20:52

emu34b Offline

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darry wrote on 2025-03-20, 19:44:

SMP can be done through multiple cores on a single socket OR multiple sockets (usually also each with multiple cores per socket).

That distinction is important for operating system supports. For example, Windows 7 home supports multi core SMP on a single socket only.

Should clarify then: by SMP I mean multiple physical processors. Regardless of core count.

Reply 3 of 8, by chinny22

Posted on 2025-03-21, 02:29

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XP Home only supports 1 socket officially.
2000 Advanced Server supports 8 way SMP
2000 Data Center supports 32 way SMP
2003 Enterprise Server supports 8 way SMP
2003 Data Center supports 32 way SMP

It's also worth noting Windows 2000 and below do not understand multiple threads or cores.
This means Windows 2000 and below will treat a P4 HT or better as a system with 2 physical CPU's

I also have the following notes on OS2
Warp 4 will not support more than one CPU or core (unless you manage to install the SMP option that is floating around out there - it will upgrade the TCP/IP stack, kernel, and a bunch of other files)
Warp 3 will not - at all
Warp Server 4 SMP will support more than one CPU - but unlikely more than one core, unless it is an old dual-core setup that addresses the cores using MP1.0/1.1 specs.
Warp Server 4 Standard will not support multiple CPUs or cores (it's a single processor version) - though I think SMP support for it is floating around out there too.
Warp Server for e-Business will support SMP on multiple CPUs using MP1.0-1.4
Warp Server for e-Business will support SMP on multiple cores, if you want to go through the trouble of figuring out how to use eCS v2's APIC, SMP, etc stuff
eCS v2 will support SMP via either multiple CPUs or multiple cores, or a combination of both.

And Netware
The SFT-III branch of Netware 3 introduced SMP.
Netware 4.11 is the first mainstream version to support SMP

Reply 4 of 8, by ElectroSoldier

Posted on 2025-03-21, 02:43

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Windows 2000 Server
Windows 2000 Powered

Reply 5 of 8, by emu34b

Posted on 2025-03-21, 21:01

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chinny22 wrote on 2025-03-21, 02:29:

XP Home only supports 1 socket officially.

*snip*

I was a little unsure of that. Still kinda am. I remember it seeing it working with SMP on some dual socket systems, though, even if it doesn't have official support. I'll give it a test to make sure it's not my memory failing. I have an official SP2 Home Edition copy somewhere. I know Vista and above on their non Pro and up versions absolutely don't do SMP though.

Reply 6 of 8, by Cyberdyne

Posted on 2025-03-21, 21:17

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What is gimped PAE versus full PAE?

I am aroused about any X86 motherboard that has full functional ISA slot. I think i have problem. Not really into that original (Turbo) XT,286,386 and CGA/EGA stuff. So just a DOS nut.
PS. If I upload RAR, it is a 16-bit DOS RAR Version 2.50.

Reply 7 of 8, by VivienM

Posted on 2025-03-21, 22:07

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Cyberdyne wrote on 2025-03-21, 21:17:

What is gimped PAE versus full PAE?

I assume they mean actually supporting more than 4 gigs of RAM, which PAE lets you do but which has never been allowed on 32-bit desktop versions of Windows...

Reply 8 of 8, by Cyberdyne

Posted on 2025-03-21, 22:21

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Ok. PAE mode for NX bit only. And orginal XP had full PAE.

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