cpus

How many CPU cores can SQL Server use?

SQL Server and CPU core usage How many CPU cores can SQL Server support should be a simple question, you might think. However, judging by how often this question is asked on the SQL Server forums its clear that there is a lot of confusion about exactly how many CPUs a particular edition of SQL Server can use. The problem is due mainly to incorrect assumptions about Microsoft’s licencing policy, combined with the prevalence of multi-core CPUs.