Some bog standard replies to your questions.

1. It doesn't really matter if your processor is intel or AMD, they are both as capable to do the work.
I'm not aware of windows having a special AMD kernel, so besides windows activation logic getting triggered it should be fine.

2. Unless your host can take it, it is recommended to use single vCPU VMs, this is due to the CPU scheduling done by ESX. If your VM requires 2 CPUs then on each context switch it will need 2 CPUs at the same time. If only 1 CPU is available your VM will have to wait.
On a reasonably loaded dual CPU dual core host this will be very noticable and it will look as if your VM is busy... while it is mainly busy waiting.
See also How to repeatedly upgrade Windows 2003 to SMP and revert to uniprocessor

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Wil

just as a troubleshooting step i would update the HAL to multi again, I know it'll already have it since you said it has 2vCPU's but since you went from AMD to intel i'd try it and it's easier then rebuilding. it really shouldn't make a different but windows really should run the same on every machine but we all know it doesn't.

so update/reinstall the HAL, i.e. run through the little wizard and reboot and see if it gets better.

Cheers,
Bradley Sessions

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