So How Do I enable HT on a GX260

It is under CPU information.  It will only be available if both your CPU and chipset correctly support it.

Droid 

I already upgraded to A05. How do I check my GX260 to see if it supports Hyper-Threading?

Thanks.

If you don't have the option with a 3.06 proc then your system does not support hyper threading.

Droid

I think you need to use the lastest BIOS a05 to get HT.

Well, the problem is not so much that the CPU can't be HT enabled as that Dell has decided (maybe after Intel pressure) that any CPU prior to the 3.06Ghz version should not be allowed to enable HT.
I have a GX260 with the 2.4Ghz P4 and the processor reports that it is HT capable, but the BIOS needs to turn the feature on.
For quite some time now, I have tried to locate the information on how to turn on the HT on these processors, should be the same as with the 3.06 version, but I have not found any publicly available information about it.

My question to Dell is: Why is this feature disabled for any HT capable P4 except on the 3.06 version?

Intel's website states that the P4 3.06G is the only CPU that has HT enabled at the moment.

Yes, that is what Intel says "Officially". However, several have managed to enable HT on their so-called non-ht enabled P4's.
When I query the processor flags, the cpu returns a flag indicating that it is HT capable. It just needs to be enabled.
Why has Dell decided to not enable the HT option in BIOS'es for non-3.06Ghz P4's?

That is why we need an Open Source BIOS that can be used rather than the propriatery BIOS's used today.
The chip can handle it, but due to the 'policy' of Intel, nobody should be able to use it! Go figure!

There was an article on the web. Someone accidentally turned on HT in one of the non-HT CPUs. But they don't know how they did it and cannot do it again. Clearly Intel does not want to turn on HT too soon. I suppose Dell works with Intel and will not do anything Intel does not approve.

But, to be fair, Intel did not promise HT on any chip other than the 3.06G. In May, the newer Intel chips will all have HT enabled.

I am with you. Intel is not disclosing exactly how HT is enabled (or disabled). The article I read speculates some microcode that is patented or copyrighted by Intel controls whether HT is enabled or not. Maybe someone will figure it out.

You are looking for http://www.linuxbios.org/. I can't guarentee it will work on your computer though.

Yeah, I know about LinuxBios, but they are sooooo slooooooowwwwww :)

Besides, their main goal is in a different direction really, but it would have been nice if they were just as active as the kernel developers.

Hopefully, I'll find time soon to read their source to see if they have done any work asgainst HT, but my guess is not.

Ok, after some more investigations, it turns out that Ht is most likely enabled through the use of various pins on the P4.
Check this article on Tom's Hardware: http://www17.tomshardware.com/howto/20030527/index.html
It points to the producer of the nifty little device: http://www.powerleap.com/Products/iP4.htm

So, yes it seems like it is possible to enable HT on so-called "non-HT" enabled P4's.
I guess I'll have to order one of these gadgets, $20 is not that bad and since A05 is Ht enabled BIOS and GX260 uses the 845 chipset, I should be good to go.

Hi,
The article on Tom's Hardware and the description on Powerleap's website say that the PL-iP4 can make non-HT motherboards HT-enabled, if there is a HT-enabled BIOS. However, it does not make non-HT P4s HT-enabled. You still need to buy a P4 3.06G to make HT work in a GX260. Good luck and tell us what happens.