Mint won't run both cores; only uses one processor

[Corvus]

Hello,

It took me a while to realize that my new laptop is painfully slow because it is only using one core instead of two.

I'm running Mint 18.2 and my laptop is an HP Pavilion dv6000.

Running inxi -f on terminal reveals the following:

Code: Select all

CPU:       Single core AMD Turion 64 Mobile MK-36 (-UP-) cache: 512 KB
           speed/max: 1600/2000 MHz
           CPU Flags: 3dnow 3dnowext 3dnowprefetch apic clflush cmov
           cr8_legacy cx16 cx8 de eagerfpu extapic extd_apicid fpu fxsr
           fxsr_opt lahf_lm lm mca mce mmx mmxext msr mtrr nopl nx pae pat pge
           pni pse pse36 rdtscp rep_good sep sse sse2 svm syscall tsc vme
           vmmcall

Any idea how I can get the system to recognize and use both cores?

[jimallyn]

I did a little googling. Turion 64 MK-36 processors are single core, not dual core.

[Corvus]

Unfortunately, it appears that you're right. What a shame.

[jimallyn]

There are things you can do to speed up your laptop: use a lighter desktop environment, minimize the use of swap, add RAM, and so on. Open a terminal, enter inxi -Fxz and press Enter. Copy/paste the output of that command in your next post, and we'll see what can be done.

[Petermint]

The passmark result for that processor is the lowest I have ever seen for any computer. You might have to use something ultra lightweight like Pixel.

[Termy]

Puppy Linux would probably be a good candidate for that machine. By the way, AMD's Athlon 64 x2 were the first (or one of the first) consumer dual-core CPUs, apparently released in 2005; I had one way back when. You can actually dig out some very decent computers from places people chuck them; many Windows users who have zero idea how useful an old computer can be! Heck, I've found Windows-7-era quad-core machines (laptops and desktops), fully functioning. Just be prepared to unfortunately find some weird stuff on their HDD. lol

[RobertService]

Would suggest LM 17.3 Xfce--absolutely nothing later, or 'heavier'--as your best Mint choice, along with 2 GB of RAM, which your machine supports. You should end up with a very serviceable laptop.

[prestonR]

I maintain a PB Easynote with Athlon Turion 64 X2 with 4GB ram and ssd and it's been so far absolutely trouble free. It's a triple boot with Win7 for FL Studio, UbuntuStudio 17.04 and Manjaro KDE with 4.15 kernel.

All I had to do is tune down KDEs eye candy a little, although I'd consider the ssd a must for any music apps.