1. A method of computer processing, comprising: (a) setting a first time-out value; (b) loading a decrementer register when a thread switch occurs to a first thread; (c) executing the first thread of instructions in a multithreaded processor; (d) decrementing the decrementer register every time period the first thread executes until the decrementer register reaches a first limit; (e) sending a first time-out signal to a thread switch controller when the first limit is equivalent to the first time-out value and the first thread of instructions is not performing useful processing.