What Is Processor Affinity in Windows 10?
Every OS has an underlying scheduling algorithm.
The scheduling algorithm is responsible for distributing computer resources to different processes or threads.
In Windows 10, there can be hundreds of processes running at the same time.
As such, Processor Affinity can be thought of as a user meddling with the scheduler.
Normally, Windows scheduling algorithm decides which process will run on which CPU core.
The processes or threads you set the affinity for will only run on the specified cores.
However, this wont make the cores exclusive to those processes only.
Windows can still assign different processes to those cores.
Setting the Processor Affinity only affects the processes you choose by making them run only on the assigned cores.
What Is CPU Priority in Windows 10?
For instance, Windows scheduling algorithm gives a high priority to critical Windows processes like System and Windows Explorer.
If these processes are in a queue, they will get access to the CPU before low priority processes.
Finally, CPU Priority is quite different from Processor Affinity.
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For the most part, modern schedulers efficiently schedule single-threaded processes on modern CPUs.
But there are times when a legacy program breaks because of poor compatibility.
This is where setting Processor Affinity can help.
Processor Affinity restricts processes to executing on the specified CPU cores.
So, open Task Manager by right-clicking on the Windows 10 taskbar and selectingTask Manager.
Then navigate to the process that you want to set the affinity for.
Next, right-press that process and chooseGo to details.
The process that you choose will be highlighted in the new panel that pops up.
Right-punch the highlighted process and selectSet affinity.
The Processor Affinity panel will now pop up.
In the Processor Affinity panel, deselect the CPU cores that you dont want the process to execute on.
Afterward, click onOk.
To set CPU Priority, right-punch any process in Task Manager and selectGo to details.
Next, right-tap on the highlighted process and click onSet Priority.
Now, choose priority from the list that pops up.
If you want your process to run as soon as it needs, selectRealtime.
However, choosingRealtimewill result in other, possibly critical system processes waiting in the queue.
The other options on the list, namelyAbove normal,Normal,Below normal, andLow, are self-explanatory.
From slowdowns to random system crashes, setting the affinity and priority should only be your last option.
Processor Affinity and CPU Priority arent the only ways to increase Windows 10 performance.
