Just how is dual core different than non?

[Cloudchaser]

Hi!

I haven't found an answer elsewhere, so here goes. Just what is the difference between a 2Ghz dual core processor and a regular 2Ghz processor other than the obvious dual core is faster? If a dual core is faster, why is it still rated at 2Ghz? Need to know because I'm looking to replace my laptop.

If 2Ghz single core processors are common, then shouldn't 4Ghz dual core processors also be common?

Thanx in advance

 

[aBg_rOnGak]

IMO, a single 4GHz core is hot on load, let alone dual 4GHz core....that just wouldn't really make sense/practical....you would have to use a really good cpu cooler to cool it down to normal/operational level of heat...there are other matters as well, but i'm not well versed about it though...

 

[horstmann]

You can be encoding a movie on one core while surfing the web, scanning for viruses and whatever else on the other core and not even get slowed down while encoding the movie. If you have a single core, encoding a movie makes the computer pretty much incapable of doing anything else at the same time.

 

[slicessoul]

Ex:

There are 200 boxes need to be transfered.

You have 1 truck who can bring max 100 boxes in one night travel, so you'll need two nights to have those 200 boxes, right ?
But it'll be better if you have 2 trucks, your 200 boxes will arrive in the same time.

From this example, assuming those trucks has the same speed, you'll not multiply what speed they made right ? but you multiply how many boxes they can bring in one time.

That's single core vs dual cores.
For the same speed, dual cores can process more data than single core in less amount of time.

I hope i don't make more complicated.

 

[chunkymonster]

Hi!

I haven't found an answer elsewhere, so here goes. Just what is the difference between a 2Ghz dual core processor and a regular 2Ghz processor other than the obvious dual core is faster? If a dual core is faster, why is it still rated at 2Ghz? Need to know because I'm looking to replace my laptop.

If 2Ghz single core processors are common, then shouldn't 4Ghz dual core processors also be common?

Thanx in advance

Two cores does not mean that the processor is twice as fast, this is a popular misunderstanding about SMP and dual core. Dual core means just that, there are two processors on the same die. Dual core procs run in parallel and not in series. If they both are rated at 2GHz, that means they both run in parallel at 2GHz and not in series and combined at 4GHz. Having two cores on the same die means you can run twice as many applications, not run the same application at twice the processing speed.

 

[sruane]

Ex:

There are 200 boxes need to be transfered.

You have 1 truck who can bring max 100 boxes in one night travel, so you'll need two nights to have those 200 boxes, right ?
But it'll be better if you have 2 trucks, your 200 boxes will arrive in the same time.

From this example, assuming those trucks has the same speed, you'll not multiply what speed they made right ? but you multiply how many boxes they can bring in one time.

That's single core vs dual cores.
For the same speed, dual cores can process more data than single core in less amount of time.

I hope i don't make more complicated.

Great analogy.

 

[ElMoIsEviL]

Hi!

I haven't found an answer elsewhere, so here goes. Just what is the difference between a 2Ghz dual core processor and a regular 2Ghz processor other than the obvious dual core is faster? If a dual core is faster, why is it still rated at 2Ghz? Need to know because I'm looking to replace my laptop.

If 2Ghz single core processors are common, then shouldn't 4Ghz dual core processors also be common?

Thanx in advance

The User seems to be thinking that a Dual Core 2GHz are 1Ghz per Core when added up making 2GHz. This is what I get from his post. So he's asking why not have two 2GHz cores for a total of 4GHz.

Unfortunatly that's not how it works.

On a 2GHz Dual Core processor (both cores are 2GHz each) vs. a Single 2GHz core has a single core clocked at 2GHz.

This means that the Dual Core processor can process two simultaneous threads at 2GHz a piece, whereas the Single Core processors must split the load and execute it out of order.
So you have a Dual Core that can do any two times at one time flawlessly vs. a Single Core that needs to split the load between multiple processes.

 

[Cloudchaser]

Thanx to everyone who replied

 

[chrone]

spectacular in some applications which support multithreading, and if you run alot on multitasking.

but for general desktop explorer and ms office and internet usage, i can't even tell the different if you already have 2ghz cpu, 512mb ram, and a 7200 rpm hdd.

 

[GATO]

it does make a differance if this person is surffing the web , burning movies downloading files and working on some photoshop projects. you would think that the dual proccessor will be better.i have a normal single core proccessor and it sucks when doing a lot of things at once,.gets slower ,freezes .....
what do you mean by a general desktop explorer ? dont we all started just surffing the web but soon want to do any things abbalable?a rookie becomes a pro in a short time jejejeje.looking for an upgrade.. to a dual proccessor or dual quat if motherboard can handle it,....

 

[V3NOM]

.................................@ thread resurrecting. i doubt anyone back then is still here to see your reply. don't bother asking questions to people long gone lol

 

[Pete28666]

Ex:

There are 200 boxes need to be transfered.

You have 1 truck who can bring max 100 boxes in one night travel, so you'll need two nights to have those 200 boxes, right ?
But it'll be better if you have 2 trucks, your 200 boxes will arrive in the same time.

From this example, assuming those trucks has the same speed, you'll not multiply what speed they made right ? but you multiply how many boxes they can bring in one time.

That's single core vs dual cores.
For the same speed, dual cores can process more data than single core in less amount of time.

I hope i don't make more complicated.

 

[joefriday]

Hey members, hate necro posters?
Do something about it and vote:

http://feedbacks.tomshardware.com/pages/14581-general/suggestions/162211-lock-all-threads-that-are-over-1-year-old-last-post-?lang=en

 

[AKM880]

Ex:

There are 200 boxes need to be transfered.

You have 1 truck who can bring max 100 boxes in one night travel, so you'll need two nights to have those 200 boxes, right ?
But it'll be better if you have 2 trucks, your 200 boxes will arrive in the same time.

From this example, assuming those trucks has the same speed, you'll not multiply what speed they made right ? but you multiply how many boxes they can bring in one time.

That's single core vs dual cores.
For the same speed, dual cores can process more data than single core in less amount of time.

I hope i don't make more complicated.

This is really great analogy, great job man I love it!

 

[Bluescreendeath]

Which is a better,
1 core @ 8GHz
or
2 cores @ 4GHz
or
4 cores @ 2GHz

(say, for a program that us multiple core compatible 100%)

 

[gamerk316]

...

False comparision here, because Pentium-Core is a diffrent architecture, so you can't make a fair comparision between them, due to diffrent IPC (Instructions Per Cycle). As one CPU can do more work than the other before clock speed is even factored in, a 2.0 Duo running with only 1 core will beat a 2.0 Pentium 4.