Theoretically, would it be possible for a multi core CPU to emulate a single core CPU?

[GoldenSun3DS]

On my phone (Galaxy S6), Limbo PC emulator can use multiple threads to emulate old PCs.

Would it be possible to apply that same strategy on a desktop with high multi thread performance but low single thread performance for low thread tasks?

Like have an octave core and emulate a dual Intel with multithreading, for example.

 

[sarkwalvein]

No. If a given program was not made to take advantage of multiple cores or multi-threading it would be from difficult to impossible to run it's code in parallel and achieve any parallel speed up.
The only efficient parallelization that can be done with that kind of code if hardware based instruction level parallelization, optimized via out of order execution, and it is already done by your CPU.

 

[PityOnU]

See: Amdahl's Law

 

[GoldenSun3DS]

No. If a given program was not made to take advantage of multiple cores or multi-threading it would be from difficult to impossible to run it's code in parallel and achieve any parallel speed up.
The only efficient parallelization that can be done with that kind of code if hardware based instruction level parallelization, optimized via out of order execution, and it is already done by your CPU.

I'm talking about emulation.

I'm pretty sure the SNES was a single core processor, and the Higan emulator can take advantage of more than one core when emulating it.

Bit of an extreme example, but you get my point.

 

[sarkwalvein]

I'm talking about emulation.

I'm pretty sure the SNES was a single core processor, and the Higan emulator can take advantage of more than one core when emulating it.

Bit of an extreme example, but you get my point.

You can't achieve speedup.
Of course emulation will result in way slower execution.
Serial code from the emulated system is executed serially, not in parallel.
Multiple cores may be used in the recompiling stage, to emulate additional chips, etc.
The serial code from the SNES main cpu is executed serially.
I don't know if you understand that doing this you will lose performance.

I am sleeping and on my phone, writing on this shit is a PITA.
Please read my previous post, take a look at Amdahl's law, think that in a different system you have many chips and components to emulate and those could be emulated on different threads, that would require synchronization and eat performance, meditate and write again after thinking and thinking.