It appears like increasing numbers of people nowadays are wrong concerning the true performance variations between dual and quad core processors. Let us be genuine, you will find many people available that believe that a pc system having a quad processor is "better" than the usual dual processor simply because it's two times as numerous cores. So what's the reality regarding multi-core processors?
The reality regarding multi-core processors
Before I recieve began, let us compare two Apple processors. The Apple Core 2 Duo E8400 is 3. GHz per core with 6MB L2 Cache and sells for 7.99 on Newegg. In contrast, the Apple Core 2 Quad Q9550S is 2.83 GHz per core with 12MB L2 Cache that sells for 9.99 on Newegg. Because the L2 Cache is split equally into each core, these two processors basically have a similar quantity of cache, which makes them identical processors aside from their quantity of cores. Since each core is all about 3 GHz for processors, performs this imply that the quad core is two times as quickly as the twin core processor?
The reply is no! This is actually the primary misunderstanding that individuals have about multi-core processors. You do not multiply the rate of 1 core by the amount of cores to obtain the "total" speed of the multi-core processor. The 2 processors within this example really perform in the same speed. The simple truth is, under 1% of software available on the market can utilize multiple cores, meaning much of your programs (most likely these) are only able to run in individually. Which means that the rate of the programs are fully determined by the rate of merely one core. You may be thinking "well, let's say I am running multiple programs simultaneously?Inch The truth is, most programs are capable of doing an activity faster than you are able to change to another program. The most known exception for this rule is video editing software, which often does utilize all your cores.
Reasonably, you won't watch a improvement in speed from a system having a dual core processor along with a system having a quad core processor, unless of course you're running video editing programs.
What exactly does all this mean? Don't waste your hard earned money on the quad system unless of course you create and edit videos appropriately, or run niche software that may utilize all your cores. You're much best putting your hard earned money towards a dual processor or system with increased GHz along with a greater L2 cache.