Internet
Fact-checked

At EasyTechJunkie, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

What is a Dual Core Processor?

R. Kayne
R. Kayne

A dual core processor for a computer is a central processing unit (CPU) that has two separate cores on the same die, each with its own cache. It essentially is two microprocessors in one. This type of CPU is widely available from many manufacturers. Other types of multi-core processors also have been developed, including quad-core processors with four cores each, hexa-core processors with six, octa-core processors with eight and many-core processors with an even larger number of cores.

In a single-core or traditional processor, the CPU is fed strings of instructions that it must order, execute, then selectively store in its cache for quick retrieval. When data outside the cache is required, it is retrieved through the system bus from random access memory (RAM) or from storage devices. Accessing these slows down performance to the maximum speed that the bus, RAM or storage device will allow, which is far slower than the speed of the CPU.

This situation is compounded when the computer user is multi-tasking. In this case, the processor must switch back and forth between two or more sets of data streams and programs. CPU resources are depleted, and performance suffers.

Dual core processor mounted to a motherboard.
Dual core processor mounted to a motherboard.

In a dual core processor, each core handles incoming data strings simultaneously to improve efficiency. Just as two heads are better than one, so are two hands. When one core is executing, the other can be accessing the system bus or executing its own code.

To utilize a dual core processor, the operating system must be able to recognize multi-threading, and the software must have simultaneous multi-threading technology (SMT) written into its code. SMT enables parallel multi-threading, wherein the cores are served multi-threaded instructions in parallel. Without SMT, the software will recognize only one core. SMT also is used with multi-processor systems that are common to servers.

A dual core processor is different from a multi-processor system. In the latter, there are two separate CPUs with their own resources. In the former, resources are shared, and the cores reside on the same chip. A multi-processor system is faster than a system with a dual core processor, and a dual core system is faster than a single-core system, when everything else is equal.

An attractive value of dual core processors is that they do not require new motherboards but can be used in existing boards that feature the correct sockets. For the average user, the difference in performance will be most noticeable during multi-tasking, until more software is SMT aware. Servers that are running multiple dual core processors will see an appreciable increase in performance.

Discussion Comments

anon925801

How do you tell how many cores are in a CPU?

anon340891

I was wondering which laptop would be a good buy. I need it for college. It should be lightweight, have a fast speed, good camera quality, windows7, large memory and in a low-to medium range price. Could someone recommend something for me?

anon335232

What is the maximum amount of memory supported by a "dual core" machine?

anon326018

In this case, the 2x indicates that each of two cores is running at 1.6GHz, thus, dual core. As another example, you may see 4x which is called "quad core."

anon299440

My computer has 2.4 GHZ speed. What does this mean?

anon281466

First of all, can one free one core of a dual core processor from win7 OS which I am currently using?

Second, can I install two OS on different cores of the processor?

Lastly, if the above two things are feasible, then how can I do those? Please help.

anon264775

@Post 169: It's not worth it. Don't try to upgrade your cpu on a netbook. It's really difficult. You might as well sell your netbook and buy a new one. If you have a desktop, that's another story.

anon257738

What desktop computer is suitable for day-to-day office activities?

anon251020

I have a 2009 Acer Aspire One NAV50 Netbook

The specs are: Intel Atom N450 @ 1.66GHz; Intel GMA 3150; 1 GB RAM; Socket 559; motherboard: LA-5651P

I want to upgrade to a faster processor with dual-core. What do you suggest?

I was thinking of the Intel Atom N570 Dual-Core 1.67GHz but it's not really faster. How can I find out what processors can mount to my socket and motherboard?

anon217860

The comment initially made that a "dual core" has two processors on one die is a bit simplistic. Who remembers what a 486 is? then what is a pentium? Get my drift? paralleling processors is old technology, writing effective scripts to use that technology and still be downward compatible is the problem.

Amiga had it right to begin with. Everyone, and I mean everyone, has been trying to reinvent that ability using Intel designs or variations thereof.

anon216417

@anon170020: If that's all you want it to do is calculate grades for you. It wouldn't take much computing power since these are single or double operations, maybe a second a sheet for most walmart laptops meaning 1.5-1.9 dual core would be nice here for it could do two at a time.

If you find such a piece of software, that's awesome.

Good luck.

Intel Core i7 3.60ghz 12 cores; 16gb ram ddr5;

Nvidia 555m 3gb GPU 3D. Everything's in 3d and it's a laptop.

anon216368

I have a quad core cpu 2.5 ghz, 8 gigs of ram, 32 bit os, asus media mother board, how much traffic can this server handle to watch videos if it can be gauged before I would need a second server?

unsenti

i want to know if i could replace the processor in my laptop?

i mean i bought a laptop and its processor is an amd dual-core processor. can i replace it with an intel pentium processor?

anon181731

Could someone out there help me? I recently purchased a LENOVO lap top and was told it does come with a pentium duo core. How would I check or find out if my lap top is installed with a duo core or not?

P.S. When I click "my computer" and click on "properties" this is what I see: "Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) CPU P6200 @ 2.13 GHz 2.13GHz".

I'd really appreciate it if there's anyone who could help me. --

Christine G.

anon170020

i am new to technology. i want the system specs for a computer system that automatically calculates grades for students and sends them to the main computer.

anon166520

VIA 8650 W8001, 8 inch Google Android 2.2 Gravity Sensor Camera MIC RJ45 Table PC, sounds just so-so, the secret is the VIA CPU, this junior runs a 460+280 MH dual core CPU, and totally it is 740 MHz.

anon144571

i have a AMD althlon(tm)7750 dual-core processor. is a 2.70ghz dual-core so does that mean it is a 2x2.70ghz because it is a dual-core.

anon144248

what is the difference between hard disk, main memory and ram?

cArn

I have a AMD Athlon (tm) 64 processor +3500, MMS, 3DNov, ~ 2.2Ghz, NVIDIA Ge Force 9500 1024 mb, 2gb ram question: Is it a dual core and also if I can play GTA 4?

jonde

What is a good CPU up-grade from a 2.80GHz,Pentium (R) D Smithfield with 3GB of RAM on a Dell XPS 400 computer?

Would a new motherboard and new CPU be a better choice?

adha

i have a laptop with intel centrino duo 1.86ghz. can i play a game with requirement 3ghz?

anon118430

can we divide the display into two parts to run two different logs simultaneously on the same monitor?

anon113997

i have p4 (R) processor with 266ghz and i want to upgrade it, so can you tell me how can i configure this processor, i.e p4 to dual core and core 2 dual processors?

anon109746

I was wondering i am looking a pc that would give me the power to watch tv shows or movies and and in the daytime have four different programs running. What specs should i look for? For the money?

anon102072

As a specific question I have Core 2 Duo 1.66 GHz. will I be able to run Starcraft 2 which requires a minimum of Processor (CPU) 2.6GHz Pentium® IV.

anon97800

77: what's the difference between the dual core and core 2 duo?

anon95925

I realize many people are on a budget. For those people that want to game. I'd rather have a dual core and nice video card vs a I7 and lessor vid card. I know a guy that spent cash on i7 then got cheap and and bought a 4770 video card. Another gets a cheap dual core put the extra cash into 5750. Guess whose system runs games the smoothest?

i860 quad wmb and ram is better bang for the buck gaming wise vs I7.

If you are going to skimp, skimp on the cpu and ram speed but not the video card. Same price but the one with better video cards is going to win in games. One of my systems has a cheap e5300 running stock and 5770. For the money it's pretty nice. all the E5200 5300s will do 3.2+

anon95922

This thread takes me back to the old days.

Get an i7 quad and you will love it. I've had dual cpus since like 1999 in one form or another. Back then, yeah, a fast single was the way to go. Hello, it's 2010. A dual is the minimum. My Fx A64 system seems like a dog vs a 2.6 GHZ E5300 and i7 920

They are all fast today, and people don't usually notice the difference between a 2.6 and 3.0 in its top speed. Everyone notices when it slows down.

You need at least a tri core to get the butter smooth with no slowdown feeling. Duals will stutter when an unexpected background app kicks in (ie AV) but

a quad just sucks it up and you really do not feel any slowdown.

A single core --oh my gosh-- it gets brought to its knees, forcing you to alt tab out and close the offending app. A quad keeps on trucking. Really hard to slow them down.

I have them all and would rather have a slightly slower quad than a faster dual any day.

anon92461

The article is written in a bit of a confusing way I think. It sounds like it can't decide if it's written for those who already know it all anyway, or for those completely new to the idea.

I explain to my students, that a CPU is like a code-reading brain watching a conveyor belt passing by. The CPU can only see one single instruction at a time, and faster CPUs can read what's on the belt faster as it passes. Compared to how humans think, even a very slow single-core CPU can read millions of instructions per second (yep, even the slowest of CPUs can read off the belt at an astounding speed).

Each instruction can be a single item, or more complex, such as calculating 2 + 4 would amount to '3' single instructions and the CPU is stuck doing that and cannot take on any other task at that moment (machine language is all that CPUs can ever see, and it's like a language for babies: very very basic instructions).

CPU/BRAIN:

Calculation In --> Calculate --> Leave Result -->

A quick example of what a CPU sees and understands. This is fake machine language though; it's only to show how the CPU logic works. It is based loosely, though, on real languages from the early first PC's

CLR command = clear flag data (just resets any numbers it may have been asked to remember earlier)

ROTR X command= Rotate the next single number on the belt to the Right (so 2 becomes 4 etc.)

ROTL XXXX command= Rotate the next high number on the belt to the left. There are more X's because computers don't see numbers as we do.

OPEN F command= Opens an electronic door named 'F', so results can be posted through it. Thousands of these doors can be open at the same time.

STORE G command= Remember the value of the last calculation made, and give it a name of G so it's easy to find later.

Anyway, as the CPU reads the code, and carries out the required actions, it must then 'post' the results to various other areas of a PC mainboards electronics. Again, this is all done so fast its silly. The CPU does have total control of the belt speed, and will always run as fast as it is capable of doing. It doesn't make mistakes, because a CPU works on logic alone. It can never miscalculate, unless it becomes electronically faulty, or is overheating (think of being faulty as it having a broken arm, it's hurting and so it's distracted and misreads some numbers. Think of overheating as it becomes too hot to think so fast, it's tired and grumpy and misreads numbers again).

I know that may sound silly, but in understanding a logical reason of how things work, it can make it easier to see how and why things do as they do.

The next bit is, you could now think of a dual core CPU, as two brains/CPUs, with one belt each, facing back to back. They both just get on with what data is sent, they don't talk to each other, they just carry on as with a single CPU. But both work at the same time.

Here's why most software doesn't work with dual core CPUs as it should: the operating system (for example Windows) has no real control over what calculations goes where; it just throws it towards the CPU's belt and waits for a response at the other end of the belt.

The bit that is going to slow up your wonderful new dual or quad core CPU, is that the operating system should really be 'forced' to send all one set of calculations to one CPU core, and all other code to the other. but it doesn't happen. In an ideal dual core world, one would handle MSN, and the other would handle Photoshop only.

But instead, for now you will get both CPUs getting a mix of calculations from a single bit of software, and then the CPUs must reassemble the results at the other end, resulting in a slowing down of reading and results.

Again, you can think of a quad core CPU now, as having four brains, all with their own speeding belt.

With all dual and quad CPUs there will be an electronic bottle-neck of data at the end of the belts. This cannot be avoided till the CPU designs get past the problem. Bottle-necks of data are just a natural big problem in all computer related designs, just because of their nature. Masses of calculation results, all needing to go to a new area of the mainboards electronics as fast as possible.

An actual dual CPU mainboard (as mentioned earlier) does not have that same problem. As each CPU is totally separate. It will also have a data bottleneck at some level, but not like the dual and quad core CPUs still do.

As to the actual speeds of the CPUs, this is down to a lot of other technical things. Bus speeds make a huge difference. Cache memory in the CPU is the biggest thing to make a difference, like memory speed and design, amount of free RAM etc. It will all make a difference to how fast the instructions get to that CPU, and how fast the results can be dragged off the belt again.

Ahh, time to go out to work. Goodbye and good luck with all finding the fastest CPUs you can.

anon91981

Quote:

"A multi-processor system is faster than a system with a dual core processor, while a dual core system is faster than a single-core system, all else being equal."

How can a multi-processor system be faster than a system with a dual core processor?

Could you please explain?

anon89764

I want to know the bus speed of a dual core intel processor best for the motherboard G-41 (along with its bus speed) and its preferable ram size.

I want the best supportive assembled desktop and i even want to know the features with their function.

anon89107

To be honest everybody, don't be silly. Please read Comment 41. He explains everything very clearly.

Having a 2.4Ghz dual core doesn't mean you have the equivalent of a 4.8Ghz processor. If it really was, don't you think it would be written 4.8 directly on the computer's specs to make sure you buy it!

When people say "I read on another site" (eg Comment 78), that reassures me a lot.

anon88194

136: try verifying your date and time are correct.

anon88188

I want to know how do I work out how much information my processor can process - i.e. lets say I have a single core 1G processor on a server (for simplicity's sake). And I need to know how much/how fast I/O is needed. Surely such a processor will not be able to utilize 20GB infiniband, or will it?

Or maybe such a processor can only 'put out' 10MB/s? is there a simple calculation, or am I way off and has one thing got nothing to do with the other... (most likely - knowing me). TIA

anon85869

The "speed" of your computers processing, depends not only on it's power (hardware) but also the means it is transcoding such power (software.)

For the average user, the reason why your computer may feel sluggish is because of a combination of too much "filth" (malicious programs, broken shortcuts, old registry, unfragmented registry, unfragmented HD, etc.) and "resource hog" programs (Nero, DivX, Norton.)

The hardware issue has clearly been reviewed over and over again here already. The software, however, has not. Use these:

Tune-Up Utilities 2010: freeware, through/fast HD defrag, through/fast registry defrag, broken shortcut cleaner, "old" registry cleaner, internet and CPU optimization, regain deleted files, create "rescue disks," and etc. Features run out after 30 days, which is all you need, unless you buy it.

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware: freeware, unarguably a through and fast anti-malware/virus cleaner, easy to use, and very lightweight. The Labs love this so far, which is a lot to say as their requirements on anti-virus/internet-security programs have gotten quite strict. Developed by Malwarebytes' team and is updated regularly, whether you buy it or not.

However, it is does not have "live protection" unless you purchase it, only when you scan.

Microsoft Security Essentials: freeware, a through but slow, lightweight, and unobtrusive. Developed by the Microsoft team and updated regularly.

Other: If you'd like there are other programs out there, such as subscription internet securities, but not necessary unless you're a heavy user (torrent every day, hacks, cracks, or other unreliable programs). Norton, Avast!, and Kaspersky are most notable.

Christine Morey

My laptop: Windows Vista Home Premium Service Pack 2

System: Manufacturer: Gateway

Model: (states on screen M-7304H) (but under my laptop it states another: M-7331h)

Rating: 3.1

Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) Dual CPU T3400 @ 2.16GHz 2.17GHz

Memory(RAM): 3.00 GB

System Type: 32-bit Operating System

I have been trying to find updates for my laptop and I cannot find any and my laptop was Manufactured on: 2009/01/14.

anon83944

i have the same problem as 118. my rig equipped with core i7 processor and 2GB graphic card and 4gb ddr3 ram. but i can't play tetris! note that my rig can run assassin creed 2 and crysis so so smooth but can't play tetris. anyone got suggestion?

anon83192

I am running a nice computer.

Quad Core (type is forgotten) 3.97Ghz each core.

6GB DDR3 RAM memory overclocked to 240HMz.

3TB RAID hard drive setup.

21" HP F2105 HD flat screen monitor.

All liquid cooled with a custom fitted Freezone. Elite CPU Chiller.

anon77386

answer to 110: the "p" stands for pink and the "w" stands for white. they are the same laptop, you're just choosing the color (obviously choose the white one.)

anon74313

can anybody please tell whats the difference b/w core2duo and dual core and Ive got nvidia 9800GT graphic card. is it compatible with dual core 1.6ghz and my board is DG45 intel chipset.

anon69279

i have and amd athlon // x2 processor m300(2.0 ghz,1mb,l2 cache). what does it mean and also tell me its importance and features?

anon66861

@ 41 (anon5824)

I think you are a great guy. Thanks for all the info. I particularly came to this website because I wanted to install a PDS software. Cheers!

anon65723

Is the new AMD sempron a single core processor?

anon62508

Dual Core describes the technology.. A CPU with 2 internal cores running simultaneously. Core 2 Duo is Intel's brand name of dual-core processor.

P3 = 3rd generation Pentium (<2001, very outdated and *slow* by today's standards)

P4 = 4th generation Pentium (2001~2005, better, but might be sluggish depending on what you do with it)

Core2Duo = Intel's previous generation (2006~2009, very fast, but are now surpassed by the Core i processors)

AMD = Intel's competition (latest and fastest are the Phenom2 triple core and quad core)

As for the Celeron processors, the 900 model (@2.2ghz) is very good (I'm using one right now! :) ), but I would opt for the latest dual-core celeron (T3100, I think). It is newer and likely much faster being a dual-core.

anon62230

What is the better processor Intel Celeron Procesor 900 or Intel Celeon Dual Core T300?

anon62150

Can anyone tell me the difference between p4, p3, core2duo and amd processors?

anon60281

what is the difference between dual core processor and core 2 processor? It is not defined in this site!

anon60067

I have a P4(single core)2.8, and it can run Civ4, cd-quality streaming music, Word Perfect, and numerous internet windows, all simultaneously... seamlessly.

That is even before I upgraded it (Dimension E310) to 2 gigs ram, a better graphics card, and added a 500 gig HD.

anon59383

whats better a Intel Celeron 2.20Ghz 2.19GHz,

or a Intel Dual Core 2.5Ghz??

anon59382

I have a game im trying to play that recommends a Dual core 2.8GHz cpu. I have an Intel Celeron 2.20GHz 2.19GHz and i ordered an Intel Dual Core 2.5GHz to stick in my computer too. Is the Dual Core 2.5GHz even necessary or not?

anon58614

i have 3.2 GHz and 1GB 3D card but i can't play a mario game. Please tell me what is recommended for this game. please notice that my pc plays the GTA4 but is not able to play mario, so please, please tell me how.

anon57894

I have an Intel(R) Pentium(R) Dual CPU T3400 @ 2.16Ghz 2.17 Ghz. Does this mean I have the capacity of over 4 Ghz in my processor?

anon57171

I recently bought my first laptop. It is an AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core processor. The speed is 1.20GHz. Is this a good and fast first time laptop? Also, does it mean that each processor has 1.20GHz or is that the total speed?

anon56511

i have an intel pentium 4 CPU 1gb 3.00ghz with xp (home edition). What i was wondering is if it is a multicore because i bought this GTA4 game and it says i need a multicore. My computer is custom built for gaming with fans etc. also what is MSI multimedia? thanks -Kenny

anon55113

@107: Hell yes, get the Dual!

My parents have a single core Celeron that's about 2GHz and four years old and it struggles to load XP, let alone browsing the web :(

anon55062

Read the above article which is why you came here. Dual core is the internal workings of one processor.

anon54479

probably a color code for white or pink.

anon53790

Does anybody know the difference between these two laptops and which one is the better one?

Sony VAIO NW20EF/W Core 2 Duo T4300 3GB 320GB DVD+/-RW 15.5" WXGA Camera Windows 7 Home Premium.

Sony VAIO NW20EF/P Core 2 Duo T4300 3GB 320GB DVD+/-RW 15.5" WXGA Camera Windows 7 Home Premium.

anon53489

I currently have a Intel Celeron 2.4 ghz and am thinking of upgrading to dual core. will I need a new Mobo?

anon53403

Answer to 107:

-"Dual Core" makes reference to any CPU that uses 2 cores.

-"Core 2 Duo" is the name of a specific type of dual core processor manufactured by Intel. It is the second generation of the "Core Duo" therefore it is called "Core 2 Duo".

-"Quad Core" makes reference to any CPU that uses four cores.

anon52080

what is the difference between dual core, core2duo, and quad core?

anon47359

I'm planning on buying a Dell Inspiron 15. It will have 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive. This will cost me £422 with Intel® Celeron Dual Core T3000 (1.80 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 1 MB L2 Cache) processor or £382 with Intel® Celeron® Processor 900 (2.20 GHz, 1MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB. Which is a better deal? Will paying the extra £40 for the dual processor be worth it in the long run?

random1peter

Answer to no. 103, only if the motherboard has the same slot (that's what i believe). My question: which is better - a single core celeron with 2.16GHz or a dual core celeron processor with 1.66GHz?

anon45756

can i change my processor from dual core to core 2 duo?

anon42194

I have a pentium 3 desk top pc for work. it's very slow. can i just insert on the motherboard a dual core processor and will i have a faster pc? or should i use the pc for a boat anchor?

anon42038

what is the difference between dual core, core2duo, and quad core?

OlgaLB

What is the difference between processor Intel Pentium Dual-Core T4200 and Intel Pentium T4200? Or they are the same? (These titles mean the same?)

anon39375

I am working on becoming a graphic designer.I have a Toshiba A135-S4656 with Windows Basic Intel Celeron M. I put 2GB in it. Without a Duo Core Processor will it be too slow? Can I put one in myself without a problem?

anon37725

Single cores will be obsolete soon so if you are in the market you might as well switch soon. No doubt single cores can be used for basic surfing & email but if you are like me who surfs with 5 windows open while running 4 programs you need core 2 duo baby. There are Quads now so that should give you an idea of where technology is going. Soon many programs will require dual core just like HD has taken over TV.

johnpold0

i have a choice when buying my new pc whether i were to get a Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad Processor Q9000 (2.00Ghz, 6MB L2 Cache, 1066MHz FSB)or pay a $100 more and get an Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor T9900 (3.06 GHz, 6 MB L2 Cache, 1066MHz FSB. The quad core processor has a Ghz less than the dual core, but the quad core had 4 cores whereas the dual core only 2. Which would be faster and which one should i get?

anon37464

what is the differece between dual core, core2duo,and quad core

anon37364

A dual core CPU has two processors which run at the MHz shown. A 2.0 GHz Dual core processor has 4.0 GHz of processing power, and *always* outperforms a 4.0 GHz single-core processor.

With a basic 1.6 GHz processor and a decent video card (GeForce 9600M is a good choice, also make sure you get at least 2-3 GB RAM), you can run a game and watch a movie at the same time.

anon36889

Can I play a game that requires a single core processor on a dual core processor?

anon35899

Duo Core processors are a joke, just another selling feature for computer companies to get you to buy into some *new* technology that most users have no idea how to use or have no use for. Fact of the matter is my brand new 'Duo Core' Dell is just as slow as the last computer I had that was about 5 years old...... the computer industry is laughing all the way to the bank....

anon35443

Hi, I have a game that has a system requirement of '2.0 GHz P4 processor' but my laptop is '1.60GHz dual-core processor T2330.

Is that better or worse than the system requirement?

Thanks :)

anon26902

People if your just wanting to surf the internet or go on msn the family stuff basically, no games but lower end ones, get an intel pentium4. They're very cheap and good. Dual core is for gaming. Don't get it.

Hpcompfan

Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)

- Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor P7450 (2.13GHz)

- 4GB DDR2 System Memory

- 320GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection

- 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT

- 17.0" diagonal WXGA+ High-Definition HP BrightView Infinity Display (1440 x 900)(1080i)

- LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support

- [For BrightView Infinity Display] Webcam + Fingerprint Reader

- Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-card with Bluetooth

- Computrace LoJack for Notebooks, One Year

I got all of this plus three years of Norton and a bunch of extras for $1400 I didn't think that was too bad. I had to custom order it though.

sri1988

Does an intel dual core processor support two processes running in parallel?

anon26368

I have dual core processor of 2.00Ghz. When i right click on my computer and go to properties sometimes it is showing 2.0 Ghz,1.20Ghz and sometimes it is showing 2.0 Ghz,2.0 Ghz which i preferred

anon24704

i was just wondering about my system requirements for a game i plan on getting.

the requirements for the game is:

2.4 GHz P4 processor or equivalent

i have a dual core and its 1.73 GHz

will it be slow or would i not be able to play?

anon23515

hi. i have recently bought a laptop which has a 1.66 GHz dual core processor, and i want to buy a game which needs 2.0 GHz P4 processor or equivalent. and i don't really understand what that equivalent is. will my computer be suitable for the game?

anon22990

It is neither. take like Online/Offline UPS.In one case, both battery charger and the domestic appliances take supply and other case Battery get charging,through Line supply and discharging through the appliance which cannot withstand even a millisecond delay.

In the case of computer chip, it completes 2 circuits through the pair of chipsets.That is Hypertreading. In dualcore, interference is nullified by allotting a signal slot.Or could it be a timeslot like flyback time in TV signal used for Teletext.

anon19536

what is the relation between CPU, number of logical processors and number of cores? Thanks in advance.

anon17995

Multi-cores provide multi-threading wherein it subdivides the tasks on its cores. Thus A 2.4 GHz processor can subdivide tasks into it's 4x 2.4 ghz cores. Intel's multicore architecture is different from AMD's. Intel's Core2 quadcores is like having 4 employees that can do different tasks, AMD's Phenom quadcore is like having 4 employees that can do the same tasks thus whenever there is an overloading of tasks on a core, another core can help.

terrorblade

we have talking much of these processors... before anything else.. what is a "core" in the first place?

anon17190

I read on another site that dual core were not equal to 2x the single processor speed, but instead about 1.8x. So, 2 - 2.0ghx processors (setup dual core) would mean 1.8 x 2.0 = 3.6 ghz.

anon14870

whats the difference between the dual core and core 2 duo?

anon14575

Hi, i have a game that has a recommended 2.8ghz. I have 1.6 dual core prosseser, does my system meet the requirements?

anon13899

Hello

On my computer, when I run dxdiag and look up my processor, it says that I have a 3.0 gig pentium 4 and next to it is (2 CPU's). Does this mean I have a dual core or is it something else? Thanks

stevo

Hi all,

Just to add to the discussion re Intel dual core versus core 2 duo - AFIK they are similar but they are different.

Intel Dual core (6x and 4x) use 65nm technology

Intel core 2 duo uses 45nm technology (faster buses etc).

Your MOBO might or might not run the features of core 2 duo or it might not run it at all - check the spec / numbers.

HTH Stevo

cane23

Why is Pentium core 2 duo faster in executing the frequently used programs as compared to AMD Athlon dual core CPU?

anon12644

It could be a shortage of RAM and a slow processor both.

Aside from that, the *software* needs to be able to utilize a dual core processor for it to take advantage of running tasks simultaneously. If the music software you are using is not **multi-threaded** it will only utilize ONE core. In this case a single core fast processor is better than a dual core, because only "half" of the dual core's total processing power will be used, whereas 100% of the single core processor will be used.

So check your music software. If it is NOT multi-threaded either add RAM (see if it's low when everything is open and you're using your software), or get a faster CPU. OR... note that other things might be slowing your computer down, including a fragmented disk, low disk space, a junked up registry or spyware/adware. There is an article here on wisegeek about what to check if your system is running slow. You might eliminate those possibilities before buying upgrades.

halomaster

For music production/writing music would a dual core processor be more beneficial than a single core processor? Would the dual core be able to better handle the processing of multiple sounds/synths/effects. I am finding with my single core that it can struggle to handle the work load. Is this all processor related or is it the ram that causes this problem?

anon11672

i don't think duo core processors speed up the computer because all the applications which are used right now are such that they execute only on single processor, but not on multi processor i.e.. they are only multi threaded applications. For the application to make use full power of duo core processor the application has to be multi threaded which can run on multi cores.

hope you get it :)

anon11040

is a 2.2ghz processor better than a 2.0ghz processor?

jyothi

I want go for Intel Dula core 1.8GHz,2 GB RAM,250GB hard disk. Will I be able to run mechanicals/ws like auto cad, hypermesh, ansys etc?

mrsc74

Hi

I want to play Sim City Societies on my laptop which requires the following system requirements:

Windows XP SP2, or Windows Vista, 1.7 GHz Intel CPU, or AMD XP 2100 processor, 512 MB RAM memory, 2.1 GB free hard disk drive space, 128 MB video card, DVD drive, DirectX 9.0-compatible video card. (Windows Vista requires a 2.4 GHz processor or equivalent and 1 GB RAM)

my laptop has the following spec:

Operating System Windows Vista™ Home Premium

Processor Intel Pentium Dual Core

Processor Bus 533MHz

Processor Cache 1MB

Processor Model Number T2330

Processor Speed 1.6GHz

Is it going to work with the Intel dual core processor being 1.6ghz, and are the graphics requirements OK?

I'm quite new to this so any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

Cheers

anon8963

So I Ordered a Laptop Recently

1.46Ghz Dual Core

2gb RAM

Would This be good For such things as

websurfing, IMing, and other Things at the same time?

because what I've gathered is Dual core is good for multi tasking. and for on the side, What type of Games would i Be able to play?

I know there's a few, but to what extent?

anon8886

Which is better:

- a Pentium 4 3.0 GHZ

- Intel Pentium dual core E2180

Also is the Pentium 4 single core or dual or quad?

Thanks

anon8865

OK here this the new unreal 2007 recommends you have a dual core processor that is clocked at 2.4GHZ

so yes if the game supports it then dual core will be an advantage

anon7676

OK

hopefully a simple enough question

since an intel core2 duo processor that is 2.2ghz costs more than an AMD athlon 64X2 that's speed is let's just say 2.6ghz

what is the better brand

and is there a speed difference in how it is calculated?

anon7324

i just bought a computer with an Intel 3.0Ghz processor (Intel® Core™2 Extreme quad-core processor), 4Gb ram, Windows Vista, 1TB HDD, dual mVidia 8800GTX graphics cards with 768MB ram each. I would like to know if my computer was worth the money of $2750 and if the processor speed can reach 6.0GHZ.

anon7234

Hello my self abhishek here. i have an AMD sempron

with 2400+ and i am getting total speed of 1.67Ghz speed. i thought that i would get a speed of 2.4Ghz speed as mentioned on processor. in fact my vendor said the same thing to me. can you make me clear what does 2400+ means with sempron processor.

anon6652

I am interested in the relationship between FSB, RAM and Dual Core processor speeds. Does anyone have a link or information on these and advice on the most efficient use of ram speed ( 667 v 800 v 133 ) with Intel Dual core processors. After all there is little point in spending more and inducing bottlenecks.

gfarey

I have a time pc with a Celeron processor 2.4

I have recently upgraded the RAM to 1 gig and the hard drive is 200gig

I am trying to edit some Digital video (mini DV) using windows movie make and also with Roxio media but the film is dropping so many frames that the quality is very poor and not worth continuing with. I have contacted a local repair shop and they have offered to upgrade by putting in a new motherboard and 2 x dual core processors 64 bit and a higher spec graphics card. total cost around £300

Will this do the trick and is the price about right??

jrehm0001

I have an AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ 2.0GHz;but my actual recorded speed shows as 954.

I have games that will not run, stating that I need at least 1.5. Is there a way to get the higher speed needed to run certain games? I have read somewhere that they run in a cool or low power mode. Help is needed. thanx, joe

anon6563

Hi,

My son wishes to purchase a laptop for running Football Manager 2008. The specifications required are:

Recommended – AMD or Intel Dual Core 2.2 GHz processor.

The laptop I found has a AMD Turion MK-38(2.2G)CPU fitted. Does this laptop meet the requirements? It is hard to tell as there is no way to compare them directly.

Ant help with this would be greatly appreciated.

Season Greetings to all.

mrdkgarg

Is Pentium D is same as Pentium Dual Core? Out of 3.0 GHz Pentium D & 1.6 GHz Dual Core processor, Which one is better & Why?

anon6514

I want know whether Pentium D and Pentium Dual Core is the same or is it different? Whether Pentium D 3.0 GHz is better vis a vis Pentium Dual Core 1.6 GHz?

anon6389

Question: i've been searching online and i see stuff like Intel Pentium D 925 (dual Core) and then something on another computer that says AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ 2.6GHz (Dual-Core)

what does the X2 too mean. Is there a difference!?!?

anon6354

My laptop is 'AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor TK-53 (2CPUs, ~ 1.7GHz'

I copied and pasted this from my system information and this it what it said it was.

Does it mean that my laptop has 2 CPUs running at 1.7GHz or 2 CPUs running at 835MHz and it's just telling me the total clockspeed?

anon6028

All right so... I've read everything and the last few posts were very informative thank you very much, though i have a n00b question i suppose. I have a 2.0ghz Intel Duo core, but in my system information is reads as two processors, both -

x86 Family 6 Model 15 Stepping5 GenuineIntel~1995MHz

I'm just curious as to why it states two processors when it's not duo cpu, Also - As you stated with SMP is there any 3rd party software that will allow all applications and games to make full use of the duo?

thx2u for reading/answering if you decided to do so.

anon5965

****SIMPLY STATED****

DUAL CORE PROCESSORS

If you have a dual core that uses 2ghz,

it is not equal to 4ghz on a single core.

It is two processors that allow for multitasking.

A game with a processor requirement with 3ghz

would run slowly.

The only benefit of them is multitasking or running many programs...

anon5825

A key point that gets overlooked is a 3.4ghz processor doesn't have to be 3.4ghz clockspeed. The advertised speed is always a "rating".

A 3.2ghz CPU can get factory overclocked to 3.4 and sold as a 3.4ghz processor, its done all the time. This is helpful for understanding dual-core processors, the combined cores have a speed rating of whatever it says, 2.2, 2.4, 2.8, etc, etc.

If you see a 3.4ghz dual-core processor, each core could clock at 2.8 or 3.0 but the combined clock of the processor is rated at 3.4ghz

That's all the numbers mean, don't confuse thinking your dual-core 3.4 is a 6.8ghz or 2 1.7ghz's that would be dual-cpu not dual-core.

anon5824

Quick share of some basic information...

A dual core processor is NOT twice as fast as a single core PC, nor is it as fast as a dual processor system, it falls somewhere in the middle.

SMP is a term that many of you need to get familiar with, it stands for Symmetric Multiprocessing. This is technology software requires in order to utilize a dual core processor. Most apps these days are coded to support SMP, but still many do not, if your application or game isn't SMP supported you will only benefit from one core of your dualcore setup.

Dualcore processing is key for multi-tasking, the memory bus pipeline can only support so much traffic, the dualcore uses 2 pipelines, thus essentially twice the possible work at once. You still have limits such as cache, bus speed, RAM, and shared hardware that prevent this from truly being twice the speed of a single core.

If you have a 2.4GHZ dualcore CPU, that is a "comparable" rating, it is not two cores running at 1.2GHZ it is also NOT the equivalent of a 4.8GHZ, it is simply what it says, a dualcore 2.4GHZ processor (Yeah I know, its confusing)

In the most basic terms, if your playing a game that needs a fast CPU, stay with the fastest single core you can get, x32 VS x64 is a totally different argument.

If your someone that does a lot of multi-tasking work, or an maybe using an application that does a lot of things at once, like photoshop, you will see a good benefit to using dualcore. Maybe you just like to run teamspeak while listening to music on itunes while posting on your blog and killing aliens on halo, that would be a case for dualcore. If you run only the game, or only crunch numbers, or only browse the web, single minded tasking, that's single core world.

Is a 2.4 dualcore faster than a 3.0GHZ singlecore? It depends on what you do with it, for multi-tasking? Yeah it would be, for HALO3 pwnage? Probably not...

mithlesh

is dual core 1.6 ghz is faster than dual core 3.0 ghz and why?

anon5319

Is a 1.66 GHz dual core CPU more powerful than say, a 2.0 GHz single core?

anon4931

No, the Mobile AMD Sempron 3600+ is not a dual core processor. It is a fairly good one though, and should still run pretty fast!

anon4504

Is the Mobile AMD Sempron 3600+ processor a dual core?

shrutika

what exactly is a core and a die? Is chip a processor?

Is Cpu a chip or an integration of many chips?

tijoantony

I want to know that Dual core or Core 2 duo or X2 technology means dual processors?

for e.g: Core 2 Dual 1.9ghz or

Dual core 2 1.9ghz or

Core X2 1.9ghz will give a Processor speed of 1.9*2= 3.8ghz

Am I right? will i get 3.8ghz speed?

anon3736

what tasks would you be able to handle with a dual processor? i mean to say, what use do these have for a simple programmer?

anon3543

hi I M NaVin & I have amd turion 64 x2 1.6ghz processor ..

it means 1.6Ghz is total speed and each core work with 800Mhz......

anon3411

Intel duo core 2 is apparently 40% faster than a normal Intel Dual Core, but personally i see no difference, if not Worse. I recently bought Intel Duo Core 2 2.2 which it said gave the power of 6.4Ghz, but it really really does not. It is probably just me not setting up my dual cores accordingly, but my laptop (1.73Ghz, NOT dual core) seems to run things smoother.

So don't be made into thinking OOH!! Intel DUO core 2 Must pwn, well, it doesn't

anon3307

What's the difference between the Intel duo core 2 and Intel dual-core processor? One is Intel's own branded version, I understand, but why do they also have a 'non-branded' version i.e. just dual-core? Is it not as good...?

anon3068

My friends System Config is intel dual core 1.6 Ghz with 512 DDR2 RAM and 945 chipset motherboard of jetways & i'v Intel Pentium 3.0Ghz with 512 DDR1 RAM and Intel 101 GGC Motherboard. and as above said Intel dual core 1.6 ghz is equal to 3.2 Ghz, as per this calculation my friends system must be run faster than mine. But it's not so

jrehm0001

AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ 2.0GHz. My actual recorded speed shows as 954. I have games that will not run, stating that I need at least 1.5. Is there a way to get the dual core out of cool or low power to reflect the higher needed speed to run certain games?

anon2878

What is difference between Intel dual core 2 processor and AMD 64 bit processor which is more efficient?

anon2705

yer same question as the lad above. i just bought a laptop with a 2GHz dual core processor? does that mean that effectively i have bought a 4GHz single core processor? they should run at the same speed?

anon2560

What's different between Two Processors with SMP capability and Dual Core Processor?

Dayton

As described above, there isn't actually a difference between "dual core" and "core duo." These are the same, except that one is intel's own name for their dual core technology.

anon2402

I want to buy a Laptop with 1 GB RAM and 160 GB HDD. There are two models available one with Dual Core and another with Core 2 Duo.which one should i prefer.Also there is a price margin on which i want to cut the cost also.Is there any Problem with Dual Core technology.???

anon2042

3800+ means that they (AMD) guarantee that this processor will give same performances like the processor from the past generation with the same core would give at 3800 MHz. But i don't know what means 2.0 GHz, probably that is the speed from both cores.

XpeedeeX

AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ 2.0GHz. What does the 3800+ mean and does each individual processor run at 2.0GHz or is the combination of the two processors together run at 2.0GHz

Dayton

Yep, you're right. That's Intel's special way of talking about their dual-core product.

anon1723

so core 2 duo is jst a brand name for the dual core technology?

anon1005

how can i comapre the dualcore processor speed with single core?

any there any comparison chart avialble?

suppose one example we will take, i want to execute one operation for my normal Intel 3.4GHz processor i r will take 30 seconds, how much the Duel core processor will take for same operation execution?

Dayton

In this case, the 2x indicates that each of two cores is running at 1.6GHz--thus, dual core. As another example, you may see 4x which is called "quad core."

anon140

I noticed that there's some confusion over dual core processors; when looking at PC specs some places claim that a dual core is like two processors with the written speed others claim it's two at half of the shown clock speed. i.e

**Intel Core 2 Duo T5200 - 1.6GHz (x2).**

does this mean 2x1.6GHz or 2x800MHz?

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • Dual core processor mounted to a motherboard.
      Dual core processor mounted to a motherboard.